We're walking...we're walking

The ADA Walk for Diabetes went GREAT!! The weather was AWESOME, the turnout was GREAT and the Camp Needlepoint Team was the first place team! Yessss! It was so great to see all of my camp friends again and to be a part of something that was that huge! Derick and my mom accompanied me on the walk this morning, and, Tucker started out with us too, but then we were told that no dogs were allowed. So Derick took him home, came back, and lo and behold, we saw three other dogs on the walk route...lame. Oh well, it was a great, tiring day! After the walk, we came home, made lunch and pretty much took a nap. We were exhausted! (and now it is 12:30am and I cannot sleep - darn naps!)

On another note, I had my "lady parts doctor" appointment just this past week and I swear to you that not one doctor thinks that a diabetic should have a baby or that is is not in your best interests. NOT that we are ready or even THINKING of it right now, but you know doctors - trying to tell you things way before you need or want to know them. It is just depressing the things that they tell you. I also think that some, if not all of the expectations for diabetics on a medical scale, compared to "normal" people are just plain absurd. There is pretty much NO possible way that one person can achieve a diabetic stage of "Nirvana" - healthwise. It is just not that way with us, I am sorry. I would like to for once, have a doctor who IS a diabetic and gets it - really gets it. Not that I do not like my doctors. That is not the case. Just the fact that I feel like they do not really fully and truely understand and for that, I sometimes feel completely and utterly alone when it comes to my health, which has been a lifelong deal and I am in it for the long haul. Goody. I love my camp friends who get it and we can all say something without the nagging, the ridicule or the plain weirdness. We've all been there.

Sorry, I don't really know where that came from, just thinking of my last doctor appointment as the paperwork from my bloodtests sits in front of me - need to file that. Haha maybe that is my new career path -- Endocrinologist. I'd be up for it. I commend Dieter for going with that (he is a fellow camp counselor who is currently in school perusing said career path.)

Well, since the leaves are somewhat turning and falling to the ground and the weather has been getting cooler, I decided to pull out some of my Halloween and fall decorations. Now, when I say few - that is what I mean - FEW. I don't have many things fall-ish, which I am sure will change in later years if I have inherited that "decorating for every conceivable holiday gene" from my mother. But that is alright with me that I do not have many things as I am liking the new minimalist approach I want to be perusing more anyway (Living in a townhouse will do that to a person - limits your space to save and store things).

After the Walk today and lunch, and nap, Derick and I played lazy and had a Big Bang Theory season 2 marathon. Wow I absolutely love that show. I could watch it almost all of the time and to top it off, one of my all-time favorite episodes was one of the ones we watched! (the Christmas one with the gift-swap -Penny vs Sheldon).

I am going to start a new book - The Time Traveler's Wife. and No, I have not seen the movie yet. I prefer most books to movies as they turn out to be so much better than the movies themselves. (take Twilight --books = awesome. movie = horrible beyond most reason.) So, in my geek-dom, I am pretty excited about that. I might also be playing a board game with the hubby tomorrow (for my sake, pray it isn't RISK) and might try baking a new cookie. That seems to be a new weekend tradition. Nice.

Hmm, I think that is all of the updateable things that I need to get out at this present juncture.

Until then,

L

The Game of LIFE

I have some positive things to post for this blog entry!

First of all, I had my 4-month diabetic dr. appointment last week and we changed my insulin doses so that I am giving one more unit per carb choice and WOW has that made a WORLD of difference! I was a perfect bloodsugar for almost 2 days straight. I wish it were that easy to figure out and maintain it ALL the time! So that was some good news anyway!

Derick helped my dad finish off his laundry room (my mother was pretty happy with that one!!) He then borrowed some of the mud putty and brought it over and mudded our garage screws and the tape that is in there so that we will be able to eventually paint it and make it look nicer in there (his idea, not mine - I mean, it's a small garage...I could care less...)

The American Diabetes Association Step Out walk is THIS weekend! This Saturday!I am pretty pumped! We have already beaten our fundraising goal! Our initial goal was $5,200 (for 52 years of camp) but we already have somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,500!! We are also trying to get the biggest group there - 80 people! So that will be exciting to see if we can actually pull that one off!! Regardless, I am really excited to do the walk and see my camp friends :)

My uncle texted me today offering up 2 Wild pre-season tickets for Thursday night!! So that will be awesome if I will actually be able to go. I have to do a floorset that day all day, but we shall have to hope and pray that I get out of EP at a decent hour...who knows how that one will work out.

I think the only thing better life-wise right now was if Derick could get employed somewhere. He has been trying really hard, but really, no one is hiring! Even for normal jobs, everyone seems to be cutting back pretty well. Not good. I know that he would rather be working than home all day - although he has been addicted to a computer game recently...

Hmm, other than that, nothing else really to report! I am looking forward to the fall time of the year, the cooler weather, the changing and falling leaves...yay! Derick brought in my box of fall decorations/halloween stuff, so that made me get a little more amped for it!

-L

Why I walk

Hello family and friends!

This is just a quick note to inform you that on September 26, 2009 I will be walking to fight diabetes. As most of you know, I am a diabetic and have had Type 1 diabetes for 20 years. I have walked for diabetes in the past, but this year, a few more things hit home for me and made me realize that this is a pretty big deal to be able to get together with people and step out for this cause.

If you know me, you know that I do not like asking for money. Nothing is different about that today, but if you do have an extra $5 or $10 dollars lying around, it would be most useful to my walk team this year. I have set a goal of $150 to raise by the walk date, and with your help, even a $5 donation will help me get there. If you cannot support in that mannor, maybe you feel that walking along beside me would benefit you better. If you go online, I have created a personal webpage for my walk fundraising goal as well as a blog that I will update until the walk happens.

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/StepOut/StepOut311058010?px=5241432&pg=personal&fr_id=6486 There you can read more about "Why I Walk" and you can pledge money or join the walk with me at that site. I will also be blogging more from that site on updates just before the walk!

If you would like to walk alongside me, here is the information that you need to know, and let me know if you are interested and then I can follow-up with you later.

Date: 9/26/2009
Location: General Mills World Headquarters (Golden Valley, MN)
Registration Opens: 7:30am
Event Start Time: 8:30am Kids Diabetes Dash - 9:00am 5K, Walk

Thank you and see you soon!

State Fair Goodness

This past Sunday morning we ventured to the Great Minnesota Get Together - The State Fair!!

We went again this year with Paul and Jenny C (and baby) like last year! It was still the same delicious fair!

Let' see if I can remember everything that was consumed by Derick and or myself...

1. elephant ear


2. mac and cheese on a stick


3. fudge puppy


4. long dog on a stick


5. sweet martha's cookies
   

I guess we didn't do too bad this year. It seemed like we ate more than it looks like we did. Maybe because that is the main attraction?

It was still fun. We decided to root through our change jar and bring all the quarters we could find in there, so my wallet and pockets were weighted down for a couple of hours at the fair! What a busy fair weekend it was! I thought that Sunday was really busy, and on Monday when talking with my boss, I found out she went all three days of the weekend and Saturday, you could hardly MOVE! Yikes! I mean, people-watching at the fair is one thing, but smashing against people is not my idea of a great time (granted I have been in a moshpit a couple times before...). Not only do you have the PEOPLE to contend with, but the majority of the people seem to have these hazard/annoyances called strollers and wagons. Note: These contraptions should be banned from any large-populated event or happening. If your kid is not suitable to walk or you are too lazy to carry them, they should probably not be there because, let's face it, children don't usually start remembering things until they are 4 or 5 at the haziest memories. Let's not push it people.

In-TENTS!

Yesterday was my last day out at Camp Needlepoint for 2009! I was only able to help out with staff training and camper regristration this year, as I could not take off one or two weeks straight of work! It was really great to catch up and see some of the staffers who I don't get to hang out with or see during the rest of the year! I sure felt like an old woman though! A lot of my CAMPERS are now COUNSELORS themselves, or at least CITs! I stayed out there later last night just to catch the opening campfire and then I headed home.

i took the day off to catch up on sleep and other things around the house! I did a lot of laundry so far and also got my hair chopped off more! whoo hoo!

I have also been noticing more and more of my flowers popping open, so here are some of those:

As you can see, some of them are really rather TALL! It has been kind of interesting to see what some of them were going to turn out to be, as I just bought a generic mix of wildflower seeds!

Well, there are a few more things that I am going to get done today, so there is a brief update for now!

-L

Some of MY friends...go to CAMP NEEDLEPOINT!

This past weekend, I spent in Hudson, WI at Camp St. Croix, or as it is better known for a couple weeks in August, Camp Needlepoint and Daypoint! I went out to camp Friday morning bright and early to help Becky - the camp director with staff training. I helped run a bunch of errands, get things organized as well as hung out with all of the camp staff who were going to be counseling the first week session. That night I stayed overnight with three other counselors - all first years. We hung out in Hudson after training was over, came back and worked out butts off in the medical center getting things ready for the coming days before the kids came on Sunday. Sunday came all too soon! It was a fun, hectic couple of days, but always fun to catch-up with the people from camp who I don't get to see all the time outside of camp.

Sunday, the campers came, and I once again assumed the role of camp store money gatherer! It was pretty crazy this year, as we had to take the temperature of each camper before they could be checked in = to steer clear of the Swine Flu and the H1N1 virus so as not to infect anyone or all of the people out at camp! Yikes! Last year's "the croix" was enough to deter anyone from coming back. That was just a nasty flu that pretty much bedrested you for about three days.

Alyssa's parents had a bench made and placed at camp, so I got to see that. It was right outside cabin 7 - and that was the cabin in which we stayed Friday and Saturday night:

I will be going back to camp this coming Sunday to help again with week 2 registration! I decided to take that following Monday off of work just to rest up and relax, just as I did for this last one.

I found out, however, that I am slightly over on my vacation days allotted for work. That is kind of a bummer because I thought I had some left! Oh well. I guess I just planned them out and will have to wait awhile until the next one...the day before Thanksgiving I believe. Whew. That is a long time from now!

Well, I guess that is about it for now!

-L

Tucker turns 1!!

So this post is a few days old...but Tucker had his first birthday Monday, August 3rd!

We had a puppy birthday with him and Paul, Jenny and Roman came over! We went to the dog park and came home and let the birthday boy and guest eat some of the special dog birthday cake that I had made. I found a recipe online and thought I would give it a try. It went over well! They really liked it, and later in the week, Tucker even managed to jump up and put his paws on the kitchen counter looking for the pan!

So that was funny to see him eating the cake!

Well, it has been quite the rainy day today! A great day to get some cleaning, laundry and video games accomplished! I think I am going to spend some quality time with the sewing machine as well soon after I am done with this post! I have been slacking in that area and need to get my mom's pants she left here for me to fix - back to her soon!

So, with that, I think I will leave this one short and sweet!
Later!
L