Stiffness and Stuffness

I've been really bad lately and not doing my leg exercises. I tried doing a few of them today, and man does my knee feel.... wonky.

I really need to be better about doing that.

Also, I'm trying to downsize how much stuff we have just around. I'm gonna start (try) fly lady stuff (again) and see if that helps with our mess. I'm maybe a little too optimistic and gung-ho, so I may just end up overdoing it. Starting tomorrow (it's bed time in my little universe).

This should be interesting.

Updates 'N Such

Heyy.... Yes, I'm still alive!

My knee is doing tons better! The nerve doctor said (forever ago) that I don't have nerve damage and that I was just subconsciously protecting my knee from getting reinjured (like the deep down in the hidden parts of my brain didn't want me to move it).  I think knowing that it was a mental issue and not a physical problem may have helped.

My knee is still a little sore and stiff most days. Stairs are still a challenge and I'm scared to try jumping or jogging. Some day. Some day I will try doing crazy things.

I'm not going to physical therapy anymore and just doing stuff at home.


On another subject, I'm trying out a new storefront - Storenvy!  So far I'm liking it and it doesn't seem too hard to navigate... You should check it out! You'll be my bestest friend! Haha. *winkwink*

Knee / Leg Update

So it's been a while since my surgery. Things seem to be going ok.
My quads are still really weak, but at least it's weight bearing and I'm that much closer to walking without crutches. I've been walking with just one crutch for a few days now. Yep. Just leaving the other at home. My leg was so tired the first day I tried that, but I've gotta do it!

The doctor almost thought that my nerves had been damaged or something because of how weak they are. It almost seemed like they were dead. I was having a really hard time "firing" those muscles. I almost had to go get another MRI and a nerve test to check on them.  He had me walk around a little and then lift my leg. For some reason I can move the leg a lot better when I'm standing than when I'm sitting. Is that weird? I think it's weird.

Now I've got some new exercises to do with my leg and to work the quads and hamstrings. I need to massage and elevate my knee when I can so that I can get more swelling out. Hopefully that will make it so I can build up strength and straighten/bend my knee further.

I'm looking forward to being able to walk around the store or to the car or up some stairs without a crutch and without doing this hop/limp type thing.


Well, that's all I really have for now.
I put up a free crochet pattern on my other blog, so please check that out.
I'm still working on what I want to post in the Etsy shop, but I really need to get rid of all this stuff around my home, so maybe I'll just list some of that...
Anything you guys might like to see? Questions and comments are always welcome!

Post-Surgery

Feeling a lot better these days. I'm getting closer to being able to lift my leg without help from other limbs. I can finally put weight on it, but still can't walk on it. I can't straighten the knee out all the way and I'm to about 74 degrees that I can bend it to. It's not as swollen and sore as it used to be. Physical therapy and doing the exercises has been helping a lot.
I also don't have to take as many drugs.  I was taking oxycodone for the pain, but was trying to keep it to around 1 a day (some days right after surgery I had to take more). Now I'm only taking the ibuprofen. Yay!

If you don't follow my instagram or FB, you probably don't know about my trip to PT last week.
My first visit was great, but leaving the hospital, I tried to go out through the revolving door. Bad plan. It was one of the only doors around the elevator that is also close to where the car was parked. It happens to be the front door. There are some other old-fashioned, push-open doors next to it, but they say "emergency exit"... kinda didn't want alarms going off.
So I try the lovely huge-scary-revolving door.  Did I mention it was snowing that day? Yeah. So it was wet. wet tile floors + crutches = fall-down-go-boom.  I think I was more freaked out than anything. I tried to catch myself with the bad just-had-surgery leg.  They took me over to the ER and got some x-rays to make sure nothing was ruined from the surgery. They also didn't charge us anything for the ER visit.
(Everything was fine.)

We went back to PT on Monday this week and I avoided the scary door on the way in. Turns out they put carpet in the scary revolving door! So much easier to go out now! Hopefully no more spills in the door. At least not due to wet tiles. I guess at least something good came from my falling.

I'm thinking about posting another pattern on the shop blog, but I haven't decided what to type up and post. I've kind of neglected the shop, but with so much going on and not really feeling it lately, I'm sure you can understand why.

Anywho....
Check back later. I'm really going to try posting more this year. I've been really bad about it lately.

Ciao

Broken

So after seeing the Urgent care and orthopedic surgeon and MRI.  We went from thinking my meniscus was torn to finding out that it's actually the cartilage on the back of my kneecap that is torn.

With how it's catching and hurts to straighten and walk on, the doctor recommends surgery.
Surgery is set for next week, so I have to finish getting all the stuff together to get the time off from work.
Not excited. I'll just be happy to have it over with and be able to walk again.

Looks like Christmas and the new year will probably be spent at home.


Also, for some reason my internet is acting up. My router seems to be having issues with wireless. I already talked to them the other day telling them it's slow but they say that it's fine. Ugh. Since then my computer doesn't automatically connect to to the internet (even though it's set up to).

The area we live in doesn't seem to like the cell service and so we have to connect to wifi calling. With the wifi acting up, about 5-10 mins after talking the person I'm talking to will start having trouble hearing me. It will either entirely cut me out or get really spotty but I can still hear them just fine.

We might have to either change phone companies, get a new router or change internet company.

ARrrrrggghhh! This is really aggravating.  >:[

New Place & Shop Giveaway

We've moved into a new apartment, closer to work. It's nice other than we don't get very good cell phone reception, we have a neighbor that just sits there and smokes all day and then  we won't be getting internet set up here for another week (something about all the fires in Utah are delaying things and they can't get a tech out here til then?)

Also, if you haven't heard... I'm doing a giveaway on my shop blog!  Go check it out (ch-ch-check it out! hehe) if you would. It's easy to enter. Follow that blog (you will get to see what I'm working on, any giveaways I'm doing, discounts for the shop and more!), share the post (more exposure for my shop and the more people the merrier! more giveaways and stuffs I can do), and comment on the post once you have done so.  I'm having the giveaway cover 4 types of social media, so if you don't have one or more of them, you can still enter! Yay!
Gotta live in the US or have an address I can ship to in the US for this one (sorry guys that live outside of the country.. if you have family or a friend I can send it to that is ok with me sending it to them and then they forward it to you, then you can still enter. I'm just doing domestic shipping for this first giveaway). Also, you need to be over 18 or have parents permisson.

The giveaway will end tonight at midnight my time (US mountain time), so make sure you enter before then!

I'll be picking a random winner tomorrow and posting it on my shop blog, instagram, my shop's facebook page and on twitter! (only 1 winner will be chosen)

Ok, enough about that..
Have a great day! I'm off to do something with my saturday!
Meagan <3 p="">

Moving and Other Lately Stuffage

We will be moving sometime next week. Not sure which day we want to move the big stuff (like the washer and dryer), but I do believe they told us we can get the keys on Thursday?

Also, if you haven't looked at my shop blog, I am doing a giveaway! Super easy to enter...

See? Just like it says. Like the picture. Share it with your friends/family/frienimy/etc. Follow my shop page(s) for future giveaways or discounts or just to see what I'm working on. Each person can have up to 4 entries. Ends July 27th (at midnight Mountain Time) and I will be picking the winner the next day.   Go check out the shop blog or the soc media(s) for more info!

Oh, and for the move, we plan on getting rid of stuffs we don't want anymore. I might post some of it here...  :)~

Giveaway On the Other Bloggie

I've decided I want to do a giveaway for the shop. Go check out le shop bloggie for more info!!!
Enter if you wish. Being this one is my first giveaway, you need to be livin' in the US of A to enter. (Sorry, guys if you be livin' outside the US.)

West Fest Concert

The only reason we went was because Z found out that Alex Boye was going to be having a free outdoor concert. Z was pretty excited.

Alex Boye was really fun.
Super down to earth and easy going.
The fireworks started in the middle of one of the songs he was doing and he had his guys slowly change the beat and then started singing Fireworks by Katy Perry.
Then he started going around the audience to people and having them sing with him.
It was pretty much all girls that would sing. He wanted a guy to get up and sing.
These girls by us volunteered their friend. He ran away, but Alex chased him around the crowd and through the pavilion that was by the stage. He still couldn't get him to sing.

I think he liked having the little kids sing with him the most. He'd make funny noises and have them repeat it back. He does have a few kids that are about the same age, so that could be why.

He interacted with the crowd almost the entire time. He told us to watch the fireworks and not him because the city had paid a lot of money for the display. He even asked if we wanted him to keep singing or to "just shut up for a bit."  He was relieved that everyone told him to keep going. Hahaha.

Before we left (the show started at 9:30 and we stayed until like 11) he did a song from this movie that is coming out. The song was about boy scouts. He had all the guys (that wanted to) that had been a boy scout or eagle scout come up to the stage to learn the dance that goes with the song. I wanted them to, but little brother and Z didn't want to go up.

The song he did right as we were going to go (but I had to stay) was by none other than... MJ! You know, cuz they don't really care about us. :P   Ya'll know how much I love my MJ. Mm-hmm... ^_^
Say what you want, but he was an amazing artist. and dancer. I admit, he was a little... weird. But he's still awesome.

Sidetracked! Haha.

Anyway, Alex Boye.  He was mostly singing in English. He did a few songs in other languages. Like one song is from Haiti.

I went and got Z a cd which also has a dvd with it. He was happy.

That's pretty much all we did at West Fest. The concert and the fireworks. Before the concert we wandered around the food tents but everything that sounded good had really long lines. :(

Work Benefits and Stuff

Finally got car stuff back to us for the destroyed car! Well, most of it. I think we are waiting on one more thing. Then we can finally get that finish getting that car in the past. Yay!

I also got signed up for medical benefits through my work. Z gets his medical stuff covered by the VA (and sometimes it's rediculous! but he has it so he figures he might as well use it.) and dental and vision we are keeping through his work. Medical is a little cheaper through my work, so I've got that as of today...

All this grown-up stuff can hurt your head. So many little details to go over. All well.

If you haven't seen my crafty/business/fun bloggie it's right HERE. 
Or you can find the link in the lovely little side bar <--- font="" nbsp="" over="" there.="">

Ciao for now, lovelies!

Healthy Time!

I really need to get in shape. I go up a flight of stairs and I'm dead! :[
I don't have enough energy to play with my nieces/younger cousins for very long.
I feel worn and overweight and... Ugh.
(I might not look it, but it's not very good..)

So I am possibly going to be trying to do healthy foods and do some form of exercise before work in the mornings. I am too tired or have too much going on after work to really do much.

We have been horrible about eating healthy. We mostly eat junk because we are too lazy to make something or to thaw out the meat or whatever we want to make.

Sadly, that also means I have to figure out healthier food to take to work that is easy to make/transport/warm.  Being I only get 15 min breaks every few hours, I kinda have only that much time to heat anything up.

I need awesome food ideas!

I also wouldn't mind good morning exercise ideas.  My body is not very flexible, especially in the morning (is anybody's??).  So I have to do things that I can handle at this point.

I figure, it can't hurt and it will definitely help with my bad knees and neck. (It makes me feel old! -_-)
Maybe putting it out there will help motivate me to be better about stuffs...?

Comment below with any tips/recipes/exercises you have for me! Things that worked for you... even things that really didn't help you would be helpful!  Even links to cool blogs related topic(s)?

Maybe I'll actually try that detox stuff in the future, too?

Ciao for now!
xo

Got Cold?

Somehow I have caught a cold. It started with a sore throat yesterday and after taking medicine for that it seemed to get better. However, somewhere between taking the medicine and my throat feeling better, I start getting a headache and a cold.

Now that my throat feels basically fine again, I feel like my sinuses are all stuffy.  I probably have a fever, as well.  :(  I'll have to go check on that once the hubby has decided to stop hogging to bathroom. . . he thinks he wants to take a shower or something.

It's not fun. Not fun at all.

I'm hoping that I feel better tomorrow.  I start working full time tomorrow!

I'm not particularly excited about spending twice as much time at work, but at least the extra $$ will be nice... right?


I've listed a bunch of dresses and plan on making a bunch of baby booties to list.  For some reason baby clothes are really fun to make. They're tiny and super cute! And lots quicker to make than adult stuff. (Depending on what it is.)


Well, I am off to annoy my husband a little before bed.

Dealership Boredom

I'm almost afraid to go in there again...
I got my car last week and every time I've gone into the dealership, I've ended up sitting there for at least 3 hours. What is up with that?

Today it was to get the things fixed that they said they would fix (ie the front left low beam, the 3rd break light and the latch on the hood).

I got there probably around 1:30.  I left at almost 5:20. Of course, my phone died and my charger was in the car..and I didn't have a wall charger with me. Just the car charger. I had some yarn with me... in the car. Stupid me thought it wouldn't take more than an hour. Boy, was I wrong!

I watched some Leonard Nimoy/Zachary Quinto associated stuffs.  If you haven't seen the commercial and you are even slightly geeky, you absolutely must watch this ad! I laugh every time.

I'm pretty sure the thing that took the longest was the break light.  So many people came and went while I sat there dying from boredom.  When they finally came to get me they told me that it wasn't just that the bulbs had died. They had to replace the whole light fixture thingy. Being it was a Honda dealership and I got a Chevrolet (used car, baby!) they had to go get the parts. At least the parts were only down the street a little.

This is how I wasted my day. There were things I would have liked to have done. I'm glad it was nothing important. We were going to go on Monday, but hubby's toothache took priority.

He was using oragel and this close to what I'm sure woulda/coulda ended up an overdose on ibuprophen. He has this problem where his body doesn't respond to pain meds, and if it does he has to take a lot or really strong medicine.

When he called them, the soonest they could get him in was 2 weeks from today. However, somebody cancelled so he got in that day! Yay!

When they shot him up so they could give him a root canal they had to give him about 4 shots. The assistant told him that he was eating through the numbing stuff like it was candy. They couldn't finish the procedure because the nerve was "too hot" and got far enough to close him up. They gave him lots of antibiotics and pain meds and scheduled him to come in again in 2 weeks. Hopefully, the infection and stuff will be all healed up by then and they can finish him.

Poor guy. He has problems (like his shoulder is messed up... 4 shoulder surgeries can do that) but pain meds don't do crap for him. He takes them, but it doesn't ease very much --if any-- of the pain.  :(

He said that the stuff they gave him this time actually seems to be working!  Although, it makes him sleepy and he loses his appetite.

Well, that is my week thus far. How is your's?

Meagan <3 p="">

Sore Sunday

Yesterday was really fun. Hubby and I spent the weekend with his family. We played paintball (which is fun, but you get sore really quick. I have a lovely bruise on my thigh from one shot.). Then we went to lunch and I got to meet hubby's sibling's grandparents (still his grandparents, i suppose. just not biologically).

We went and walked around the mall and I got a lovely paint-splatter lanyard which I will be putting my work badge on.

I got a pedicure, which was great! I should do it more often...Mmmm.... 0:)

Today, I had a very hard time walking. Thighs are sooo sore!  I went and soaked for a bit. It helped a little but doing anything makes my legs die a little more. Funny thing is, it's just my quads. Hamstrings are fine. It's probably because I was squatting behind cover most of the time. Not much stretching of the hammis...

We then ran around with my nieces at the little park at my in-law's apartment complex.
They had fun, but it didn't do much for us older people. I'm not even that old and I have no energy! Gah!

All this soreness just proves that I am horrible and need to exercise more!  My arms hurt, but not as much. Probably because I don't need to use them as much.

What fun and exciting things did you do this weekend?

Meagan

(PS  go check out the other blog/soc medias!)

Out Another Car

We got in an accident yesterday. Now we don't have any cars!

We were going to get gas and then planning on going to see my inlaws. Needless to say, we didn't go. Instead we waited for the police (who actually showed up pretty fast. last time it took about 3 hours) and then fill out witness reports. We tried to get a rental car, but for some reason full coverage doesn't cover the rental. You have to pay extra for that.

We went to get the rental the insurance company told us was being held, but found out there is an extra $200 deposit on top of what it was already going to be to use it for a week. We don't have the extra money. We tried to use another company today that is a lower price, but the only location we could go to on a Sunday is at the airport. They do not accept debit cards."It's airport policy to only accept credit cards for local customers, but if we had a flight confirmation we could use the debit."

We don't have a credit card. The closest is out visa/mastercard debit cards.
Looks like we have to rely on my parents until we can find a car. Unfortunately, hubby works at 4am. He is going back to the regular non-swing shift schedule and we don't have to worry about a ton of back-and-forth commuting.

I hope we get a good car soon.

The car looks like it got it's jaw broken off.

Broken cars and frustration...
Meagan

Good Things

The Oldsmobile is sold and I do not have to worry about so many things...
Examples:
-Rain.  The windshield would leak! Seriously, if it rained more than just a few drops, the inside of the roof would get damp. Right over both of the visors... or over the rearview mirror. It depends on what mood the car was in that day. Really. If it rained hard, it would drip. I would have to lay a blanket over the steering wheel or else the seat would be wet when I would climb in the car.

-Windows. You can not roll the windows down. The driver's window was stuck. I was just happy it was up. The winter after I got it, the motor broke and the window got stuck down! It was so cold driving to work. Like 2 coats, gloves, a scarf, a ski mask and the heater on full blast kind of cold. The other windows were starting to do the same thing, so I wouldn't let anyone touch the little controllers for them. No sir.

-Freeway.  I suppose you could also say long distance? If you went 60mph the car would shake. It really hated going over the speed limit on Bangerter. We usually took Legacy instead of I-15 (slower speeds and fewer cars).  We only dared go as far as Layton because we didn't want to be breaking down and stranded where we didn't know anybody. In Layton and Bountiful we at least have family.

-The ac and the heater were basically dead. They would finally be working by the time you were parked at your destination... and even then it was iffy.

-The suspension on one of the tires was about to give out, so I dodged that $300 bullet, too.

-The belts didn't seem to like to last long.  :/

Don't get me wrong. For the year and a half we had it, it was a good little 1st car.  It was just getting old and the plastic was getting brittle and not looking too pretty on the inside.

Although, I've seen some that I felt I would need to go get a shot after riding in it. We all know how deathly afraid of needles I am... LIke hyperventilate and have a panic attack and the thought of getting a shot kind of afraid. I know. I'm terrible. I try to get over it, but I can't. I have no idea how.  Hubby jokes that he's going to take me to get a tattoo to get my fears to magically vanish. I really think that would not help in the slightest. That poor tattooer (artist? tattist?) would have the hardest time. I would be the worst ever client.  I could only imagine what would happen...

Good news is, we got approved for a car loan and we are looking for a good car. I'm thinking a wagon or a hatchback or a sedan. Something not little, but not too big. Something we can carry a table in if we bought one. Not to sound Goldie Locks or anything, but I want it just right.  :]



My computer should be all better by tomorrow!  We ordered a new battery and a new charger. The battery came today and the charger should be here tomorrow. We are pretty sure that is what was wrong with it. I sure hope so.



All we have to do now is get the washing machine fixed and then we have the 3 problems fixed!!! That and find the just-right car.  Then things will be golden! (hehe)   That is, until something else decides to go wrong.  Cross my fingers that that doesn't happen for a good long while.


Love, cars and fixed computers....
Meagan.  :]

All Of The Things Are Breaking!

Everything around here has decided to start dying!! Ok, not everything.... yet.

The washing machine, the car and my laptop all have. I really hope nothing else decides to go next. It would be appreciated...

We are getting rid of ye olde cutlass cierra and working with just one car again. Difficult.

I cleaned out the car and found my husband's long lost original wedding ring. I also found a cell phone. Methinks it is my seester's that she lost. Good goin' sis. :P *loves*

Right now I am making one of my favorite foods to make lately.. Super easy and relatively fast.

Chili!

And , no. Not from a can.  From many cans! LoL  :)

You get a can of diced tomatoes, a can of either kidney or pinto beans, a pound of hamberger and some spices.

If you get a package of McCormick chili seasonings it will give you the recipe.
You could do any spices you want, though.

First, brown the meat. Drain the grease once its done. Dump in the spices, the tomatoes and the beans (do not drain the beans and the tomatoes. dump the juices in the pot too!)

Bring the heat up to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, cover it and bring the heat down to a low temp. Let it simmer for about 10min. (You can go longer if you like.)

Dish it up with cheese or sour cream or cornbread or whatever floats your boat!

M-mmm... I love making this stuff.

Stupid Car Died. . . Again.

Noo!  My car decided to die this morning on my way to work...

I'm driving along and I notice it smells weird.  My temperature gauge is ALL the way to RED.  Not just touching red... it's ALL THE WAY!   

See??
(Don't worry, I'm parked.)

 I pull over and park the car. I text my husband (who is at work) that the car is freaking out. I call work to tell them I'm not going to make it in.  I call the mechanic and tell him what's going on. He tells me to wait about half an hour to an hour for the gauge to get out of the red before driving anywhere... or call a tow truck. About an hour later, the temp gauge is still in the same place. We call the insurance company, who calls the towing company.  I wait until about 9:30, when the tow truck driver calls and says he doesn't see me. I'm on the side street. Right by the main road. He had pulled into the parking lot of the town homes next to where I was parked. *sigh*  He finds me and he gets the car hooked up to the truck.  

Once I've been dropped off at the mechanic's and the car is unhooked from the truck, I drop the keys off and get a ride home. It was freezing.  Today I did not want to walk.  (They usually offer to give me a lift, but being they aren't far from home, I just walk.)

I hang out at home, wondering what is wrong with the car and feeling bummed.  

Around 3 o' clock, the mechanic calls and tells me he would rather not be calling me.  The car is super dead. 
Ugh...  

The intake manifold broke. It caused antifreeze to mix with the oil. The engine sounds ok right now but they don't know how much damage had really been done to the engine. That also made the radiator hoses soft, so they will need to be replaced in the near future, as well. Everything to fix it will end up costing upwards of $1000.  

Not to mention the $300 is will cost when the problem with one of the tires (I believe he said that the shocks were wearing out on one tire?) finally decides to happen. 

Considering the trade in value of the car is maybe $950 in good condition, $700 in fair condition. About $1200 for the private party value in fair condition.... Basically, it's not really worth sinking more moolah into this car.  Unfortunately, I think it's time to find a new car.  

Arrrggghhhh!  (Very angry pirate, I know.)

I'm still making payments on the car for other things we have had to fix!  The driver's window went out in the middle of the winter before last and had to get a new motor to keep the window up. The serpentine belt went out when we were completely broke. That was not terribly long after getting the window fixed. 

If we had money, that car likes to make sure that it doesn't stay that way for long. There are other things I would rather be focusing on.

Looks like we get to go do the dreaded car shopping thing again...

Anybody want to go buy me a new car?   ( -_-)

Not a devil car.  I want working windows (they go up and down and do not leak!). Cup holders. This new car must not be a clown car. I hate driving in little cars. It scares me.

Yeah. If you could just do that for me, that would be great. ~Thanks 

Ch-ch-changes!

I've decided to change the look of this blog a bit. Ok, maybe a lot.  If you remember what it looked like before, it's very different now.

I have also started up a separate blog for my shop. I will start posting that stuff there and then anything else I feel like talking about on this one!
See the side or my profile for the link to that blog. :]

The other day hubby and I decided to take a very spur-of-the-moment trip to Park City after he got done playing a few games of bball with a friend of his and that friend's buddies.

I even got a compliment on my lovely hand-doodled shoes I colored on forever ago.

Aren't they so purty...

It was one of the guys that worked at the first store we walked into. It just so happened to be a shoe store. Haha!  Said guy asked if I had colored them. He then told me he might have to hire me to color on some shoes for him.  (I had to go get more shoes later to color on... for myself. I have been wanting to for a long time.)

We had fun window shopping and being spontaneous.

We came back down to the valley after we had wandered our fill (and had even stopped to get some pretzel bites!) of Park City.

We got some much-needed hair cuts (my hair gets so thick and heavy! With a bad neck, I have to thin it every time I get it cut) and got my thick-framed glasses fixed. They were so uncomfortable that I couldn't wear them.  So I didn't... for almost a year! I've just been bad and not taking them to get adjusted.

The Shop Is Open!

I finally got the shop open!  Just today!  I have a few listings up. Eight, to be exact.  I need to take a few more pictures and get them uploaded for other items.  I also need to talk to miss Jena about the items she took and see if she has finished with them yet.  I'm sure it will take her a little while to get the photos edited...

I am thinking about listing some bacon ornaments/bookmarks.  I get the feeling people will like them.  I don't get the bacon obsession...

Any suggestions?  If you would like to check out the shop, go to 

www.etsy.com/shop/GingerbreadCove