Just keepin' record...

I want to remember this "season" in my life, so although there's not too much to write home about, gonna blog about what is going on the past couple o days.

Well, let's see...tonight I played in the Bricktown Unplugged Festival. All proceeds go to the Alzheimer's Association and I love that! Sunday is the last day; that's tomorrow, peeps. So ya got one more day to check it out and Travis Linville is tomorrow afternoon. He rocks! (my plug to my 3 loyal readers...)

So, I had fun, didn't think I did super hot because they were filming & that always makes me overanalyze my lyrics, my tone, etc. But Kevin claims it's the best he's ever heard me. (He's a also a very loyal friend, so who knows?)

Tan & I used one of the last restaurant.com coupons we'll probably ever have (thanks, Steve & Laura!) because there seems to be a hitch with most of them these days. "Oh, sorry, we don't take those anymore..."

But they took it at Brix & we dined like royalty on a Chili's-esque kinda tab. Not that Brix is fancy cuisine. It's a frickin' sports bar with about 30 TVs and about 15 Lazy Boys....seriously. But they do make a delicious steak so we both ordered the best they had.

After that we mosied over to the Mantel. My friend Camille Harp was playing. And I mean friend in the sense that tho we don't get to see each other outside of gigs often, we always have great conversation when we do & I think she is a genuine, fun gal with a beautiful voice to boot. We didn't stay long...Tanner felt stuffed. The stuffed where ya just wanna hang out at home in your pjs. :)

What else? I start my classes this week. I am so pumped to finally have my advisor/department chair for an actual class. This woman is about as golden as they come and I can't wait to learn from her. She has her heart & her head in the right place when it comes to child advocacy & I have a feeling she is going to teach me so very much. I also start a class called ABA that I anticipate will be very hard. It begins a 5-class group that I will do over the next two years that specifically explores autism. I'll be getting a specialization in it when all is said & done. I'll also be serving clinical hours for the class. I'm nervous about that. I feel very comfortable with the population I've been serving for a while (teens, home life strife, mild disabilities, social/life skills-centered) but elementary-aged autistic children will be a new experience for me.

And of course it is back-to-school season...which also means birthday season! I've already got a double date on my Bday night (after I get outta class at 7:15!) and my friend Sarah just asked if she could treat me to sushi the night before...well, of course!

I've read so many books this summer, and as soon as I finish this post up, I'll start a new one tonight. Just finished a suspense-filled book called "Secrets of Eden" and although it was well-written throughout, I felt the author let me down at the end. It was the whole "let's twist this just to twist it" kinda ending that I didn't feel was warranted due to the lack of any decent foreshadowing. Now I'll read a no-brain, summer romance just to say goodbye to summer. Of course it is called, "A Summer Affair." (yes, I know you must underline for book titles; I loved that portion of 6th grade English...but I just don't care in the blog. Capeesh?)

The last 4 books I've 'rented' have all been librarian recommendations. I figured there is no one better to ask! I tried to verbalize the types of books I was looking for. But that is like trying to describe your "perfect man" long before you've ever met him (yes, cuz we all find someone perfect in the end, right? heehee). You really have no idea what you are wanting until you dive in & invest some of your time/energy.

And unlike life partners, you need not settle for one book. Read several at a time for the rest of your life if you want! :)

~That CurlGirl

Tom Ka Gai

Who is this Tom guy, you ask? Only the one antidote I turn to when my tummy is giving me trouble. The "chicken soup for my digestive soul," if you will. Tom completes me.

No, Tanner need not worry...I, of course, am merely talking about a type of coconut milk soup that I have been having quite often this summer. Actually, during the school year as well! I have had the great fortune of working literally smack dab in the Asian district of OKC the past 3 years....thus I feel safe to say that I can tell you the best place for Thai, the best Pho in town (in orders 1, 2, & 3), and which buffets actually give you the best bang for your buck (and are MSG-free!). So, Tom Ka Gai became this thing that seemed to creep it's way into my diet. I swear to you it has healing powers. ;)

So, tonight I decided I'd make it from scratch at home. And I also added the twist of using all organic and/or free-range ingredients. While buying all the ingredients organically was costly on the front end, over the long haul....it's gonna be cheaper this way.

I am not going to pretend that I am some all-organic gal. If you hang around me at all, you know that that is NOT true! However, I've had to reshape some thinking this summer. Considering I almost had surgery but changing my eating habits, along with a medication, has literally helped me "dodge that bullet," I will go online now to say that I hope to research & learn more about the food I eat. I'll never swear off soda totally. I'll never claim to be process-free for life. But I can make small changes. And I truly believe food can BE our medicine for many, many things. My hope is that in the next 4 months I will not need my medication for my acid reflux and gall bladder at all, merely because I am not putting tons of toxins into my body. Have you seen "Food, Inc"? Crazy, crazy stuff... I digress...

So with thanks to the knowledgeable staff at Forward Foods, the lovely Asian District, and my husband (who wonders why it smells so funky in the kitchen now), I present to you the link to a soup recipe that proved to be a winner. I just ate a steamy bowl & LOVED every bite.

click for recipe

I also read some of the feedback/reviews before making it. The first review has great advice. He/she called this recipe a "mock" Tom Ka Gai, and I believe it. Or, rather, we should call this "Tom Ka Gai for Beginners/Whities Such As Me." I imagine the Real McCoy has at least 10 more secret spices in it.

I, along with others, wanted more lime.

(I tell ya, someday I hope to write a cookbook with "lime" in the title.)

So I doubled the lime part. It was maybe a tad too much. I also added more coconut milk than the recipe called for, only because I wanted more in volume---I predict I'll have this for lunch over the next 4 days or so.

I cut back a tad on the tumeric. Research the health benefits of this Eastern spice & you will want it in there even though it does take the color from a pure white to a golden yellow.

I also am not a huge cilantro fan, but found it was just not gonna be complete without adding it at the end. Oh, and the only other "tweek" I did was instead of vegetable oil, I used coconut oil. That was merely my preference because of my sensitive digestive system.

If you aren't ready to plunge into this recipe, go to your favorite Thai place & order a bowl. See if it is love at first sip for you the way it was for me. It may not be your thing...heck, Tanner grilled a juicy steak while I made this soup because he is not a fan of most of my Eastern obsessions. ;) But that is one of our many yin/yangs and the reason we work.

Just let me know what you think with a lil' old comment if you do try this recipe!

~That CurlGirl

Quote of the Morn

The first thought running through my head at 6 am today:

"To pee or not to pee, that is the question."

Dorky, I know, but this is a true account of the actual silly things that pop in the ol' noggin'. On a regular basis. If you are my friend, this should not shock you.

You see, I often wake up far earlier than I want to (why wake when I am childless, it's summer, and I don't have to?) merely because the ol' bladder is uncomfortable. (I didn't say gall bladder, don't let your eyes glaze over yet!)

If I can just lay there & turn my mind away from waterfalls and such, I can usually drift back in la-la land another hour or so. If I allow myself to get up & make it to the loo...I often find I am up for good. I don't want to start my day at 6 am. Not when I am usually turning off my reading lamp at 1 am or so.

Yet this morning the early rise was a good thing...I started coffee for my husband. I helped him pack a lunch for work. We also had a few leisurely minutes to just hang out in bed.

I wanted to just pamper him a bit because I was feeling good for the first time in days (the pain literally cycles) AND he was extra sweet yesterday.

Two nights ago, I hit a breaking point. I had had a so-so afternoon pain-wise, but when I got to my friend Laura's and realized they were scrambling to find a sitter just so they could grab a meal with her soon-to-be-in-labor sister, I felt good enough to jump in and say I could do it. In fact, I was quite joyous to do it! Connor is about as sweet as they come and I love hanging with that little guy! However, my pain started coming on while I was there and the guilt I felt for having to let Connor cry in his bed so he'd go night-night coupled with my pains was not pretty. Tanner came over and really helped me. My sister-in-law & her hubby called not long after I got home...I was exhausted, I was hurting. They wanted to know if I could watch the boys (my 3 nephews) during lunch the next day.

If it weren't for my immediate pain then and there, I would have had a hard time saying no. I LOVE those boys and normally would be glad to do it. But never knowing when I'm going to feel like crap, commitments have become very, very difficult for me.

So, gave my 'no' and called it a night. Except a huge wave of frustration/guilt/depression flooded me suddenly. I was so tired of this pain controlling my actions, my promises, my LIFE. I had to let the floodgates open....I sobbed like a baby a good 15 or so.

Now, Tan didn't even hear or see that; he was out in his "man cave" working.

But little did I know he was also online ordering me a dozen multi-colored roses to be delivered the next day.

I found them in a box on the porch yesterday when I got home. I mean it, the flowers instantly lifted my spirits and made me feel a million times better. A wave of deep-seated love for him rushed over me when I read the card. It's true, gestures like these are classic for a reason. A girl loves LOVES flowers. Especially the unexpected, just-because-I-love you kind.

I will keep my promise, dear reader...

...and find things to write about BESIDES my gall bladder. Ok, I'm not in terrible pain at this exact moment (tho that could easily change) so I will just jot down a few other things I like to think about these days. Hmmm:

1. I love making a to-do list on a small dry erase board. It's my new thing. I couldn't keep up with those stupid paper lists & besides, now I'm saving a tree, right? Ok, so not that much...

2. We got an above ground pool over the weekend...not talking huge, but not talking tiny either. Now, before you start thinking, "Wow, them there Hubberts-uh sure done good for themselves! Al-be-dern!"...you just know that you gotta work hard to achieve these goals. I am not in my 104th semester of higher learning for nothing, people!

3. The above ground pool is 3 1/2 feet deep. We don't have children. Yes, it was my next step after the dog chewed my kiddie pool. Yes, I did have a kiddie pool. And I loved it a lot. It will take time, but I will make room in my heart for the new one.

4. I finally got a few wedding photos framed. Just a few. And that was only because we had outta town guests & I had to make some quick "make our little bungalow seem a tad more homey" decisions. I still have SO much I want to order but the task is daunting to my wee brain.

5. The finale of the Bricktown fireworks show was super amazing last night! Kinda cerebral (does that mean kinda spooky/spacey/other-worldly? too lazy to look it up). See, there was zero wind & all the smoke stayed hovering, so when more lights flashed it had this eerie "peeking through the clouds" look. Neat.

6. I ran into a former student right as the finale ended. I had him as a 6th grader & now he's almost driving. He was just as sweet as ever. Moments like those are surreal when you are under the false pretense that you are still young & no where CLOSE to middle-aged. ;)

7. I just finished a thick book (due to being in bed a ton for pain that I promised not to talk about...) that was fascinating. Tanner & I enjoyed discussing the subject matter. I like when we take time to sit around & just have philosophical discussion. Moms, will he & I lose that when we have kids some day?

8. Speaking of kids, got a friend that should be having her baby this week. There are 2 ways she is going old school: 1. no predetermined birthday, no inducing, just good ol' fashioned water breaking at some unexpected moment. 2. they are not finding out the sex ahead of time. So, it's just all a big surprise....kinda fun. I will say that it has left a blank on what I want to buy her...I'm usually quite gender-specific in baby gifts.

That's a wrap. Yay, I do have other things to talk about! Was not really sure anymore. Toodles!

~Lisa

The Email I Wrote My 2 Wonderful Band Mates Tonight

So, my little band/musical project that gigs 3x a year/jam buddies and I TRY to meet on Thursdays. All 3 of us have had very eventful lives over the past 6 months, to say the very least. We all try to be understanding when someone has to bail. But my bailouts (funny word now, eh?) are far too frequent this summer....and we even have an actual gig in 10 days. So I felt the need to fill them in with some candor and a hint of humor. Glad I can do that with them! Here:

Hey guys!

I was working today (at a youth camp at my school) and an 'attack' came on...I tried, I tried, I tried to not cry. But I broke down....not just over the pain (tho that was a huge chunk of it).

I cried because I am tired of not knowing when/how it is going to start, tired of having to seem flakey to people because I can't make 100% plans anymore, tired of not having anything to say in a conversation that's not about my digestive system. Tired of WAITING for the stupid test #2.

So you know what I did? I called that freakin' hospital & said, "I am in PAIN. Bad. I can't wait until next TUESDAY for my hydroscan."

A few details worked out later & I am now testing this Friday...in 2 days...yay! It doesn't mean I'll know anything then. It does mean that I will get the ball rolling on finding out.

The downside to that with band practice is that for all of Thursday, no MEDS to prep me for the test. Especially pain pills. And Hydrocodone has been my best friend for the past 48 hours. So if I am having a flare-up, I will be moaning & groaning in bed. OH, I will also be starving & thirsty (no food or drink come evening). I know, you wonder why I don't channel the energy into some music, eh?

I will let you guys know if I am not feeling so hot tomorrow. Every day it's different. Think of my digestive system like the Oklahoma weather system.

Your "flakey" friend & bandmate, Lisa

PS: to the bloggers, not the band....next blog is not about the gall bladder. Deal? Deal!

The Wild Times of June '10

As if the hail storm did not already add craziness to this newlywed couple's first few months together.... the school year ended & the crazy escalated.

As all you Oklahomans know...our lovely hailstorm was followed by a flood. As in, people were starting to wonder if Noah was about to float by. Thankfully, we had no giant holes in the roof that caused leakage in the house. But my little car did get ankle-deep water in the floorboards (ah, the prices you pay for a fun convertible).

So, we had a nightmare of a time with our insurance check that we finally got for all of our hail damage to the house. Note to self (and you, dear reader): Insurance checks MUST have a third-party signature. As in, my bank (which is also my home loan provider) should have signed the check. The check bounces that followed that check return were ugly. I couldn't get all the fees fixed, but thanks to my former show choir buddy who is now VP of my bank...I got some expenses recouped. (and rightfully so, don't you agree?)

Ah, and that takes us to the Stomach Mystery of 2010.

Ok, so I've been having weird stomach issues since oh, mid-March. But nothing that i couldn't suck up & handle. Besides, I was too BUSY to put much thought into it. Yet come late May....when the wedding hub-bub was over, when my job was over....it's like my body finally said, "Finally, now I can show you the state I'm REALLY in!" (isn't that the way it goes?)

I was having enormous, horrible pains after I ate. Yes, almost every meal. It didn't get truly bad until our honeymoon. That's right, folks: I had some very UN-romantic problems on my HONEYMOON. Seriously?

The pain got worse when we returned so I finally went to a general practitioner. (I had been in Urgent Care a few weeks prior...they said I had a "bug that was going around," gave me antibiotics, and sent me on my way)...so I wasn't totally neglecting this. But see, I haven't had a family doctor since I was a kid. Did you just gasp? Cuz apparently I'm not alone: I was trying to get referrals from responsible, educated adults...and many told me that they did not have one either. I've had the same OB/GYN since I was 16. And I love him! (Yes, a 'him.') And my dentist has taken care of these pearly whites since I was about 12. I love him, too! So, the need never arose for a good ol' fashioned MD. I recall a few visits to a general doctor in high school...and that was only because it was my boyfriend's dad and I had found a little lump. (that was potentially awkward, huh?)

I love my allergy doctor, too. I make him laugh.

And I had a great surgeon during the Appendix Eruption of 2005.

But honestly establishing a doctor had never seemed a high priority. Not to mention in my early 20s I couldn't even pick a state to stay in. ;)

So, with this new gastrointestinal issue....I felt the need to form a doctor/patient relationship. And I am semi-satisfied with who I'm using during this issue. I, quite frankly, have some biases on doctors to begin with. These prejudices are mostly due to a) bad experiences of waiting in 3 different rooms to see a doc and then having him/her breeze by for like 5 minutes and b) oh yeah, the cocky doc I dated a few years back.

I must tell that story. It's a good one.

See, I was at a point in my life when I dated Dr. Ego that I was not interested in commitment. I had come out of a "relationship" with a jealous, quite mad person...and I just wanted to see what else was out there. So lots of casual dinner dates & the like. Some I kept around for 4 or 5 dates. He was one of them.

He also wanted to get all serious on me & Lisa was not having it. So...when I tried to be a grown-up and end it very amicably (it's never quite possible, eh?), I told him that I wanted to continue to see other people.

He leaned back & smiled, "Ok. I'm not worried."

"Huh?" I mean, I was glad he was taking it well...but the smug grin? What?

"You'll be back. I'm a doctor."

Wow. Simmer on that one a moment. What do you think little Lisa did? Of course! NEVER called him back.

Now, just to be fair, he claims he was joking....but we all know the true psychology of jokes.

Ok, so dating aside, I am seeing someone.....a family doctor. Actually, I tend to see his wife more....she is a Nurse Practitioner & she truly is the people-person between them. She rocks!

And so the doctor is "suspicious of my gall bladder." I've come clean on Test #1-- the gallstone test. Up next: The Function Test. Apparently, I'll be drinking this radiation liquid & they will watch my gall bladder while I lay still on a table for 3 hours. Oh goody. So, while my gall bladder may be thoroughly examined...I may very well get cancer from the radioactive fluid runnin' through my digestive tract. ;)

Ah, the joys of being a science experiment.

All joking aside....I am thankful that I'm seeing 2 professionals right now that are listening to me & actually trying to help me get answers. And I am thankful to God EVERY SINGLE DAY that I get through without pain. (a low-fat diet seems to help the pain subside).

If you pray, add me to the list while I figure out what my insides are trying to tell me. ;)

Hope you had as much fun reading this one as I did writing it. See you later, gator~ Lisa

update on an update

so the sushi/tummy ache combo was not a great idea. but to set the record straight, i had only gotten past my soup when i began to feel very, very ill. that humiliating feeling when you know you must depart from all human contact at ONCE. my understanding friend helped me get it to go, we quickly tabbed out, and raced me home.

a few hours & couple of panic attacks later....i thought i was dying folks....my neighbor took me to Urgent Care. tan was at a friend's so i called to let him know. the verdict:

a bacterial infections of the intestines. a parasite in my belly.

ok, i don't eat dirt or raw sewage on occasion.

where the crap did i get bacteria?

all i know is the nausea & infection meds are trying to work some magic. but i still feel very leery of most foods.

rumor has it that something of the stomach virus nature is going 'round. i guess since i work in schools, these things are bound to attack me from time to time.

Happy Wednesday. Hope yours is better than mine!