I've always been really lucky with bosses. It's true that I haven't worked at that many jobs, and most of them have been ratherÂ…different. My resume starts off a little bumpy before settling into one job for the last ten years, something that most Gen Xers arenÂ’t supposed to do. No one ever had to tell me to get a job, I begged my parents to allow me to get my first job, created my second, and searched out my third.

1993 – 1994 Tutor
· Assist middle school students with English assignments
1993 – 1996 Horse Clipper Extraordinaire
· Shave horses as needed in winter and late spring
· Sounds like a crazy job but I made $25/horse plus tips or $15 an hour and I was good at it
1994 – 1994 Stable Hand
· Feed and look after 20+ horses on small farm
· I shocked myself by asking for $17 dollars an hour when I was negotiating for the job, and getting it! I only worked a couple of hours a day.
1994 – 1997 Unit Counselor – Camp Winacka Girl Scout Camp
· Look after kids, lifeguard, crafts, riding instructor, hike, etc.
· Became a lesbian in spare time
· This job was pivotal in changing my thinking about everything in life. If there is one period in my life I could relive just to experience it, this is it.
· Unit Leader in 1997, left early due to mononucleosis
1995 – 1996 Super Pets (bought out by Pet Co shortly after I left) Sales Associate
· Care, feed, clean, sell, and train domestic and exotic birds (we even had toucans!) at large pet store
1997 – current Bob’s Hogs and Weiner Pigs
· Many different jobs including the one I do now

Anywhoo – throughout this time, I’ve either been my own boss, or I’ve had really great bosses. I could go on and on about Osa, the Camp Director at Winacka, who taught me so much by saying so little. I was at one of the most confusing times of my life (lesbian? good Christian girl?) and she dealt with it so well. She had to deal with half of the counselors pretty much having that issue. In retrospect, taking us all down to Tijuana and getting us drunk probably wasn’t the best way to deal with it, but it certainly allowed us to let our true feelings show.

Or Ginny, my manager at one BobÂ’s Hogs location who helped woo me to another location with her and then when I left again for other reasons was smart enough to see that I wasnÂ’t happy and made me an offer I couldnÂ’t refuse (not that way you dirty birds). She pushed me gently in the direction I needed to go to move forward on my career path, forcing me to advance without my even knowing it. Growing my skills and abilities and allowing me to challenge myself when I became bored with what I was doing. And I loved her kindness and friendliness and the fact that she let me do my own job while she did hers.

And then for a time I was terrified when I was offered a new position with all new territory and answered to the High Powered Boss of All Things I Do and I fell apart a bit. One has an outline of a position and a goal, and itÂ’s my place to make up the points in between. Once I nailed that part down, the High Powered Boss of All Things I Do became more of a partner and I really got to like her.

And now there is Beet. To the best of my reckoning, all Beet does is sit around all day sending out crappy memos every so often telling us what great ideas other people are having. Sometimes he’ll ride a plane somewhere and then send us emails from that location. He’ll even title the e-mails “Thoughts from Phoenix” or some other such crap. You can see why the bullshit detecting antennae are immediately waving about.

Every Monday there is a conference call with Beet where we must start by unveiling some layer of ourselves that is personal and painful, such as what our childhood nickname was. IÂ’ll be damned if IÂ’m going to tell my work colleagues my true childhood nickname. Junior high school was a traumatic time for the best of us and I will not be known as space cow (internets, I am trusting you!) for the rest of my working life. So I throw out the name a roommate used for me in my early twenties, but I can feel the old nickname there, heavy on me for the rest of the call. When I met with another rep at work that had been on the call he confided that he had a terrible childhood and does not want to discuss that time at all, ever again. I can see tears in his eyes. This is bad, I think. Bad.

Next Monday I am asked to share what celebrity I most resemble. I panic. There is no celebrity that I most resemble. I am round. I am not angular and hollow like those women. No one has ever said to me that I look like a thin, starving woman that appears on stage, screen, and in tabloids. What do I say? I am quiet as others answer reluctantly or eagerly. I nod silently as the people I have met give their answers. One says, “The creature from the black lagoon” and everyone laughs. Beet says my name.

“No one.” I say. “I don’t look like anyone famous. I look like me.”

“Oh, you don’t want to play along that’s fine! That’s fine, Ensie!” yells Beet into the phone in front of 12 other people. “You’re just spoiling the game! It’s just an icebreaker!”

I’ve always had a hard time letting things go, especially criticism. I am unusually silent on this conference call and Beet calls me on it, stating that there are points given for participation, and inflecting a smarmy voice, “points taken for being silent!” The stew inside continues to boil and I say nothing except to argue with him occasionally.

I have tried and tried to find the good points of this man’s personality, but am having a difficult time. I thought maybe I was just jealous, he having gotten the job that might have been mine, had I a little more confidence or experience in management. But every day that he send another idiotic e-mail, or calls to ask for yet another update on a big sale that is confirmed but will not happen until late next month (“Still confirmed, still not happening until late next month, Beet.”), I wonder what this man is doing within the outline of his job description to make his goal.

And the haranguing just continues, “Justify your expenses!” Beet shrieks, “What is this $12.99 charge at Red Robin? Weren’t you in your OWN territory? Were you entertaining a client?” I explain that I was in a series of meeting hours from home and that I had taken a break for lunch, something I do once or twice month, something his boss had no problem with when she was my boss for several years. Beet pauses for a nanosecond, “Well, I spoke with the DIRECTOR and he specifically stated that you can no longer lunch ALONE on the company’s dime. Also, please look into you postage expenses and make sure that you are using your funds most EFFECTIVELY.”

The man speaks in capital letters.

I’ve spent hours on the phone with my Dad detailing the daily idiocy of Beet and how to deal with it. My Dad’s guidance has been great, except that he seems a little too anxious to guide me to quit my job (Well, if you don’t like it, you can always leave), which I know is always an option, but it’s not an option, if you know what I mean. He told me today that I could just start sending Beet a daily e-mail correcting his screw-ups. Because a) Beet requires a daily e-mail to correct his fuck ups (like “Hey Beet, today you stated that the book Loving Frank is an exclusive to Bob’s Hogs, but it’s so totally not, also, it is not an architecture book, it’s a novel”) and b) Beet would totally love it if I started correcting all his errors. Bosses love that kind of shit.

The problem really is, I love my job and I hate my boss.

I keep hoping that Beet secretly hates his job and all of us who work for him too. He certainly acts like it. Maybe heÂ’s looking for another job. I hope so.

Posted by: Ensie at 05:04 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I once promised to write more about my sister Katie's wedding, and then promptly forgot all about it. I've decided to sprinkle a few stories in here and there to fulfill my promise. First, the real-life story about shopping for my bridesmaid dress, which, as you can imagine, was super-fun! not being a size six or eight like the rest of the women in my family.

My mom actually fluctuates between being a size 6 and a size 10 (please don't hate me for talking about this Mom). She's petite, and gaining or losing a few pounds makes a huge difference in her size, which sucks for her because it creates a major swing in her wardrobe. MOM - TOTALLY NORMAL. She's struggled with her weight her entire life, but is now a Weight Watchers lifetime member and I'm so proud of her. She works so hard at it and I love her so much for what she's accomplished because it makes her happy. But I love her no matter what she weighs or what she looks like.

My sister Katie has a hard time keeping weight on. Yes, you heard that right. Keeping weight ON. She works outdoors as a therapeutic horseback riding instructor for disabled kids and can walk up to fifteen miles a day in the So. Cal sun, so she's constantly working out, all day long. She tends to be a size 4 or 6, and was cautioned against losing weight before the wedding for fear her gorgeous dress would not fit. If I haven't mentioned it before, she also has almost nonexistent leg hair, is perpetually tan, small pores, and her hair is perfectly, naturally highlighted by the sun. She wears almost no makeup and looks great. I swear to God I'm not just saying this because I'm her sister. If she didn't want to remain anonymous I would post her picture and you would see it's true.

Sister Nikki is 15 years old and is a perfect six. She's freckled and naturally cute.

Then there's me. I'm into the double digits of clothing sizes, well into the upper teens to be honest. I've gained weight since moving to Washington and I haven't been as active as I once was, even though this place seems to spawn hikers and campers by the carload. I have a hard time doing anything in the rain and my job has changed from moving heavy boxes for at least an hour a day to being almost completely desk bound. I know I need to get active but starting is the hardest part.

Anyway - enough intro, lets get to the main event!

I made several trips down to San Diego, only to drive North again to Costa Mesa to a well known bridal shop. These were fun trips with all of us sharing a fitting room, watching my sister try on various wedding gowns until she found the perfect one, seeing my Mom find the perfect mother-of-the-bride-dress, and so on.

Predictably, the sample dresses were not available in sizes over 12, so I had to make due with slinging the hangers over my head and holding them against my body to see if I thought they would look good. Fortunately, I have a good sense of what does look good one my body, so I picked out a dress with a V-neck, empire waisted, floor length, with wide shoulder straps, and a relatively high back. My Mom and sisters picked out a few other dresses for me to try, but in the end the dress I knew would work was the one that was chosen.

Nikki, Mom, and I all needed out measurements taken to get our dresses ordered that day, and a sales assistant was called to help. She took Nikki's measurements, then carefully measured my Mom, then turned to me and asked, "Would you like everyone to step out of the room while I take yours?"

"What?" I asked, incredulously,"They're my family. I'm pretty sure they know I'm fat. Hey guys," I said, turning around, "You do know I'm fat, right?"

Katie laughed, Nikki blushed, and my Mom looked me disapprovingly (not because I'm fat, but because I was making fun of the sales assistant). The sales assistant had the decency to look chagrined. She took my measurements and shut the hell up.

I wish that I had taken it further - that I had asked her why she had offered to have everyone leave when I had to strip down to my underthings but not when they did. Or if she did that for everyone who is overweight. Or if she singles out all overweight people and treats them differently.

Getting that dress was so unbelievable stressful. If it had been up to me, I would have worn pants to the wedding. I had never owned a formal dress until until Katie's wedding. I did not attend a single formal dance in high school (I was too busy with horse shows), and wore jeans to my own elopement and backyard reception. I still haven't seen the official wedding photos, so I really have no idea what I really looked like at the event. But it still makes my eyes sting to remember how painful the process of buying the dress was.

Posted by: Ensie at 09:30 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I'm probably the 500th person to use that title, but WTF - it fits.

Frinklin and I went to the first showing of Transformers today in Tacoma and GOOD HOLY GOD did the movie ROCK!

If you, like me, were a fan of the television show growing up - go!

If you like to see kick ass special effects - go!

If you like to see lots of shit get blown up in a big, big way - go immediately!

I'm not usually a Michael Bay fan, but this movie met every expectation I had in a big way. The nostalgia factor is huge with this movie, and judging from the reaction of the crowd, everyone was happy. There was a lot of clapping and shouting, especially when Optimus Prime made his first appearance. On more than one occasion several people stood up to clap. Shia LaBeouf was great - after seeing him in this action role, I'm definitely looking forward to the fourth Indiana Jones film.

Posted by: Ensie at 10:16 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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A week ago, I noticed a strange lump on Matchbox's right shoulder. It was about 15 MM in diameter, and was hard and rubbery feeling. I waited a couple of days to see if it was just inflamed from a bug bite or the like, but there was no change over the weekend.

Monday afternoon Matchbox and I headed to the vet and Dr. Warren took some tiny samples and sent them in for cytology (is that the correct usage of the word "cytology"? I really should have finished that biology class). When the results came back with some irregularities, I decided to have it removed immediately.

Dr. Warren removed the lump with wide margins in case it is cancerous. Even though I was warned that there would be a large scar, I was surprised at the size. Biopsy results should be back in a week.

Matchbox has been wearing a T-Shirt to keep the other dogs from tearing out the stitches. He LOVES wearing the T-Shirt and shoves his head into it when putting on a fresh one.

What a weirdo.

Posted by: Ensie at 05:52 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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1 I think you're going to have to keep dressing him. He looks too content

Posted by: Eden at June 30, 2007 12:56 PM (BDCWt)

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The mortgage refinance is finally fucking over. It actually closed a week ago exactly, after much freaking out and last-minute faxing.

The most wonderful part of this whole thing is that all of my and Frinklin's credit cards are completely paid off.* So satisfying to pull up the various card websites and look at the account balance reading "Balance: $0". I haven't been free of credit card debt since I was 18.

*Please do not remind me that the money has really just been transferred to a mortgage that I'll be paying off for 30 years.

Posted by: Ensie at 07:49 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Make sure you check out the extended entry for more photos!

View from the villa:

Red rose centerpieces:

Bride's bouquet, detail:

more...

Posted by: Ensie at 06:00 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I'm home! Finally! It feels like ages since I've been able to relax with Frinklin, the dogs, the cats, and one angry, old cockatiel.

The trip to San Diego for Katie's wedding was fantastic, if quick. There was no down time at all. The flight down was Wednesday night, and we got to my parent's house at midnight.

Thursday morning there was coffee early in the AM before my Dad left for a few hours of work, then I kept Katie company while she had various body parts waxed. The entire female side of the wedding party also had manicures and pedicures - I was at the aesthetician's for six hours total. Our matching toes did look beautiful.

My Mom, Katie, and I left at 9 the next morning to pick up the wedding dress, my Mom's dress, and sister/bridesmaid's dress in Orange County. We thought we would be gone 4 or 5 hours, but ended up running numerous small errands as well, which only took, oh, NINE hours or so. There was the car that needed washing to alleviate the smell of kerosene that had spilled a few days earlier, the shoe cushions to enable us to stand for hours on end in heels, clear deodorant/antiperspirant to keep from marking the dresses, shirts that buttoned to be discarded after makeup was airbrushed on, and somewhere in there we had lunch.

At 6:30 on the dot, we arrived home - the exact same moment that my Uncle and his family (4 in all) showed up from Arizona and the notary public from the escrow company handling our mortgage refinance knocked on the door. There was utter chaos as the dresses were brought inside, wrapped in blue plastic so no one could see and hung on fake "busts" to retain their shape. I'm sure the notary thought we were insane.

The wedding rehearsal took almost the entire day Saturday. I got my first look at the winery location, which was absolutely gorgeous. Growing up in San Diego, Temecula was always considered the middle of nowhere, but it has really come into its own in the last few years. We drank sparking red wine while waiting for the wedding coordinator on the balcony, then spent an hour lining up and randomly bumping into each other trying to figure out the ceremony itself. I was told all wedding rehearsals are rather random, and somehow it all comes together on the actual day, which it did. The rehearsal lunch was delicious and we were home by 4 to sit by the pool and relax.

I'll write about the wedding itself in a separate post. It was fantastic.

Frinklin and I drove the newly married couple to LAX (and only got lost once) on Monday morning. They were off to Hawaii for a week of hiking, surfing, and relaxing. We picked up chinese food on the way home and the entire family spent the remainder of the day lounging poolside.

I had about 10 minutes of feeling calm, as the escrow company called me the next morning asking for some specific documents that I needed to provide. I spent several hours on the phone with various people, paranoid that I wouldn't be able to get them what was needed to close the loan on the following Friday. The panic lasted until we left for our flight home that afternoon, fortunately everything fell into place just as we were leaving.

Arriving home was weird - the dogs were all being boarded until the following morning. The cats loved it, once they realized were weren't crazy strangers breaking into the house. Percy took about 2 hours to stop leaping straight up in the air every time I touched him. It was actually pretty amusing, as each kitty freak-out would cause all the other cats to panic and scatter as well.

We picked up the dogs the next morning, and there was much laundry to do in preparation for the trip to New York. I was out the door at 5 AM on Thursday for BEA!

Again - a wonderful trip, but it made me glad Frinklin and I had eloped. I could not have handled all the drama and craziness surrounding a real wedding. Kudos to my sister, though. She handled it all, looking beautiful the entire time.

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Technically, at the moment, I'm in New Jersey, but I was in New York all day, so does that count?

I've been walking my feet off at Book Expo America over the last couple of days. Very, very exciting to see all the new titles coming out, and to pick through the piles of galleys (uncorrected book proofs) to find the jems. The haul home for this event will be relatively small, as shipping the books is incredibly expensive and I can't check another bag. So far I've sent a couple of boxes home and will try to cram another 15 books into my already overstuffed suitcases. I have a strong feeling I'll be paying the $25 fee for a heavy (over 50 lbs.) case.

I'm staying at the Sheraton Suites on the Hudson River, which is adequate. Nothing too fancy for Bob's Hogs employees. The air conditioning is good, which is all I've really been concerned with. It's been incredibly hot and humid - temperatures in the 90s with rain falling in the afternoon and evening. Each morning and afternoon I take the ferry into New York. The water is disgusting, but the breeze is heavenly.

I took off my wedding ring because the heat and exhaustive days are causing my fingers to swell a little bit and it's uncomfortable. Apparently I've opened the door to getting hit on - I had one guy chat me up on the ferry and another ask me my name in the elevator. He also asked my room number, but when I declined, he watched me get off at my floor and watched while I went to my room. I walked well down the hallway, then when the elevator doors closed, I returned to my room which is almost directly across from the elevator! I was going to go down to the bar to get a drink, but on the off chance I run into the guy, I think I'll pass and hit the city for dinner instead.

I met Alison Bechdel today, which was awesome. She was signing the paperback edition of Fun Home and when I introduced myself as the Buttock Champion of the World she laughed and asked to get a couple of pictures with me (!!) The woman behind me in line was asking for pic with Alison, and I felt slightly special having Alison ask me.

My last hour at the Javits Center today was spent at a librarian session about how to select and purchase graphic novels for a collection. It was an excellent panel, very funny. The speakers consisted of librarians who assist with developing their own libraries' gn collections, a comic book owner, and a couple of consultants. One librarian has her own site, no flying no tights, and another developed the manga rating system for publisher TokyoPop. The panel ended their discussion with recommendations, which is what everyone really wanted (Just tell me what to buy! Don't make me research this scary thing!). Several manga items were listed, and Bone, Owly, and Amelia Rules were the kids suggestions. For teens I suggested Invincible, someone yelled out Runaways, and the comic book store owner mentioned Walking Dead, which I think should probably fall into adult, especially considering the torture issue that came out recently. Strangers in Paradise was recommended for adults. I wish there was more time, I could have suggested several more.

Time to change for dinner! More soon...

Posted by: Ensie at 02:45 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Dogs were dropped off this morning and their various boarding facilities, cats are fed and ready to see the pet sitter tomorrow, stuff is packed into way too many suitcases.

The house feels so empty without the dogs.

My father-in-law should be here in the next 15 minutes to drive us to the airport, where we'll be greeted by 80 degree temperatures and my family (in that order). All the wedding planning will come to a head on Sunday, and my sister and her new husband will be in Hawaii by Monday.

Blogging will be erratic for the next couple of weeks, as I leave for BEA just a day after returning from California.

Wish us luck!

Posted by: Ensie at 04:01 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I'm still sick, just so you all know. This is the worst sinus infection I've ever had. I am taking a 2-in-one combination antibiotic and a prescription decongestant, but still feel bleh. My doctor even told me to use Afrin for more than the 3 recommended days if needed.

I hate using Afrin, having gone through an Afrin addiction that lasted several years. If you've ever used the stuff for too long, you can end up with a "rebound effect," where your nasal passages freak out and thwart all attempts to breathe when you stop the spray. Stopping cold turkey will give you worst sinus headache in the history of the world in addition to sealing your nasal passages shut anywhere from 12 hours to a week! This is an actual medical condition known as Rhinitis Medicamentosa.

It's pretty amazing the number of people who are, or who have been, addicted to Afrin. Some people have been addicted for more than 25 years!

The best way I found to get over the addiction is to mix saline spray with the Afrin, gradually increasing the amount of saline in the mixture until the mixture is essentially pure saline. You can continue to use the spray as often as needed, and you don't get the absolute misery that goes with quitting quickly. I believe I used Nostrate's kit to wean myself, leaving me free from my spray bottle after 30 days. They even offer a second kit free if you aren't free and clear with one. UPDATE 1/19/09: Nostrate is no longer available. Please see the bottom of this entry for Rhinostat information, which uses the same system to break the Afrin addiction.

I haven't used Afrin for 3 years, and currently I've been diluting it with saline spray in order to keep the concentration down. It seems to be working - my nasal passages aren't swollen and I only have to use a little bit of the stuff in the evenings. The rest of the day I'm blowing my nose constantly due to the infection (so pretty), but don't feel the need to use anything else.

I am prone to sinus problems, and the best thing I've found for daily use is the Neti Pot (hilarious demonstration video here). This was recommended by a pregnant friend who had a terrible cold but couldn't take any decongestants.

I had to send Frinklin into another room for the first few times I used the Neti Pot, as the process would make us laugh hysterically. But I became a believer after a couple of uses. It does take a few tries to find the right angle, but is quick and painless. Frinklin eventually started using the pot, and my 16 year-old brother is also a convert (if you thought Frinklin and I laughed, just try showing it to a teenage boy!). I've tried to get my Mom to try it, but she is completely freaked out by the whole idea. Your loss, Mom.

This is such a weird thing to be addicted to, and it might sound stupid if you've never been through it, but trust me - it's intense.

UPDATE 1/19/09: It appears that the nostrate website is no longer available. There is another website which offers the same general treatment system, and it's even something you can get free if your doctor orders it. If you want to order it yourself the kit is $35 plus shipping. It sounds expensive, but if you add up what you are paying for Afrin each month, it's really quite a deal! Good luck!

Posted by: Ensie at 02:18 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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1 Taking Afrin scares me. I try not to use it too much. After many recommendations from friends, I used the Neti pot for the first time last year and it really helped with clearing up a sinus infection. But now that I am better it has been hard for me to use. When I use it, the pressure really builds up and I feel like I am swimming underwater. I would still recommend it though.

Posted by: Stefani at May 26, 2007 09:19 PM (4aY2Q)

2 My Dad is addicted to Afrin right now. It's good to read other people's stories to pass along bits of wisdom to him. Also, I love my neti pot. I use it almost daily, and I'm convinced it pretty much got rid of my allergies. I used to get sinus infections all the time - no more!

Posted by: Noelle at June 12, 2007 09:04 PM (gvYLJ)

3 I have been using Afrin everyday sometimes 5=6 times a day for about 10 years. Last week I took a sinus pill containing pseudoephredrine. It helped with my congestion all day = no need to use Afrin. Maybe every other day I take the sinus pill and I only use the Afrin before bedtime. But for me the only sinus pill that works must contain the pseudoephredrine. Good luck to all of you.

Posted by: Paula at February 06, 2008 07:19 PM (bQbts)

4 The problem with using pseudoephedrine is that it isn't good for you, especially if you have a heart murmur, like I do. I inherited a mitrol valve prolapse from my mother, and she has the same sinus problems I have. She took a decongestant for several years that contained pseudoephedrine until she finally gave herself heart palpitations. Now she is careful not to take any decongestant that has pseudoephedrine in it. Get off both the Afrin and the pseudoephedrine if you can, talk to a doctor if you need to.

Posted by: ensie at February 06, 2008 08:14 PM (6We+3)

5 I have been on Afrin for years. When I get bad sinus infections and get antibiotics I can get off the Afrin for a while but I always go back. I started taking Claritin-D and it helps me not use the Afrin as much. Last week I got the worse sinus infection ever and could not breathe. I was using the Afrin constantly and only got a little relief. I realize I have a problem and scheduled an appointment with a doctor to help me get off the Afrin. I realized I had a problem when I asked myself one day what if I was in jail or something and couldn't get my Afrin what would I do! Sounds crazy but true. Not sure where the being in jail thing came from. Wish me luck and if you're a Afrin user like me, seek help. Good luck!

Posted by: VThomas at March 25, 2008 01:25 PM (vqwRC)

6 Beware the addiction to nasal sprays. They are about self perpetuating..EVen if you had normal sinuses before being exposed to nasal sprays, after a while you CAN'T get off of them cuz of the rebound. Some side effect people on nasal sprays can get include: PALPITATIONS, HEART ARRYTHMIAS, which may be serious and intolerable,ANXIETY, GLAUCOMA, PROTRATE TROUBLE,KIDNEY DAMAGE, LOTSA AND LOTSA PROBLEMS!! Google it! This stuff IS absorbed into your body. Neo-synephrine IS an actual heart medication. Afrin is similar to adrenaline, another heartmed-style nasal spray. Flonase IS A STEROID which wreaks havoc with your blood sugar, your bones, can cause moon face and rounded abdomens and weight gain, decreases ability to fight infections or heal, a real night mare. This stuff is way more dangerous and ADDICTIVE than people realize......good luck.

Posted by: Deb's Friend! at March 28, 2008 02:49 AM (Yzcoh)

7 Hi! A National Morning Show is looking for somebody who has been addicted to nasal sprays for many years and has been unable to break their addiction. We will be offering help from an expert on how to end the cycle! You will be needed tomorrow (4/25) as well as Monday morning (4/2 . Please email me at Robyn.factor@gmail.com asap if interested!

Posted by: Robyn at April 24, 2008 09:48 AM (hofQL)

8 My husband used Afrin for 15 years, but he did get over it. I have been so sick for 2 months so I used it for 5 days, and already there are signs of that rebound effect today. My husband warned me, so I am going to stop taking it now before it gets worse. Thanks for posting this.

Posted by: Chrissy at July 23, 2008 01:54 PM (ikwmF)

9 So many addictions and dont know how people will survive in the future.

Posted by: adiction at September 10, 2008 02:37 AM (i1Chk)

10 Well i used Afrin the last 3 years..and im starting to see blood in the mornigns...and also i feel the taste of blood...i dont know how to quit..

Posted by: Alexandra at January 14, 2009 09:50 AM (xeDYH)

11 If you are addicted to Afrin I suggest diluting it with saline drops. Like half and half at least and them maybe dilute it more in time. Use less, like 1 squirt per nostril. Also, take an allergy med nightly, like Zyrtec. At first I also took a Sudafed too. It helped me quit in around a month and a half. I knew it would be a slow process. I was tired of the way it was messing with me!!

Posted by: Missy at February 24, 2009 10:56 AM (w27Yw)

12 I've been using it for about 3 months now. I decided to stop...a second ago. Haha my mom threw away my bottle once she started reading stuff like this. Even if you use the 12 hour stuff, once you abuse it so much it seems like your body forces you to start 2 doses a day, that's what I have been going through.

Posted by: Moe at March 14, 2009 05:15 PM (ad6yY)

13 Hi. only used afrin for maybe a month. started to use 4-5 times a day. Haven't used it for almost 24 hours, and it's been a tough 24 hours. I feel like I snorted to marbles, and they are stuck at the bridge of my nose. They are blocking anything from coming in or out. I just took a small amount of air in through one nostril, and I'm hoping that's the light at the end of the tunnell. Can't wait to be off this crap for good!

Posted by: Jaron at May 04, 2009 08:23 PM (kcwsy)

14 its not that bad.... ive been using afrin for two years now, and its the best ive ever been! before i was plugged, did not know how bad until i found afrin. now it seems to have plateaued at 2 times per day, sometimes one. just control yourself, and dont use it in excess. let yourself get stuffed up a little before squirting again. ive gotten it where i only wake up in the middle of the night once or twice a month. Happy!!

Posted by: jeff riecken at May 19, 2009 07:11 PM (qSS+p)

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I currently have a bad cold, or a terrible sinus infection (yum!). I've been in bed for several days, but hope to be alive again soon.

UPDATE: It is a nasty sinus infection, confirmed by the doctor this morning. Hello antibiotics!

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I am going to kill my sister. Or someone closer if I canÂ’t hold out until the end of May.

SheÂ’s the one having the big wedding on Memorial Day weekend and causing me to lose my mind because of all the stress. Do you think she cares? No, she does not.*

I was nice and eloped for my wedding. I didnÂ’t even ask her to watch our dogs while we were in Vegas, because we didnÂ’t go to Vegas. We went to the JOP.

But now there is the dress** (and all the accoutrements), the plane tickets (which have not yet been purchased), the finding of a pet sitter to care for the cats (and one long-suffering Cockatiel), and the boarding of the four dogs at two different locations. Add to this one mortgage refinance to finance all this stuff that is taking for-fucking-ever to complete.

In the meantime, our water heater started making a weird, high-pitched noise that my dad thought was a potential pin-hole leak and FrinklinÂ’s dad thought might be caused by having the water temperature set too high. We wracked our brains for two days trying to find the source of the sound, all the while trying not to claw each otherÂ’s eyes out because a constant high-pitched beeping/whining/whistling noise is EXACTLY THE RIGHT SOUND TO DRIVE ONE INTO TOTAL INSANITY. Thank God I was out of the house yesterday for work and Frinklin was upstairs, otherwise the carnage could have been terrible.

We finally broke down and called a professional in (Stop freakin’ - call Beacon! – that’s a little something for the Washington crowd). The expert diagnosis rendered us sane within a matter of moments:

(click to enlarge)

Best. Homeowners. Ever. And it only cost $50! The nice plumber was kind enough to leave us custody of the house, even though we obviously donÂ’t possess the mental capacity to care for it properly.

Now I have to go buy some cat food, because that’s what I do every week – buy lots of expensive, organic, homeopathic pet food. And then I have to clean my house like a fiend to try to make it presentable for the appraiser. And call the pet sitters again. And try to find a descent kennel that still has opening for Memorial Day weekend. And take all the dogs to the vet to update their shots and get fecal exams at least 7 days in advance. And pick up my dress at Nordstroms. And fax new documents to the mortgage broker (because the original ones I sent are too old, because it’s taking a really, really, really f-ing long time for the refi to close. Have I mentioned that?).

Oh, and I should really get on those $400 plane tickets. And I was silly enough to think that my parents would be the only ones going broke paying for this!

*IÂ’m totally kidding and I love my sister with all my shrivled heart.

**Although she knows IÂ’m hating the whole Matron of Honor dress wearing thing.

Posted by: Ensie at 09:29 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Oh, I really, really, really needed that laugh. Thank you. I'm sending good vibes your way ...

Posted by: tacomachickadee at May 11, 2007 11:07 AM (TqtxZ)

2 That's likely the best studfinder story I will hear all day. I can recommend Theresa's kennel out in Puyallup. 14720 58th Ave E Puyallup, WA 98375 253-531-2422 http://www.theresaspetcare.com/

Posted by: sparkrobot at May 11, 2007 11:36 AM (66H5I)

3 Thanks spark! There are, I suppose, any number of inappropriate "studfinder" jokes one could insert. We're going with Green Acres in Spanaway for the dog boarding, which was recommended by my mother-in-law. But I will definitely check out Theresa's for any future kenneling needs.

Posted by: ensie at May 11, 2007 12:07 PM (6We+3)

4 Yeah, the studfinder jokes running through my head is part of why I'm still falling off my chair laughing.

Posted by: tacomachickadee at May 12, 2007 09:07 AM (pg8e/)

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Normal Saturday errands involve a trip to Comic Book Ink, Target, and Mud Bay.

Yesterday was not a normal Saturday.

Started off the morning with a trip to Comic Book Ink and Atomic Comics for Free Comic Book Day. Then headed to the Tacoma Mall with my Matron (ugh) of Honor dress for my sister's wedding. I've been putting off getting it altered because I didn't have the right shoes or (ahem) undergarments, and you've got to have it all together before measuring for any changes.

Thanks to Lane Bryant (and the BRA6) and Macy's for shoes - I was able to get to Nordstrom today to drop off the dress. It should be ready in a week and only cost $16. Granted, I only need to have the shoulder straps shortened, but it's still a great deal! The bridal shop in Southern California where the dress was purchased estimated $135 for alterations. Yay Nordstrom!

I'll have to post a picture of the dress when I get it back. I was terrified it wouldn't fit or be horrendously ugly in the cranberry color, but it looks great!

After finishing up at the mall we did hit Target for our usual - needing three things and coming out with 20. Then after a brief stop at Lowes (they don't carry the brand of paint we needed), went across the street to Home Depot, where we found the much needed paint to touch up the spots where Perdi has chewed! the !! baseboards!!! (as well as one of the windowsills and the bottom of the built-in dresser!).

Seeing all the flowers at Home Depot inspired me to plant something in the window boxes on our house that have remained empty for almost two years. I wanted to try out the city's Tagro potting soil and buy local if possible, so we dove over to Gardensphere (under construction website here) in Proctor to pick up the supplies.

I highly recommend Gardensphere if you haven't been - the employee who assisted us was extremely helpful, and showed us exactly what we wanted when described. The Tagro was cheap ($4.95 for a good sized bag) and we even found a gorgeous hanging basket in addition to the window box marigolds.

Finally heading for home about 5:30, we found some crazy dogs waiting for us. Frinklin took Perdi to the French Lake Dog Park to blow off some crazy, and a little over an hour later returned home to find:

Topped off the evening with the movie Spider-Man 3, which is getting terrible reviews, but I liked (finally get to see Peter be a little bad, in a goofy, Sam Raimi kind of way, and there is the ever-present Bruce Campbell cameo).

Fell into bed about 1 A.M. - feeling exhausted, but good.

Lots of plans for Sunday as well, but so far haven't managed to get out of pajamas.

UPDATE: Shane, the owner of Atomic Comics, just called to tell me that I won one of their drawings. Two free trade paperbacks! Sweet! One for Frinklin and one for me. Now I just have to narrow it down...

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1 I thought that looked like TAGRO potting soil. We just got four bags of potting soil at GardenSphere today as well. Time to transplant those starts!

Posted by: tacomachickadee at May 06, 2007 12:57 PM (pg8e/)

2 It's making the marigolds very happy thus far. Have fun with your gardening!

Posted by: ensie at May 06, 2007 01:27 PM (6We+3)

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I'm going!!

The Boss Lady called today to tell me.

Which is cool, because as of last week, I wasn't going. The idea had been floated six or eight months ago, but in the end my position wasn't budgeted in. That's still true, but the Boss Lady made special arrangements for me.

Not to brag (OK - totally to brag) she said, "I think you deserved it with your performance over the last year, and I know you will put it to good use."

Now I just have to schedule it all in, as my sister Katie's wedding is the Sunday before - all happening in less than a month!

And I'm going to have to find a place for all my galleys and free books! Woohoo!

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"Hi, can I come in? Thanks. My kids are sick right now and I need something to bring their fever down. Do you have anything? Maybe 10 or 12 pills?"

"Hi, can I come in? Thanks. Do you have any NyQuill?"

"Hi, can I come in? Thanks. I'm having some money issues right now and need to know if I can borrow $10 to pay for my anxiety meds. I get paid on the 1st or the 3rd."

How do you say no to a neighbor you really don't want to piss off?

Until recently we called this family in the rental across the street "The McCreepys" because, well, they creeped us the fuck out. I did my best to avoid them, although it's hard, since they are often on their porch, drinking *many* beers, and they love our dogs.

A few months ago Mrs. McCreepy saw our mail get stolen. She told me about it, and I thanked her profusely for letting me know. Since then, she will randomly knock on the door, invite herself in, dump all her problems on me, then plays with the dogs and cats for a half hour before asking me for something she needs.

Not only does it really bother me that she invites herself into my house, but I don't care to hear about how her doctor won't prescribe her narcotics, or her kid has lice (ew) and got sent home from school, again (double ew), or even, that her older child's friends are not allowed to bring guns into her house - they have to leave them at home(!!). I'm glad she feels comfortable chatting with me, but I'm really not happy with the apparent level of intimacy that we seem to have instantaneously developed.

And the money borrowing thing. That really bugs. It's not the money itself - I have the $10 she needs - it's the fact that we hardly know each other and she is asking me to loan her cash for a couple of weeks. I know it was probably hard for her to ask, and I know it sucks to need money, but there are places that exist solely to assist with this sort of thing.

And the fact that she has plenty of cigarettes and beer while asking me for money...don't even get me started there.

Help me out - internets. Is this normal and I'm just being touchy? Or can I politely tell her to shove it?

Posted by: Ensie at 02:53 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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I've finally signed up for a Flickr account. Now the world will be overwhelmed with pictures of my dogs and cats.

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This is one of those things that Frinklin immediately should have written about on his blog. He tried several time but somehow never was able to get it down. I wasn't blogging at the time, but now I bring you:

THE BEST CAR ACCIDENT STORY EVER!

I am woken up at 6:35 AM by a phone call:

Frinklin (breathless): Oh my God! I was just in this huge car accident!

Me: What?! Are you OK?

Frinklin: Yes! I'm fine! The cops are here. An ambulance is here. All the cars are totaled.

Me: Our brand new car is totaled?!

Frinklen: No! Our car is fine! Everyone else's car is totaled! I have to go - the cop wants to talk to me. I'll call you in a few minutes!

Me: Wait--!

--Dial Tone--

I sit on pins and needles for almost half an hour until he called again to tell me the rest of the story.

While waiting to turn left on his way to work a small red car came screaming through the intersection from the opposite direction. A minivan sped through shortly after, hitting a green stationwagon turning right on a red light. The stationwagon spun out, coming to rest on Frinklin's left side, while the minivan skidded through the intersection, smashing into an acura on his the right, forcing that into a jeep just behind it. All three cars then slid into and under the semi in the far right lane.

After the motion ended, Frinklin jumped out to help any people injured in the crash. The driver of the stationwagon needed an ambulance, but fortunately Tacoma has three hospitals in the middle of the city, so police and an ambulance were only seconds away (I should note here that she is OK).

Our car ended up with only brushes of gold paint and a broken license plate frame. A few inches more and we would have lost the entire front end!

The driver of the gold minivan leaped from the drivers seat and took off on foot before anyone could speak to him, leaving an older teenaged passanger in the car. The semi driver interpreted her wailings as best as possible and explained, "She's a hooker. The guy in the red car they were chasing? He's a john that attacked her or something and then stiffed her. He owes her money. The guy who was driving who ran? That was her pimp."

She proceeded to tell the exact same story to the cops as her official statement. You know it's gotta be true--who would make that up to tell the cops??

Diagram below:

Posted by: Ensie at 08:36 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Driving today from Tacoma to Spanaway, a more rural area of Pierce County, Frinklin spotted a hitchiker walking the opposite direction.

"What is that he's carrying?"

"It looks like...no, it is a...chainsaw?"

"That guy's probably not getting a ride anytime soon."

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Have you ever had a moment when you begin talking about something which leads to something else, only to become another topic, finally dissolving into some underlying issue you didn't know you were so distraught about in the first place?

With the back problems, scoliosis weirdness, carpal tunnel (going to the orthopedic surgeon in a week!), I've been cracking jokes about turning thirty regularly. It's irritating to feel like I'm already breaking down before I've even left my twenties. I don't feel especially traumatized about moving into another decade of existence, but it is definitely a milestone and for a lot of people, apparently me as well, it means you are supposed to be a little more grown up. No more bank of Dad. Taking responsibility for the choices I have made, and hopefully knowing a little bit more about myself than I did ten years ago. I don't think those are huge goals, but they are my goals at the precipice of thirty.

I do have a general angst about growing older and a fear of death. I blame my parents and their early insistence that when I accepted Jesus into my heart at five years old that I would never face the fires of hell as a Christian. Then when I came out as a lesbian at 19 suddenly I stood on shaky ground and the Lake of Fire opened before me once again. But I digress...

One of the things I did expect to do before I turned thirty was have at least one child. I was my parent's first child, born when my mother was 29, which always sounded so old to have a first kid. It hasn't been until the last few years that I really felt capable of even potentially being a parent. I know you rarely ever feel 100% ready, but I definitely knew I wasn't ready at 22 years of age, partying into the wee hours, getting 15 minutes of sleep, and pretending not to nap at my desk the entire next day. Kids would have put a crimp in that lifestyle.

Somewhere along the line I switched my thinking. Instead of a party of 60, lets invite over six people. Instead of a keg, lets have wine. I'll skip the pot and coke lines, we'll just sit and chat, thanks. While this may sound a whole lot boring, it increased my daylight productivity considerably and allowed me to have actual conversations and relationships not based on questions such as, "Where's the bathroom at?!?" screamed over bad dance-techno.

So flash forward to me, sitting in the therapist's office on Wednesday morning, in tears discussing my lost relatives who will never see my unborn children as well as the living relatives who are simply dying for Frinklin and I to have kids but are nearly biting their tongues off in an effort to stay quiet. The therapist's response is this:

Therapist: "So, it sounds like you do want kids then? And Frinklin wants kids?"

Me: "God, yes. We thought we would have them already."

Therapist: "Then have them!"

Me: "But...work...and...um...what would I do...uh..."

Therapist: "Look, people have kids all the time. You just have them. No one is ever really ready for them. Stuff works out. You own a house. You are relatively financially secure. If you have to work, you have to work. If you don't, you don't. If your relatives can help, they will. You have a good job. You work part time at home. You work for a progressive company. Frinklin will eventually be working at home. Your Father-In-Law works at home. Your parents are looking at moving up here. You'll figure it out! Go have some kids!"

Me: "Um, OK."

----------

If only it were that simple.

Once upon a time my Mom informed me that I had a weird genetic disorder when I was born and that I may need to look into it before having kids. Over the years I've mentioned the name of this disorder to most of my doctors, all of which have shrugged and said, "Never heard of it, but you seem healthy. I wouldn't worry about it." Apparently that's the wrong answer.

After researching Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP) on the web for a couple of hours last night, it seems that I could have serious problems with a pregnancy. IP is a very rare genetic disorder (in fact, it's part of the National Organization for Rare Disorders). The reason none of my doctors have heard of it is because most of them will never see it in their lifetime. When I was born I visited doctor after doctor just so that they could see what IP looked like, because they would likely never see it again (but just in case).

IP affects the X chromosome of a developing fetus and males are miscarried 100% of the time. I have a 50% chance of having a normal child, boy or girl, and a 50% chance of having an IP child, boy or girl. If it is a girl, she may be relatively normal, like me, with almost no permanent side effects. Or, she could have a myriad of nightmarish problems that encompasses pretty much every birth defect imaginable. Either way, the first year or two of life involves a series of plague-like rashes of boils, blisters, warts, and pustules. Pretty. I'll be finding out the details baby's first plague on the phone with my Mom this weekend while completing a questionnaire about myself for the Incontinentia Pigmenti International Foundation.

So now there may be rounds of genetic counseling and testing. Fortunately the testing itself is free, and for your convenience, there are three labs available in the world that will test for the NEMO (IP) gene. One in Texas. One in England. And one in Italy. Weirdly enough, there is a genetic specialist that sits on the IP International Foundation Advisory Board located in Ann Arbor, MI, where I will be in just over a week. I don't know if I should call or not.

Updates on this fun topic as time goes on. I'm sure this is fascinating reading for everyone not effected by a completely rare genetic disorder. In a conversation with my sister, Katie, this afternoon she made me laugh, I know exactly how you feel. Everyone wants to give money to breast cancer and muscular dystrophy, and whatnot. No one wants to give money to those of us with epilepsy. It's like, hello?! Here I am, down on the floor waving and shaking�
.

Posted by: Ensie at 08:31 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 How did your mother know you had it? Was she in the same situation you're facing (that you were in the 50%?)? I would definitely make that call. That's fate whispering in your ear

Posted by: eden at July 22, 2006 06:44 AM (sg4cz)

2 Just stumbled on your blog and love the tag line at the top. It was cracking me up.

Posted by: Shawn at July 25, 2006 04:07 PM (1nHnP)

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I am so sexy right now. Wearing a velcro band around your pelvis as tight as possible is super-hot.

I started physical therapy today with an "alternative back care" office. My Pysical Therapist works primarily on realignment of the sacroiliac joint, which joins your pelvis to the base of your spine. He operates on the assumption that most back pain is due to this joint being "dislocated" or misaligned. All I know is that I can move better today than I have in several months.

I do get to wear the sacroiliac joint belt, which is exactly what it sound like; a belt that holds the joint(s) in place once they are aligned. Twenty-four/seven baby. All the time. I signed off on all sorts of proprietary information clauses, so I don't want to get into too much detail. But if you have any lower back pain, read this.

Interestingly enough, this whole thing goes full circle back to my appointments over a year ago with Dr. Chiropractor. He diagnosed me with a rotated right hip which shortened my right leg slightly. Apparently, the lift in my shoe isn't doing shit, and all this time I really needed someone to realign my sacroiliac joint to actually FIX the problem. Because it's gone on for, oh, almost thirty years, it's started to cause some pain that needs real attention.

I have two more appointments this week and will apparently be learning how to "self correct" myself. Currently that entails being far too aware of my body and adjusting the band, stretching to check the alignment of my joint, and squeezing a cherry ball between my knees. I'm crossing my fingers for results by next week as my family (minus sister Katie, bummer) will be on a week-long whirlwind trip to the Pacific Northwest.

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