Going Cochlear

We are starting out Jan- and 2013 for that matter, with some big things.

Next week I am having sinus surgery. Hopefully the end result will be that my since of smell returns, and the sinus infections go away. [I've had a sinus infection for the better part of the last 15 years.]

A few weeks after that I am having cochlear implant surgery. I have lost quite a bit of hearing in the last year. Most situations just sound like noise. If you've had an awkward conversation with me the last number of months, or I said "i'm sorry i just cant hear you." and it came off as rude, and like I was cutting you off- it wasn't meant to be. I am frustrated, and I really really cant hear you. Like, the music is on along with the dish washer, dryer and vacuum cleaner and someone is trying to talk to you from the other side of the house- cant hear you.
So I'm moving forward with cochlear. The surgery is early Feb. and the actual activation is a couple of weeks later.

"The switch on is usually the worst day of most people's lives. The only thing I can tell you is...it gets better."

It does get better. I am going to do my best to keep control of my frustration and rage after activation. I know to expect beeps, clicks, mechanical sounding things  it could be months before voices sound "right". But at some point, they will. I feel like i need a 100 pk of temp tattoos that say "This too will pass". Because good lord, this kind of thing is maddening.

I ordered the Advanced Bionics Neptune processor. It is worn off ear, is water proof and comes in fun colors- also you can get skin it appliques for it. A new BTE processor is being released this coming summer. I will receive this when it comes out.

The Mr. is blogging: http://sexycyborghusbandry.wordpress.com/
This site can answer a lot of your questions: http://cochlearimplanthelp.com/

ups and downs

Today was a bad day... mainly I discovered that I set some things up incorrectly and trying to correct the situation left me in a temper tantrum aimed at the computer. I think things can be sorted out, but not in the mood I was in today.

On a better note, my husband has decided to start training for a 200 mile relay that is planned for this summer- with a team of equally geeky and out of [running] shape, friends. His usual exercising interests are not of the gym going sort, so the shift to running is new. He is starting with "couch to 5k" and then going from there. I am proud of him for trying something new, committing to this race and recruiting a large number of people for the team.
With the store opening soon, I just cannot commit to this race planned for July. But I am sure it will be great fun.

in other news I have almost 2/3rds of the founding I need to open shop!

Birthday Round Up

I had a particularly great birthday week.

It Started with a First Friday where I met some local business people, made connections and networked like an adult.

I spent the weekend in Kearney, Nebraska going junking, and helping my aunt with a little bit of xmas decorating.

The week rolled out Birthday shopping with my mother, where I scored some fab MAC lipstick [Rebel- a purplish berry color that seems a bit like the bad ass version of the color Scully wore a lot.] and a scooter ornament. A trip to the zoo and frozen yogurt with my husband, a 6 coarse dinner party and ended with Dim sum at Star Kitchen on Sunday.
It was quite fabulous.


I am working away on projects and carving out some time this weekend to do some xmas decorating of my own.

Roller Derby Nationals 2011

Roller Derby Nationals 2011.

Thats right. They are in our back yard this weekend. Well, Broomfield anyway. We have tickets for all 3 days. Our team is defending its title of number 1.
This is going to be an amazing weekend. It feels like a 3 day Christmas. On top of that we have party plans with non derby friends to fill our evenings.
On top of that Team USA is scrimmaging at RMRGs war*house on Monday, and I'm NSOing.

To kick off the weekend, I woke to this cute card from my husband and mimosa makings in the fridge. <3

Zombie Crawl 2011

Salida, CO

Last weekend I headed down to Salida with some Roller Derby folks, to ref a bout between RMRG Kill Scouts and Ark Vally.
It was both a fun and horrible trip. Coming off of a cold, I found that congestion + altitude change = complete deafness. it was a bit scary, and I was with a group of quiet talkers who just didn't really "get it." I also suffered my first ever migraine following the bout. My friend Amy came to the rescue with Excedrin and good company. But I had fun sardined into a car with 4 other people for the road trip, meeting new people and having some amazing green chili at the Boat House in Salida.

Looking South over Salida from the "S"

Looking West over Salida from the "S"

A cute blue house with a yellow roof

Stiff Peg Pete with with a Party Boat sized drink

A pretty window box, still in full bloom outside Amica's Wood Fired Pizza

Sylvan Lake Campground

Some photos from our trip to Sylvan Lake Campground, and hike near Fulford Cave.

Help me choose a name!

What name do you like best for an art supply store?

• The Painting Goat
• Super Good Art Stuff
• Artcore
• Artomic Bomb
• Pigment Alchemy

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Please vote for your favorite. I am trying to choose a name for my art supply store. The poll will only let you vote once, if you have a second choice, please leave a comment, and i will add it to the results.

Thanks!

not updating

so, I've been crap about updating lately.

It seems most often, that I am waiting to get photos off my camera/ phone, whatever so i can do a long an proper update.

I am having problems getting photos off my phone with out emailing them to my self. long story short. i'm annoyed and missing a number of trip pictures because of it.

I hit up McKinnleyville/ Arcata/ Eureka and San Francisco a couple weeks ago. Spent a week with my aunt, just hanging out. It was a great vacation, way relaxing- probably because of horrendous allergies making me lazy.

Have I mentioned? I'M SICK OF ALLERGIES. Yes. They followed me back to Denver.

Had a short sto0p in San Fran, where I attended/ reffed the RMRG vs B.A.D.Girls roller derby bout. The bout was held at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond. A beautiful old warehouse that has been cleaned up and is available for events. It looks out over the bay, with a view of San Fran.

The job I apparently have, still has not started. Annoyed, but it sounds like cash flow problems on the owners end. So I am applying for jobs and working on my own projects.

We built a standing desk for the office. A nice replacement for the one we had that has been falling apart.

That's it for now. going to try to get some pictures posted soon.

hearing, a friendly chart.

A colorfully illustrated look at 2 decades of hearing loss.

Thanksgiving

This year we are headed to St. Louis for Thanksgiving. The plan is for me to meet the rest of my husbands relatives, and for him to see people he hasn't seen in 6 or 8 years.
There will be several cousins there, who are all over 17 or so. We have a fun couple days planned that include a trip to the City Museum and the Art Museum.
[side note: i love to visit art museums everywhere we go. you never know what unexpected awesomeness you are going to see. in Pitsburgh we saw the largest collection of plaster architectural reproductions in the world... i think. and a wonderful set of sketches of California style houses from the 50 or 60s]

Who knows what will happen. every family has their crazy, on some level or another. Every family has their traditions.

Being away from home for the second Thanksgiving in a row has me thinking about my family's traditions and funny [now] stories.

Story: We were eating with my dads side of the family, who all live in another state. being the holidays things quickly diverged into their usual pattern. some bickering, some poorly worded comments, etc.
my grand mother made a Waldorf salad. it was good. this is the same grandmother who makes my favorite date roll cookies. after dinner my mother asked if she had put dates in the salad- it was different, but good. "No. it was SNICKERS. AND IT WAS GOOD."
heh. dont question it.

on the other hand, my parents have formed a tradition of pulling the deep fryer out into the drive way. making drinks and appetizers and inviting anyone who wants a deep fried turkey, to bring one over. people hang out, drink, eat, have a good time. it lasts all day. usually they have a invite to the neighbors house in the evening, for an actual sit down dinner. i really like the eating all day and seeing lots of different people.

Last year we hit tow different turkey days in Seattle. both involved a large number of people we are sketchily related to due to marriage. the first was the huge family and friend dinner, that i had been hearing aobut for years, on the account of their being just an awful lot of pie involved- like a pie or two for every person there. The other was also a big extended family party. where we were given some more pie. it was a good deal.
we followed all that up the next day with a family dinner involving crab, pie [:)] and ice skating.

Cant wait to see what this year brings.

cabin

We had a lovely trip.
the aspens are starting to change in the high country, the nights are cool and the days are sunny and breezy.

I believe we have started a new tradition. Campfire Curry. No one is skilled enough to actually cook it over the fire, but it was a perfect, round the fire dinner.

Apparently it is also hunting season, as shots were heard while hiking.

i don't have any really great stories, but we had a good time, the weather was beautiful and that is all i can ask for.

Cabin Weekend!

Cabin Weekend!
it's been 2 years, i cant wait!

from the last time we were there:

PHAMALy Presents: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

Several years ago i was working with PHAMALy on costuming. After I was hired at Miller i found that even volunteering for the evening show portion was too much- 5 to 1am.
Thursday I found that the girl i used to do cosumes with, was back in town and helping with the show. i showed up to help dress fro 2 nights. It as fun to be back. PHAMALy is an amazing company.

This years production was Beauty and the Beast.

The review in The Denver Post.

jelly and so much more

the weather was perfect this year for fruit trees- even early blooming Apricots that almost always get frozen out. I believe its been close to 15 years since my mother apricot tree produced more than 3 pieces of fruit.we are now quickly finding various ways to preserve this bounty of fruit.
i actually started a couple weeks ago with making Cherry Bounce. a simple recipe caught my attention and i figured it would make great gifts.previously we have tried to make apple butter and plum jam and have not had luck with the seals working correctly. my friend Mary sent me a couple recipes out of the book she uses.

today i made apricot jelly and apricots in rum- following the same theory as the cherry's.
yesterday i started making apricot leather. and i hope to add apricots in light syrup, and apricot habanero jelly.
assuming these projects go well, i may see if i can get my hands on some more free fruit. apples and peaches are both popular in Denver.

road trip to the balck hills

A couple weekends ago we headed to the Black hills for a family wedding. the wedding was held at the Flying V in New Castle Wyoming.

Bride and Groom

Family

After the wedding, Mr. T and i headed over to the Black Hills of South Dakota. We took a Lantern Tour at Jewel Cave- which was awesome.
We lucked out and had a cool rainy trip- instead of 100 deg and humid. We Found a homemade pie and ice cream shop in Custer SD.
Then we ventured over to Custer State Park, where we walked and climbed around Sylvan Lake. It is beautiful and different than we would have found in Colorado. My interest in Sylvan Lake steams from a family road trip photo album from the 1920s. My great great aunt and some friends borrowed dads car and took a road trip from north eastern Nebraska to the Black Hills of South Dakota. the camped and stopped to make jam along the way. Below are the photos i took and a couple of the photos they took.
Ladies on a hike. in the book, they write that they got up very very early to hike to this point, hoping to be there when the sun rose. i believe that the sun rose quicker than they could hike, but they had a good time anyways.
A fish made from a car at Carhinge in Alliance, NE.


it was an awesome trip.

CAMPING 2010

Camping was successful. we managed to only have adventures that we wanted to have.

i only took 1 picture. mainly i decided that the multitude of photos i took last year were good enough.
we ended up with 8 people the first night and 6 the second.
the campground was packed, but we were able to get a section on the far end, that worked out rather nicely.
Tim went on a 16 mile hike with our 2 friends in the army to find a waterfall. Boog was also sick so he and i did a more leisurely 3 mile version on the hike.
the weather was beautiful and the company grand.

cant wait for our next trip.

i have so many pictures to get off my camera. tim w/ hair. the peep party and so forth. want a clean camera before we head out camping this weekend.

headed on another epic camping adventure this weekend. sadly it looks like it will only be Tim, Boog and i on this trip. I'm a bit worried because the 3 people combination was how we ended up on the most epic camping adventure ever, last year.

the place it really beautiful, i wish a few more people could join us.

a weekend not full of bad movies

we only watched 2 movies this weekend. and only one of them fell into the "bad" category.

Friday:
kokoro
shopping
Iron Man 2 w/ Wolvie [who was sad and without power at home.]
- the movie was enjoyable, but since i don't remember a thing about the previous one, I'm not really comparing.

Saturday:
6:30 am, depart for Ft. Fun
8am graduation at Moby
11am Lunch at Chili's
1pm Graduation party [different friend]
3pm head for home
4pm nap
4:30 head for babysitting and birthday dinner
5:02 toes licked by dog
6pm consume cake that resembled a bleeding cat head
7pm Movie time.
- we watched Sherlock "low budget,not to be confused w/ the blockbuster hit" Holmes. that featured a dinosaur and a dragon. this fine piec of film making was brought to us by the same people who did Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus."
11pm. bed.

Sunday:
sleep.
plant shopping
running errands
gardening
sunburn
more gardening
dinner
bonfire.

weekend complete.

peeps

tonight is the Peep roasting party.

i showed Tim a picture of BBQ-ed peeps.
Tim told some people about the idea.
people started hounding us to host a peep party.

tonight. 7pm. our place.
12 boxes of peeps
20 people
and 4 Christmas trees to burn.

hope the cops don't come.