Confessions of a Sumo Wrestler

I am in this picture. Nope, not the skinny little weasel; I'm the big one, except I wish my boobs were that big. I have become a Sumo wrestler minus wrestler because I'm not aggressive.

This comes as no surprise to me. After all, I do have to put on clothes every day and I have noticed some don't fit me any more. Because of my knee problem, I have done virtually no exercise except hiking up that ridiculously steep mountain in June when I nearly met my Savior. Truth be known, I probably could have moved about more but when my knee hurts or buckles under me, I just don't have the initiative to walk the neighborhood. Truth be known again, I definitely could have made more healthy-conscious food choices. Funny thing with me is that I'm either all on or all off. A personality defect, if you will. Well, last week I had a rude awakening. When I went for my pre-op, the nurse headed me straight for the scales. I suddenly became weak in my knees (and it wasn't b/c of my torn cartilage). I almost hugged that nurse when I saw the scales registered in the metric system. Hallelujah! I may be fat, but I didn't know what the scales said. Victory! (I know . . . I'm so stupid). So, the morning of my surgery, a nurse and I were sitting alone in the small cubicle-of-a-room. She said, "So, you're 5'7" and weigh blah blah." You could have socked me in the stomach and it wouldn't have hurt less. I gulped, "Yes, but don't tell my husband." Sorry, Tom. Some things need to be between me and the nurse ONLY. I could have become very depressed at the moment, but I knew that time was on my side and I'd take care of it soon.

All last week, I had friends and family bring in delicious food. I consumed all of it and enjoyed every bite. So today, Monday, I weighed in for the big reveal on my scales. I must admit the hospital scales were right on. A very sad number. I have two choices: (1) I could become a new piece of furniture.

Somehow, I don't think I would sell very well as a side table. So, I'll go for choice number two. (2) I can begin the long process of eating right, drinking lots of water and walking when my knee allows me. Today, Monday, September 29, 2008, I begin yet another stab at getting healthy and less Sumo-like. You, my blog readers, are a part of this venture. I will share my highs and my lows with you. If you see me out and about town, just smile and don't say anything. This is as private as possible. No discussion outside this blog. Just an honest chance to look better by the end of 2008.

Electrical Hazard

I now have only one electrical outlet in my kitchen that I can use. One. And it's dangling from a hole in the wall. This is what my life as a cook has come down to. Sad, isn't it?

Getting Back To The Basics

I've had an upset stomach for about 48 hours. Tonight I was craving plain ole noodles. Then I remembered, "I don't have a stovetop." I asked Tom, in my especially pathetic voice, "Is it much trouble to get out the camping stove?" He knew that I wanted him to get it down no matter the difficulty involved.
So here's what you do when you have no stove top. It's camping city-style - in the garage. Whatever . . . . I certainly did enjoy those noodles!

Boys and Their Toys

Remember the 1983 movie, The Christmas Story? Ralphie wanted an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. Boys want their toys. Some things never change.

Tommy Boy has a new toy.

It's a Husky 7" Tile/Stone Wet Laser Saw With Stand. Actually, he and Lynn K. share this new item (cheaper to purchase divided by 2). Last night, the two stooges worked feverishly to put it together and try it out. It's difficult to see on the picture b/c Tom's shirt is the exact same color as the new saw. And I'm wondering, "who is that random lady on the TV?"
This shared new toy will work well b/c both Tom and Lynn have upcoming projects requiring such a machine, plus Lynn lives about a football-field-length away from us. (As long as Lynn doesn't move to Alaska, we'll be fine). Tom will christen the saw, probably next weekend, when he begins putting granite tile for my countertops. Right now, I'm still w/o a stovetop and my kitchen is in a mess. I'd better get used to this b/c I don't see this project being completed any time soon.

Don't Mess With My Ice Cream

I promise this is true. My newspaper, today 9/26/08, page 14A - read it for yourself if you don't believe me. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is asking Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream to stop using cows milk. Guess what they ask to be used instead of cow's milk? Mom's breast milk! Holy Cow!!! (pun intended) Now come on here. This would be called Ice Scream! Isn't that going a bit far? How about the ethical treatment of new moms, huh? I admit that when I eat ice cream, I do not think "Oh what poor cow was pumped for this tasty treat?". Shame on me for not worrying about the cows. But if PETA has its way, (A) I'd never again eat ice cream (B) If I saw someone else eating Ben & Jerry's, I'd wonder "what mom relinquished that milk", "what did she eat the day she pumped", and more horridly "Do I know that momma?"!!!!

I am lactose intolerant. I am also mother's-milk-used-as-ice-cream intolerant! Sue me, PETA.

You know, if you've read any of my previous blogs, how I hate squirrels and chipmunks. They are so annoying. (Don't tell PETA or they'll be banging on my door). I have found the best solution for Mom's Milk Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Look below:

Ok, I know PETA is on the way over here, but I just don't like these little creatures.

New Cabinet Concept - Openness

Yeah, there's too much emphasis placed on the importance of cabinet doors. Why not just have huge openings? I can reach down and puck out whatever I need at the moment w/o making the effort to open a cabinet door. See my (non)countertop below:
Heaven only knows when I'll actually have a usable countertop again. Could be months. I shall not complain. . . . . or at least not complain too often or too much. This is only half of my kitchen. The other half is still in the original condition. Of course, you need to know that the huge hole represents my (non) stovetop. Yep, I can't cook. What a bummer! But, as my resourceful husband has pointed out many times, "you still have an oven and slow cooker". Thanks, Honey. But, of course, I'm still recuperating from knee surgery. I wonder just how much longer I can milk that medical procedure? I'm actually doing very well. But don't tell my friends who are bringing wonderful food our way. Don't know if it's for me having had surgery or for Tom who has had few cooked meals. Any way, here are some of the great food items we've consumed in the last few days: Roast, brown rice, orange salad, green beans, rolls, lasagna, baked spaghetti, bread, cheesecake, chicken casserole, speckled butter beans, mac & cheese, cornbread, homemade coconut cake, variety of sandwiches from Chic-Filet, chocolate cookies, brownies, chocolate dessert, and McDonald's tea, hamburger & fries (from my BFF). Don't ya think I'm gonna need to go on a straight diet next week? Good grief! I needed to lose weight before this surgery. Now I'm purely pathetic. I've enjoyed every bite so far. More is coming tomorrow night. I may have to consider stomach stapling.......................

Ten Necessities for Knee Recovery

My torn cartilages have been repaired plus some "arthur" has been scraped away. Now I'm in the recovery mode. Yuck. Below are some of my necessities for recovery - all neatly placed on a silver tray lined with a lovely green towel.
1. Crossword puzzle - This keeps me from being so bored with my leg hiked up to the ceiling.
2. Lotion - (It's in the container with red lid - this screams my Mother. Yes, family, I actually cut my Jergen's Lotion bottle with scissors and found lots of lotion from what seemed to be my empty bottle!) Gotta keep those hands soft.
3. Water - hydration is very important
4. Altoids - good breath is essential
5. Ice Pack - I'm a good little patient - keeping the ice pack on my knee. I did, however, have several incidences of leaking ziploc bags. At present, I'm using 3 bags - one inside the others.
6. Remote control - TV watching is vital to my recovery
7. Cell Phone - texting and phones calls keep me in touch with the world.
8. Old-Timey Phone - Keeps me in touch with other old-timey people.
9. My stash of rings - I don't wear rings like most people. I play with them - fidget with them to be exact.
10. And the most important item of all - VASELINE. I'm completely obsessed with keeping my lips moistened. It's a problem I deal with every day. Put me in a dark room with no Vaseline and I'd go insane in a matter of hours.
Today I begin therapy. Please pray for my therapist. I don't like pain and I'm not in the mood to put myself in torture. I'll update this later if I'm physically able to type.

C.W., I've Missed You + Troubles for Tom the Toolman + Music To Puke By

C.W., I've Missed You!
Since you left in late spring, I've missed you terribly. When you left, I knew how miserable I'd be without you. I've been yearning for your return for months. When I went to get the morning paper, I suddenly realized you had come back! Welcome, Cooler Weather!!!!! Now I'll be happy until late spring. If you haven't guessed, I abhor hot, humid weather. I'm alive and kicking late September until late spring. Welcome Home, C. W.!
Troubles for Tom the Toolman
Tom has such a big heart. We babysat little Aubrie last night for Mark and Andrea to have a night out. Tom brought over our carpet cleaner b/c Mark had commented on a few stains, Brady dog's puking, and Aubrie Projectile Poo problems. After we ate a bite of supper, Tom started cleaning carpet while I sacrificially held Aubrie. Tom had cleaned two rooms and exactly half of the den when the carpet cleaner quit working properly. This machine is only about 18 months old and we've only used it 2-3 times. I don't know why but any time Tom tries to do any work at home, any project, anything, he always has problems to surface. Poor Tom spent about an hour and a half trying to fix the machine. He never did. So when Mark and Andrea came home, we welcomed them to their clean carpet for half of their home. Here's a picture of Tom . . . . I didn't tell him I was taking this picture b/c he was not in the mood.

Stupid Carpet Cleaner!

But if anybody could get Tom calmed down from work frustration, it's little Aubrie. Here Tom is in a much better humor.

Sweet Aubrie

Music to Puke By Today Tom has been working in our kitchen - remember our marathon kitchen remodel project? As usual, he was having difficulties with a minor task. I decided to, once again, be the sacrificial lamb (baa, baa) and try to ease the situation. I turned on his favorite music, Bluegrass. Every Sat. there is a station that plays the most gosh-awesome bluegrass music. Other than Rap (which in my opinion is NOT music), Bluegrass is my least favorite music. Here again, Tom and I are complete opposites. Anyway, while Tom was working on the ply board, etc., I was cleaning and wiping down my cabinets inside and out. Several times I felt slightly sick to my stomach. Today I had Bluegrass music ad nauseam!

Oh, by the way, Tom just worked with the stupid carpet cleaner and, guess what? It's working! Don't know what he did today and he didn't do last night, but he just cleaned my den carpet! Yeah! Praise the Lord.

One more picture of my sweet granddaughter.

Camping In Style plus A Blast From The Past

Just returned from a long weekend at Smokemont. It's a great place to camp. When I get out and breathe that fresh air, I immediately become so relaxed and I have such a calm feeling from my head to my toes. We had a great time. We walked every day, we ate lots of good food, we talked and laughed alot, and we slept like bears in hibernation.

We've been going to Smokemont, off and on, for around 30 years. The place just has those special memories that you never want to forget. Great friends were made here - lifetime friends. We took all our children . . . after they were potty trained. That was a rule. We tent-camped for the most part until we got our first camper. Then we progressed to a larger, nicer camper. We sold it when Mark was in college. Now we're back to tent camping. We had a wonderful time. Below are some pictures of our fun weekend.

The White Temple
The King's have this awesome tent/awning. It was great. Tom said it looked like a white temple.

A real stove plus 2 dozen red roses!

The King's also have a stove (retrieved from an old camper). We had pancakes and maple syrup with caramelized pecans on Fri. We had eggs/grits/bacon/sausage/country ham/apple butter/peach marmalade (thanks, Billie) and red-eye gravy for breakfast on Sat. Man, oh, man! Our meals were so much better than the Dillard House or Cracker Barrel!!!! The roses were a gift to me from my husband for our anniversary on 9/10/08.

Pregnant Ab, lounging around the camp fire.

The King's also had a cot (I think we'll invite them to go with us every time!!). They brought it for me to lay down in around the fire b/c my back hurt and sitting in folding chairs only lasted for so long. Well, as you can see, I was not the only one to enjoy the comfortable cot!

Chad and Michelle could not go b/c they now have season tickets to S.C. games and this was the big Georgia game (sorry that they lost). Mark & Andrea & Aubrie stayed at home. We missed them terribly. We have enjoyed a couple of campouts at Smokemont as an entire family. Making more memories!

Now for some more nostalgia. I found some pictures from 1984 when we camped at Smokemont as a church group. Honestly, the only thing that has changed at Smokemont since we first camped there is (at the group sight) that the big circle of seats surrounding campfire is no longer there. I call it the Ring of Fire. I miss that Ring of Fire. We don't camp in the group camping area any more, but I still miss seeing it. Many times there were so many soaking shoes, jeans, socks, etc. hanging on chairs and rocks around the fire. The children/teens seemed to immediately go to the river just beyond the Ring of Fire and, of course, they always "fell in". HaHa. We all knew they jumped in on purpose even though the water was freezing. Here are a couple of pictures from 1984.

The Ring of Fire

Tom Taylor, Mary Nelson and Doug Hogg (husband of peach marmalade Billie) are enjoying the fire. I'm not sure why everyone else has their back turned away from the camera.

This picture is special for many reasons: (1) Just look at the beauty of the autumn leaves! (2) The guys putting up the tents remind me of the difficult job those men had to put up many, many tents before the bus load of adults, teens and children arrived that night. (3) See the blue truck and the camper in the background? That camper was our very first camper. We were so happy to own it. See Old Blue? Tom had that truck for 20 years. I saw that very same truck just yesterday. Ernie Hinson bought it from him and it is still running!!!! Just like Ernie, that truck takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

I do love Smokemont. I love being with family and friends. I can't wait to take Aubrie and Cadence with us one day, plus all my other grandchildren that I don't know about yet!

Ode To My Husband

H - Humor

Ok, Tom's not known for his comic relief, but when I need it most, Tom can crack me up like no one else. That's what I like about his sense of humor. It's always there; it doesn't show up every minute of every day, but it's there. And when it does show up, it absolutely thrills me and makes me wet myself.

U - Unchanging (It's weirding me out b/c I can't "change" this font size!)

I don't like change. I like the same ole same ole. That includes my husband. Not in a bad way, but Tom is always Tom - no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing - he's always Tom Rucker. I like that.

S - Smart (and wise)

He didn't graduate from Georgia Tech b/c he's a slow thinker. He smart but he's also very wise. People gravitate to him because of his smart and wise processing skills. He's on numerous committees, especially at church, where leaders need to have these qualities. My Tom does.

B - Blessed, Godly Man

If I have another person tell me what a great guy Tom is, I may get queasy. Just Kidding! He hasn't always been a solid Believer. Early in our marriage he realized that he had not asked Christ to be the head of his life and he made that decision. Best decision he ever made. He's a real prayer warrior, one who asks God's guidance on a daily basis and one who has been a true example of a godly father to our three children.

A - Analytical

Unlike his wife, Tom thinks before he speaks. He thinks long and hard. As I've mentioned in another blog, he plans, thinks, measures, compares, replans, rethinks, remeasures, recompares, etc. before beginning any project. I'm just the opposite. That's one reason God put us together. For him to slow me down and for me to push him along!

N - Nice and Kind

Tom never has an unkind word to say about anyone. He may think it, but he rarely, if ever, says anything unkind. He always looks at the positive things about any person, trying to block out what negative things may have been said by others, coming up with his own thoughts about that person. He's just a good ole nice guy.

D - Dependable

Tom is as dependable as the day is long. If there were superlatives given for church and community, Tom Rucker would get the Most Dependable superlative. He has and he always will be the one you can count on to get the job done correctly and on time. Like I said before, he never changes and you can always count on him.

That spells my HUSBAND of 36 years today. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Tommy Boy! I love you and I look forward to 36 more years. You'll be 94 and I'll be 92 and we will be celebrating our 72 wedding anniversary. That's attainable!!!!!

Tom has a crazy cousin we call Big T. When Big T calls, before he says "hi", he always says to me, "You're a lucky woman" - referring to the fact that I am married to Tom. Well, actually, I am a lucky woman. Or better still I am one blessed woman. My "joy" is being married to my Tom.

Love you, "Tommy".

Definition of P.P. plus pics of Aubrie

Until today I always thought the term P.P. referred to the releasing of urine. Sorry for the bluntness but this is mild compared to what's coming. Well, today I kept Aubrie while Andrea was at a conference concerning her nursing job and while Mark was driving to/from Charlotte getting Grandmother Dafoe on a plane back to Canada. When I arrived this morning, Andrea had just finished nursing Aubrie when she told me to look around at the mess. Wow. Not a messy house, but a mess from Aubrie. Ya know how little baby poo is sorta honey mustard/grainy looking? Told ya this was getting worse. Apparently, Aubrie had a complete blow out while lying on the changing table without a diaper. I found this hard to believe but Aubrie had a P. P. (Projectile Poo) that shot from her rear clear across the changing table (without leaving a trace on the table or pad) and landed splattered all over their new cloth rocker and the carpet and the rug! YUCK! It cleared a distance of probably 3 feet or so! I didn't witness this event but I saw the aftermath of Hurricane Projectile Poo Aubrie! She must have felt so much better after letting loose of that mess.

Andrea cleaned up what she could and left for her conference. Mark came home later and worked a long time on those stains. The rocker is as good as new, the carpet looks great and the rug has tiny tell-tell signs of the poo but only if you look really closely. I do believe that Mark is getting paid back for our dining room doggy do problem with Brady last week. Believe me, when I changed Aubrie today, I was very careful!!!!!

Here are some pictures of precious P. P. Aubrie last night at our house and today at her house.

Aubrie sleeping away this morning

The first baby Greatuncle Adger has held in 25 years! And that was Aubrie's aunt, Abby.

Aunt Abby holding Aubrie last night.

Aubrie and other items of interest

Aubrie

Finally, I touched my precious granddaughter yesterday. It's been far too long! She has changed so much. Her hair is not jet black like before - more dark to medium brown. She still has blue eyes which are beautiful but I know those could change. Her other grandmother has beautiful blue eyes. Since all my children have very dark brown eyes, I'd love to have a blue-eyed beauty. Aubrie was very alert and looking around. Curious little thing. She's just the prettiest china doll. Here are a few pictures.

"I think I'll nap a bit."

"I get my mouth from my Mimi Rucker."

"I wish Mimi would shave her legs!"

Non-Claustrophobia Thankfully, God did not allow me to have claustrophobia. It's a good thing b/c very early this morning I had an MRI on my back. Remember that I had an MRI on my knee two weeks ago. No big deal. I really didn't pay that much attention to the machine b/c the upper part of my body was out of the machine. It was just ridiculously loud, that's all. Well, this morning, I laid down and I went in head first into this small capsule. Did not expect that. Honestly, a coffin has much more room than this capsule. It was tight! How a really large person fits inside is a mystery to me. I laid there looking around and thinking "Now is not the time to become claustrophobic." I had two choices: I could begin to freak out or I could enjoy my time in the capsule. I choose the latter. I closed my eyes the entire time, I listened to 89.3 and I got so relaxed I almost snored. When I was rolled out of the capsule, I was so lethargic that I could have curled up on the floor for a good snooze.

My Kitchen's in a Mess Remember several weeks ago my Kitchen Angel helped me strip wallpaper. Nothing has happened since. It's very sad looking in there. I haven't felt like dealing with it so it's just sitting there glaring at me day by day. I love to cook and I miss the feeling I get when I enter that room. It just doesn't have any pizazz. Everything is out of place, the walls are ugly, no decor - it's sorta depressing. The Kitchen is my very favorite room of the house. I LOVE TO COOK. It's therapy for me. That's what's wrong with me!!!! I'm not getting therapy. I need therapy! I need it now!! Tom & I are going this afternoon to look at granite tiles, etc. Hopefully, we're getting close to beginning our remodeling project. We (meaning Tom) are not fast movers. "We" think before making decisions. "We" carefully plan, scheme, figure, draw, measure, replan, rescheme, refigure, redraw and remeasure before we drill the first hole or purchase the first screw. I know when it's all said and done, I'll be glad I have an analytical-thinking husband. I am the complete opposite. I'm impulsive and just jump in head first without checking the water level. Tom has saved me "injuries" many times in my life. I'm just impatient, to be honest. God is teaching me patience which is a hard lesson for me to learn. I don't dare pray for more patience - I couldn't handle what God might throw to me.

Aubrie and her twin

Aubrie 1 day old and her Dad, Mark, 1 day old

Except for the pink outfit and Mark's Greenville General Hospital shirt, it looks like the same babe, huh? Of course Mark did have 1 pounds 8 ounces on her! He was a hoss!!!!!

MRI results

Just received a call from my orthopaedic doctor. I have a stress fracture in my back. I have never been more shocked in my life. My mom had enough fractures in her back from osteoporosis to last me a lifetime. She suffered terribly for many years. To think that my back may be going in that direction scared the living crud out of me. My last bone density test several years back did not indicate a problem. I've been scarfing down calcium pills for years now. How in the world could I have weak bones? Go figure. I have an appt. with a spine doctor next week to discuss kyphoplasty. I'm game. Anything to get rid of this pain. Then I'll deal with how to prevent this from ever happening again. I'll just bet it involves exercise, weight loss and weight-bearing exercises, what do you think? Not to mention ongoing meds to build my bones up. I'm too young for this. Oddly, I'm not depressed - just mad. Jeepers. Oh, well, this is the card I've been dealt and I shall play it well. Positive thinking can only help me in the long run. So, I'm ready for the battle ahead.

I Miss My Granddaughter and My Mind

Two weeks is a long time to not see my new granddaughter, Aubrie. They are traveling today and tomorrow and should arrive back home tomorrow evening. I do believe I'll be waiting on their front steps to see her! Andrea has sent me pictures via cell phone and Aubrie has grown so much. I hope she'll remember me..........
I took my last Prednisone pill yesterday and apparently the effects of the med are still going strong in my system. I feel weird again today - very shaky, nervous and just plain irritable. I'm trying to be a nice little girl and not chew anyone's head off. So far, so good. Xrays showed I have mild arthritis and mild disc degeneration - both of which sound terrible to me. I'm too young for those terms. An MRI on Friday will determine what route the doctor will take me on. Hopefully, just therapy and no more Prednisone.
Ya know, it's probably a good thing that Aubrie has been gone for two weeks. During that time, I have been feeling poorly and would not have been a very good grandmother anyway. So, now that she's on her way back home, maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and feel wonderfully well. Positive thinking at its best, huh?

The Mind-Altering Medicine

I hate Prednisone. I realize that it is great for inflammation, etc., but it makes me crazy. Literally, crazy. I've been on that junk for 6 days now. From Day 1, I began to feel weird. Believe me, I've been down this road before and my poor husband dreaded the day I ever took Prednisone again. It's supposed to help my aching back. Yes, my back is better, but it's still not 100%. To be sure, the med has helped my knee problem. But honestly, I'd rather have an aching back and a pounding knee than feel like this. For starters, I'm so dang HOT. I am constantly sweaty and clammy. I hate this feeling. At first, I was very nervous and jittery. Now I'm completely listless and can't keep my eyes open. To say this has been a blah Labor Day weekend is an understatement. Poor Tom. His days off have been filled with me complaining and him freezing b/c I've turned the air conditioner down alot. I took my last pill this morning so maybe good things are about to happen.
We're cooking out with S. S. friends tonight. I'll probably take my funeral home fan so I won't visibly sweat all afternoon and embarrass myself. I especially love my rosy cheeks (thanks, again, to the medicine). Looks like I've been sunning myself. I just hope my mood improves b/c right now I'm not happy.
Let's hope the next entry is cheerier!