Noodles & Things - Yum!! - 1/31/07

Noodles & Things - Yum!! - 1/31/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

So today S and I went to EC. I sent her an e-mail this morning to see how things were going in her world and she informed me she was going to Sam's Club after work and did I want to go? Of course I wanted to go, and was even more excited when she suggested we stop and eat at Noodles and Things. I've wanted to eat there since they opened, so yeah, I definitely jumped at that chance. New air freshners at Sam's, nail clippers at Petco, WIsconsin Mac & Cheese at N&T, it was a good trip.

Now I think I'm going to eat my tiny bit of leftovers!!

Naked - 1/30/07

Naked - 1/30/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

S bought me this drink and I figured it was an appropriate picture for today for many reasons. She's going through a lot of drama right now and I've kind of been living and breathing her problems for the last few days. Like in a "sleep with my phone by my side in case she calls, wonder how she's doing the second I wake up" type of way. With all the crap that's been on my mind lately, it's nice to have someone else's problems to worry about for once. That's probably selfish of me, huh? Oh well, if wanting a distraction from my life makes me a better friend to her, there is nothing wrong with that. Boys suck.

Geek Lust

Geek Lust
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

So I spent the day with a serious case of geek lust. I don't need a new MP3 player. I have one that works great and that I don't use enough the way it is. I've never had any lust for an iPod, but yet when I stumbled upon rip-off Nano's today, I spent several hours researching and toying with the idea of buying one. $34 for 1 gb and $46 for 2 gb, even if it's not super duper, that is one hell of a deal for that much memory and the ability to store and view pictures and videos. And it's soooo pretty. So I had the whole "It's only $35!!!" vs "That's $35 I could put towards bills" war with myself over and over and then decided to sleep on it.

I Love Veronica! 1/28/07

I Love Veronica!
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

I love Veronica Mars. She is my imaginary girlfriend. (Logan would be my imaginary boyfriend if we could have a threesome and if Kevin Smith wasn't already holding that position) Watching this show is one of the few things that I look forward to every week. While I know it won't, I hope it stays on the air for like 20 years because I will be heartbroken when it's over.

Pay the Piper 1/27/07

Pay the Piper 1/27/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

I spent a large chunk of the day today writing checks, addressing envelopes, and preparing bills to be mailed. Two new magazine subscriptions ($5 a crack), the house payment, my $4 Penney's bill, and a bunch of other misc bills. I also took the time to write a thank you card and a "Hello, how are you?" card to an old friend who I've lost touch with. After spending all that time and money, I felt like I'd actually accomplished something. A very spendy something, but still, something.

Message in a Candy - 1/26/07

Message in a Candy - 1/26/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

So, on a somewhat slow Friday morning at work, I found myself enjoying some delcious Dove chocolate and the little "pearls of wisdom" inside. Until I got to this one. My heart immediately sank. Because the second I read it, I immediately thought "Until one crashes and burns" and then when I realized how jaded I've become, my day was instantly ruined. I ended up fishing the wrapper out of the trash an hour later since I couldn't stop thinking about it and figured it would make a good POTD picture.

101 Things - 1001 Days

101 Things - 1001 Days
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

So today I became totally intrigued by the 101 in 1001 project where you make a list of 101 things that you want to accomplish in 1001 days. 1001 days is approximately 2.75 years, so it leaves more of a window than a "new year's resolution" but less of a window, then let's say, the list of 40 things I want to do before I'm 40. I figured this would be a good project for me since I"m trying to focus on happiness and change in the next year. My list is still far from complete, which surprises me, because I thought 101 things would be easy!

Tivo Marathon Night - 1/22/07

Tivo Marathon Night - 1/22/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Tonight I curled up in front of the TV for the long hall. I rarely watch TV for more than an hour or so at a time, so this was rare for me. I kicked things off with the movie "Little Black Book" which I enjoyed because the ending was not at all what I figured it would be. Then I watched SuperNanny, then The Office, and then The Class. I'd never seen SuperNanny or The Class before, but I think I'm going to add them to my regular TV rotation.

I love this cat - 1/21/07

I love this cat - 1/21/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

I spent a long time tonight just staring at Buzz. Thinking how sometimes he looks like a cat that I barely recognize. I realize that at one point in time, Buzz was my world - was obsessed with orange cats and Buzz himself and that has really changed since I got a dog. I feel bad for him, as while he's still spoiled, he definitely doesn't get the attention and the worship he used to. It's hard to believe that my little man is going to be seven this year. I've known him since he was 6 weeks old and sometimes, that seems like just yesterday. I love you Buzz.

My Signature Drink - 1/20/07

My Signature Drink - 1/20/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

The only crappy thing about company parties at hotels is the drinks are outrageously priced. At $5 a crack, you would have thought these would have been strong drinks, but I managed to drink 7 of them before I even started feeling remotely buzzed. Oh well, that means I made slightly less of a fool out of myself when drug out on the dance floor. Maybe? No, probably not....

Ready to Get My Drink On - 1/20/07

Ready to Get My Drink On - 1/20/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

I decide to take a self portrait before I leave for my company Christmas party. Doing so helps me discover that my bathroom mirror is positively filthy

Sammy's Pizza 1/19/07

Sammy's Pizza 1/19/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Went and ate at Sammy's Pizza today. I've only wanted to go here for like 10 years. Boy was I surprised when I walked in - I was expecting a fancy "prom night" type restaurant and it was as far from that as it could have been. The breadsticks were good, the pizza was okay, and the border on the walls (pictured) really could have used some fat orange cats to complete it.

There goes a few thousand dollars - 1/17/07

There goes a few thousand dollars - 1/17/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

So back in November, at the urging of a co-worker, I contacted Marshfield Clinic about getting financial assistance to pay off the thousands of dollars of medical bills I've wracked up over the last year. I figured even if they could help me out with $100, that's $100 less than I would have to pay.

Much to my delight, the woman assured me that since I basically make way poverty level wages, not only would Community Care help me pay my bills, they would COVER THEM ALL, including future bills. I had to apply for the Family Planning Waiver again, fill out a crapload of applications, meet with her, bring my tax forms, and a committee would make the final decision, but she was VERY CONFIDENT there would be NO PROBLEM in getting my entire medical bill slate wiped clean.

I was supposed to hear the week after Christmas about the results. When the letter didn't come, I started to worry.

I was right in worrying - that letter came today. Apparently, I'm "not eligible." So much for "You make so little there should be no problem with Community Care covering ALL your bills." I kind of figured this would happen because my luck doesn't ever go the "magic fairies pay thousands of dollars worth of medical bills for you" route, but damn, had I not been filled with false hope over the last few months, I could have been saving and paying a lot more money towards these astronomical bills. I wouldn't have visited with the new doctor yesterday, to the tune of what I'm sure will be another $500.

I hate money. And outrageously priced doctor's visits.

A Day of Hallways, Doctors, and Waiting 1/16/07

A Day of Hallways, Doctors, and Waiting 1/16/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

I left home today at 10 am. Got to Marshfield at noon.

Got yet another EKG. Got blood drawn. Waited forever for a doctor who came highly recommended but didn't impress me at all. Discovered that my major heart surgery was at 6 weeks. Still don't know how many kidneys I have.

Waited in my gown for my normal cardiologist. Waited some more. Turns out he was called into emergency surgery. His nurse checked up on me every half an hour and brought me things like apple juice and a $5 Kwik Trip gift certificate. I read waaay more tof my book than I had planned (thank god I'd brought it!) I tried to nap. My appointment was at 2:30. He finally arrived shortly after 4. Started me on a new drug. Talked forever.

I finally got back to my car at 5:00. Got home around 7. Yet another day and hundreds of dollars wasted. The joys of being a medical mystery....

No One's Noticed - 1/15/07

No One's Noticed - 1/15/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Yesterday marks two weeks since I took these rings off my fingers. Other than showering or playing with chemicals, these rings have been on my fingers constantly for over five years. I don't know what is weirder, that no one has noticed their absence (except for me) or that I expected anyone to notice.

My Seat on the Bed - 1/14/07

My Seat on the Bed - 1/14/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Bored after two days of internetting, I decided to spend some time with my best men, Joe and Buzz. I sat on the dog bed and cuddled with Joe while I read Wicked, and sooner or later, Buzz came along to join in the love-fest too. We stayed this way for over two hours. I'm suprised I didn't get any comments from the avid Joe-watchers on Greytalk.

I can't play if it keeps crashing.... 1/13/07

I can't play if it keeps crashing.... 1/13/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

After a long day of working, napping, and contemplating life, I figured I would end the day with several hours of playing Sims II Pets, something I've been looking forward to playing for a long time. I booted up the game, got through all the intros and it crashed. Again and again and again. Restarted my computer, reinstalled the game, turned off every possible resource hog, and it still crashes. Very frustrating. So much for spending the rest of the weekend in a Sims induced haze....

Stripey Socks - 1/12/07

Stripey Socks - 1/12/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted stripey toe socks. They've just been something I've never gotten around to buying because I'm cheap and rarely run across them when I'm feeling like spending money on something like fancy socks.

Anyway, S. brought in an entire bag of toe socks today and after searching high and low for a home for them, came to me, who jumped at the chance to finally own some stripey toe socks.

Yeah, toe socks? They bring attention to your toes. I hate toes. I hate feet. Including my own feet. So socks that scream "Look at my feet! Look at my toes!!" are just not my thing. I'm ridiculously disappointed about this.

Books - 1/11/07

Books - 1/11/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

I really need to stop going to the library and buying books online (yay buy.com/google checkout coupons) and start reading what I have. I am about 300 pages into The Complete Tightwad Gazette, 70 pages into Wicked, and 90 pages into Specials. Oh well, too many books is always much better than not enough. In fact, I'm not sure there is such a thing as too many books.

Missed a Day 1/10/07

Just wanted to put this in here as an acknowledgement that I missed yesterday. I have a somewhat valid excuse - I crawled into bed at about 8:15 pm just to get warm and woke up at 10:30 this morning. So I got a boatload of sleep, but missed my chance to take a picture for this day. That's okay, I'm still shooting for every day for 365 days so I guess my year of pictures will just grow a day. I was tempted to fake it, but nope, onward and upward.

My Resting Place - 1/9/07

Today I started to feel really shitty at about 1:30. Luckily, I got done with work at 2. I spent most of the afternoon writhing in pain in bed and later in the evening, moved my misery to the couch, where I read my book and cuddled with Daisy. An uneventful day, but I could have done without stomach pains from hell.

Off To the Dentist 1/8/07

Off To the Dentist 1/8/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

I began my day off at the dentist. Actually, unlike previous years, I was already awake hours before my noon appointment. That gave me a lot more time to brush my teeth too!

Done at the Dentist 1/8/07

Done at the Dentist 1/8/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Happy about nice clean teeth and no cavities, I take one last picture of my way too long hair before I head to pick up my contacts and get it (my hair) wacked off.

Off to Get My Haircut 1/8/07

Off to Get My Haircut 1/8/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Dun dun dun, time to use my gift card to finally get a hair cut that cost more than $9.95 (not that there is anything wrong with $9.95 hair cuts...)

New Hair, No Glasses, Yay! 1/8/07

New Hair, No Glasses, Yay! 1/8/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Today, I got a bunch of crap done. And I remembered to take pictures all along the way. I can't decide if I love the haircut because it makes me look 17 instead of 12 or if I hate it because I look like a poodle. I know I shouldn't even form an opinion because tomorrow, after I've slept on it and I have to style it myself, it's gonna look like hell either way. Oh well.

Online All Day - 1/7/07

Online All Day - 1/7/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Today, other than a brief intermission to watch a movie, I was online basically all day. Started out just surfing the internet, then talking to Brandi and doing some research, then took a movie and supper break. I came back to do a quick e-mail check and just when I thought I was internetted out, I read a post saying a friend of mine had all three of her dogs had went missing. Spent the next three hours glued to the computer, hoping for updates and contacting everyone I knew who could possibly help her (I'm over an hour and a half away) At 11:35, all the dogs had finally been found and I went to bed.

All Boxed Up - 1/6/07

All Boxed Up - 1/6/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Packing belongings into boxes. Reminiscing over the good and the bad. Wondering what the next year will bring.

Cleaning - 1/6/07

Cleaning - 1/6/07
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

Most of the day was spent cleaning. Cleaning and sorting. It's amazing how empty this place looks. How moving a few things makes it look empty.

The Aftermath 1/5/07

The Aftermath
Originally uploaded by wemdoe.

This picture represents two things.

First, my resolution to have less meals that consist of half a bag of chips, half a box of Andies candies, and a glass of pop. This was lunch today, but not again.

Second, it shows how I'm feeling today. I'm a mess. I'm crumpled, used up, and feel broken and abandoned. Yet there are still shiny spots and if I focus on them and not the fact that all that is left is a smear of chocolate and some garbage, I will get through.

The God of Penguins

The God of Penguins, originally uploaded by wendie7.

Just testing the ability to post from Flickr. This penguin died a sad death a week ago, which makes me very sad. RIP Mr. Penguin.

Why?

Last night, while talking to Meghann, begging her to find me a hobby, she suggested photography. I kind of laughed because while I do love taking pictures and lust after a new fancy SLR camera, all my pictures are of my pets and a few months back, I took a photography class and once we got to the technical stuff, it all became blah blah blah to me.

Then this morning, I stumbled across all the Picture of the Day stuff on Flickr and on it's original site. In fact, I think an online journaler linked to this, as I'd seen it on Flickr in the past and it hadn't really caught my attention then.

But it has now. This year is going to be different. This year is going to be worth cataloging. It's going to be challenging, it's going to be new, and there are going to be places and things worth taking pictures of, other than my pets. And what better way than to look back at the year than through pictures, because as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.