Today I was finally well enough to see my brother and Michelle (a.k.a., M&M).
This evening we went to my mom's house for dinner and games with M&M. It was nice to see both of them and to hear about how their wedding plans were coming along. We enjoyed dinner; however, it did get a little tense when I asked my brother about his visit with my dad and my dad's family...I know it's a sensitive subject but they are still my family and yes, I'm just plain nosy at times.
After dinner we played the game "Hear Me Out" which my mom and my sister had given us 3-4 Christmases ago. This was the first time we actually played the game and when my brother informed us that it was a drinking game we finally realized why the game didn't make much sense the last time we tried reading the instructions. So, with bottles of water, cups of cocoa, and glasses of tea in hand, we started playing the game. It is quite a fun game (even when alcohol is not involved) and we're looking forward to playing it again sometime.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Scott told me so...
Every year I get the flu shot and almost every year my friend Scott responds with, "you mean you got the 'Give me the flu shot?'" This year was no different. As usual, I got the flu shot and as usual Scott gave me a hard time about it. In fact, when I got sick with flu like symptoms about a month after receiving the flu shot Scott proudly announced that, "[he] told me so." I quickly disputed his claim and explained that it was probably sinuses but if it was the flu, then at least the flu shot mimimized severity of it.
So, this brings me to why I am posting this blog. On Sunday, my doctor (from Texas Medclinic) officially diagnosed me with type A influenza.
On Friday (12/26), my sinuses started bothering me and I also had a weird cough. Since Jacob was at the recovery stage of whatever he had (which we thought was also sinus related) I was convinced that it my turn to be hit with allergies. It isn't unusual for our allergies to hit us at different times because both of us seem to react to allergens in a staggered time frame (thank goodness we're usually not affected simultaneously).
However, by Saturday (12/27) I started feeling really tired and weak (I felt as though I had been working out all day long because my legs and arms felt like jell-o and were sore). My cough had worsed, my sinuses were killing me, I had a headache, and later that evening I started running a fever. I called my mom to let her know that I didn't think I'd make it to my aunt Rosemarie and uncle Jimmy's luncheon. She said I sounded really bad and that if I didn't get any better then I should go to the doctor because it sounded like the flu. She also explained that the flu was very dangerous which I had heard before but wasn't too concerned about.
On Sunday (12/28) Jacob and I were concerned because I still had a fever and I was extremely tired. We both headed to TexasMedClinic: Jacob to be seen for his congestion that wouldn't go away and me for my cough, aches, pains, congestion, etc. When we arrived, I decided to take one of their complimentary face masks because of my fever and cough. I was so tired that I had no problem taking a nap while we were waiting to be called (this was unusual for me so Jacob and I were both begining to be convinced that I might have the flu). The doctor evaluated both of us. He prescribed Jacob an antibiotic for his congestion that wouldn't go away and then did a throat and flu test for me, he explained that even though I had received the flu shot, he had already seen 2 cases where 2 other people contracted the flu even though they received the shot also. 10 min. later the results were in and I did have the flu. Now, what was scary was that the doctor sat down and said he wanted to explain a few things to me. It's never good when a doctor sits down to talk so at that point I began thinking, "I am so glad that I get the flu shot every year," because I suddenly realized how serious the flu really is. The doctor explained my options, what to expect, how to take care of myself and what to watch for with regard to serious complications. He also suggested that it is possible that my flu shot may minimize the severity of my flu symptoms. Jacob took me home and started taking care of me. Between teas, soups, tylenol, temperature taking, and tissue refilling he's been wonderful. Sadly, he's also been sleeping on the couch and has officially become Crystal and Chloe's midnight trampoline/wrestling platform. I owe him big! But hey, he did buy himself a PS3 to pass the time!
So far, although I've been super sleepy, congested, and weak, based on what the doctor told me to expect I truly believe that my flu shot is helping to minimize the severity of my symptoms. My fever has gone down, my legs and arms aren't sore anymore, and I had enough energy tonight to make it to the living room for dinner, t.v., and computer time. So, although, "[Scott] told me so," I am still very thankful that I got the flu shot!
So, this brings me to why I am posting this blog. On Sunday, my doctor (from Texas Medclinic) officially diagnosed me with type A influenza.
On Friday (12/26), my sinuses started bothering me and I also had a weird cough. Since Jacob was at the recovery stage of whatever he had (which we thought was also sinus related) I was convinced that it my turn to be hit with allergies. It isn't unusual for our allergies to hit us at different times because both of us seem to react to allergens in a staggered time frame (thank goodness we're usually not affected simultaneously).
However, by Saturday (12/27) I started feeling really tired and weak (I felt as though I had been working out all day long because my legs and arms felt like jell-o and were sore). My cough had worsed, my sinuses were killing me, I had a headache, and later that evening I started running a fever. I called my mom to let her know that I didn't think I'd make it to my aunt Rosemarie and uncle Jimmy's luncheon. She said I sounded really bad and that if I didn't get any better then I should go to the doctor because it sounded like the flu. She also explained that the flu was very dangerous which I had heard before but wasn't too concerned about.
On Sunday (12/28) Jacob and I were concerned because I still had a fever and I was extremely tired. We both headed to TexasMedClinic: Jacob to be seen for his congestion that wouldn't go away and me for my cough, aches, pains, congestion, etc. When we arrived, I decided to take one of their complimentary face masks because of my fever and cough. I was so tired that I had no problem taking a nap while we were waiting to be called (this was unusual for me so Jacob and I were both begining to be convinced that I might have the flu). The doctor evaluated both of us. He prescribed Jacob an antibiotic for his congestion that wouldn't go away and then did a throat and flu test for me, he explained that even though I had received the flu shot, he had already seen 2 cases where 2 other people contracted the flu even though they received the shot also. 10 min. later the results were in and I did have the flu. Now, what was scary was that the doctor sat down and said he wanted to explain a few things to me. It's never good when a doctor sits down to talk so at that point I began thinking, "I am so glad that I get the flu shot every year," because I suddenly realized how serious the flu really is. The doctor explained my options, what to expect, how to take care of myself and what to watch for with regard to serious complications. He also suggested that it is possible that my flu shot may minimize the severity of my flu symptoms. Jacob took me home and started taking care of me. Between teas, soups, tylenol, temperature taking, and tissue refilling he's been wonderful. Sadly, he's also been sleeping on the couch and has officially become Crystal and Chloe's midnight trampoline/wrestling platform. I owe him big! But hey, he did buy himself a PS3 to pass the time!
So far, although I've been super sleepy, congested, and weak, based on what the doctor told me to expect I truly believe that my flu shot is helping to minimize the severity of my symptoms. My fever has gone down, my legs and arms aren't sore anymore, and I had enough energy tonight to make it to the living room for dinner, t.v., and computer time. So, although, "[Scott] told me so," I am still very thankful that I got the flu shot!
Holiday Rounds
As usual, our holiday rounds began on Christmas Eve at Jacob's aunt Christina's house. We enjoyed rice, beans, deviled eggs, dips (including Jacob's world famous 7-layer dip), cheese, crackers, meats and sweets. I even brought some seasoned crackers which were a huge hit. The food was delicious! Oh yeah, there were also tamales for the tamale eaters. While we waited for midnight to strike, we attempted to play a game of Cranium. I say "attempted" because we had to modify the rules because we quickly learned that playing with 19 people can be very challenging. At midnight we opened gifts and we finally headed home around 2:30 am. (Yes, this was well past my bedtime).
On Christmas day we planned to go to 10am mass. We knew this meant that we would need to be awake by 8am so we could be ready to leave by 9am. However, since we had gone to sleep at 3:30am, I convinced Jacob that we should sleep a little more and go to the 12pm mass instead. He agreed. We woke up around 9:30am, got ready for church (wearing wrinkle free clothes because our iron stopped working that morning), and then as we headed out the door, Jacob wanted to make sure mass was truly at 12pm and not at 12:30pm. Yes, fortunately mass was at 12pm but unfortunately, 12pm mass was in Spanish! I thought it would still be worth attending but then Jacob pointed out that we wouldn't understand anything that would be going on. So, after researching a few other church options, we realized that based on our timing, along with our wrinkle free outfits (a.k.a., jeans) we probably wouldn't have made it to another mass in time and we would have really stood out as being under-dressed.
Later that day, we went to Jacob's aunt Martha's house. Normally, we don't have enough time to eat at Martha's house because we usually only have enough time to stop by to say hello before we rush off to my mom's house but because game night at my aunt and uncle's was postponed until the next day, my mom started her dinner later this year which gave us plenty of time to grab a plate of delicious food. We had rice, beans, ham, potato salad, and Jacob even had more tamales! We even had enough time to watch Roger Mason hit a game winning 3pt shot against the Suns. Go Spurs Go!
Next we headed to my mom's house where we had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potato casserole, cranberries, rolls, fruit salad, and chocolate cheesecake. We opened gifts then my mom, my sister and my grandma teamed up against Jacob and me in a game of Mad Gab. It was a tied game and then my mom and I went head to head in the tie breaker match. Their team won with the saying "Me Tarzan, You Jane." I never would have gotten it, who speaks like that anyway?
On Friday we went to Mimi's to use my $10 off coupon for a late lunch (they're grilled cheese is exceptional but I was dying for some veggies mid-way through my sandwich; thank goodness Jacob let me eat some of his walnut and cranberry salad.)
After Mimi's we went to my aunt Rose and uncle Cesar's house for game night. We started the night by opening gifts and enjoying some munchies. We had pigs in a blanket, spinach and artichoke dip, chips, dips, veggies, cheese, crackers, and sweets. I had brought my seasoned crackers as a gift for my uncle and he (along with everyone else) really enjoyed them. Plus, Jacob even had some more tamales! I think he had a really good share of tamales this year! Then after everyone had arrived, the men vs. women showdown began. We started off by playing Partini. This was a new game for us and was great because it helped the women take the lead: 1-0. Next we played Cranium Wow. It was a head to head battle but the men came out ahead. The score was then 1:1. Sadly, we lost a few players but the tie needed to be broken. Using Pictionary as the tie breaker, the women blew the men away in landslide win! Yay! The women had finally broken the dynasty of the men and then we headed home. Side note: Jacob claims that the men only lost because they lost 40% of their team.
On Christmas day we planned to go to 10am mass. We knew this meant that we would need to be awake by 8am so we could be ready to leave by 9am. However, since we had gone to sleep at 3:30am, I convinced Jacob that we should sleep a little more and go to the 12pm mass instead. He agreed. We woke up around 9:30am, got ready for church (wearing wrinkle free clothes because our iron stopped working that morning), and then as we headed out the door, Jacob wanted to make sure mass was truly at 12pm and not at 12:30pm. Yes, fortunately mass was at 12pm but unfortunately, 12pm mass was in Spanish! I thought it would still be worth attending but then Jacob pointed out that we wouldn't understand anything that would be going on. So, after researching a few other church options, we realized that based on our timing, along with our wrinkle free outfits (a.k.a., jeans) we probably wouldn't have made it to another mass in time and we would have really stood out as being under-dressed.
Later that day, we went to Jacob's aunt Martha's house. Normally, we don't have enough time to eat at Martha's house because we usually only have enough time to stop by to say hello before we rush off to my mom's house but because game night at my aunt and uncle's was postponed until the next day, my mom started her dinner later this year which gave us plenty of time to grab a plate of delicious food. We had rice, beans, ham, potato salad, and Jacob even had more tamales! We even had enough time to watch Roger Mason hit a game winning 3pt shot against the Suns. Go Spurs Go!
Next we headed to my mom's house where we had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potato casserole, cranberries, rolls, fruit salad, and chocolate cheesecake. We opened gifts then my mom, my sister and my grandma teamed up against Jacob and me in a game of Mad Gab. It was a tied game and then my mom and I went head to head in the tie breaker match. Their team won with the saying "Me Tarzan, You Jane." I never would have gotten it, who speaks like that anyway?
On Friday we went to Mimi's to use my $10 off coupon for a late lunch (they're grilled cheese is exceptional but I was dying for some veggies mid-way through my sandwich; thank goodness Jacob let me eat some of his walnut and cranberry salad.)
After Mimi's we went to my aunt Rose and uncle Cesar's house for game night. We started the night by opening gifts and enjoying some munchies. We had pigs in a blanket, spinach and artichoke dip, chips, dips, veggies, cheese, crackers, and sweets. I had brought my seasoned crackers as a gift for my uncle and he (along with everyone else) really enjoyed them. Plus, Jacob even had some more tamales! I think he had a really good share of tamales this year! Then after everyone had arrived, the men vs. women showdown began. We started off by playing Partini. This was a new game for us and was great because it helped the women take the lead: 1-0. Next we played Cranium Wow. It was a head to head battle but the men came out ahead. The score was then 1:1. Sadly, we lost a few players but the tie needed to be broken. Using Pictionary as the tie breaker, the women blew the men away in landslide win! Yay! The women had finally broken the dynasty of the men and then we headed home. Side note: Jacob claims that the men only lost because they lost 40% of their team.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Belated Holiday Pics
2 of my friends sent me holiday pics that I meant to post on previous postings, so here they are:
#1: Gag gift exchange at work. This year Janie (a co-worker) and I were in charge of coordinating our team's Secret Santa gift exchange/luncheon. Janie suggested that we do a gag gift exchange along with the Secret Santa gift exchange. I thought her idea was great because it was something we hadn't tried before. Plus it eliminated the stress of giving small gifts during the week. In order to keep the guess who aspect of Secret Santa, I suggested that each Secret Santa attach a tag to their gift that provides a clue about who the Secret Santa is for the gift recipient. Everyone had the option to participate in the gag gift exchange, the Secret Santa gift exchange, both exchanges, or neither exchange. The gift exchanges and luncheon seemed to go very well. We learned a little bit about each of the participants and we shared some good laughs. Here's a picture of Tony and the gag gift he received (he named "her" Lola). This was the one of the most creative gag gifts I had ever seen!
Sandra: Great job on the gag gift!
Janice: Thanks for the pic!
Tony & "Lola"
#2: Ben (my friend from work) was the photographer for our DPI Holiday Party so for the first time, Jacob and I took a "formal" picture at the Holiday Party.
Ben: Thanks for the pic!
Us at the DPI Holiday Party
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Busy Weekend
This weekend was packed with events.
Friday night (12/19):
We ate dinner at Saltgrass Steakhouse on the riverwalk and exchanged gag gifts during our annual holiday dinner/gag gift exchange with a few close friends from work. We had some really good laughs (especially from John) and we also learned a few new things about some of our other friends (one, in particular).
Angie, Jessica, John, (Jacob behind John), Jen, Judy, Bruno, Dianna, Randy, Jenn, Scott & Tiffany
Saturday night (12/20):
Saturday night (12/20):
We ate dinner at Rio Mambo with Jacob's family to celebrate Beto's 27th birthday. The food was delicious and affordable.
Beto & his tres leches cake
Next we headed to Christina's (Jacob's aunt's) 40th b-day bash at The Stockyards. The place was really loud but the drinks were cheap and we got to meet a celebrity! Gabe Garcia was celebrating his birthday also! He even sang 2 songs while we were there. He seems like a really nice guy because he was willing to take pictures with anyone who asked. After a few drinks Monica and I even went over to ask him for a picture (unfortunately, my eyes look really weird; I had already had a few drinks and I couldn't contain my excitement. I'd like to blame my weird expression on the alcohol that was definitely settling in).
Next we headed to Christina's (Jacob's aunt's) 40th b-day bash at The Stockyards. The place was really loud but the drinks were cheap and we got to meet a celebrity! Gabe Garcia was celebrating his birthday also! He even sang 2 songs while we were there. He seems like a really nice guy because he was willing to take pictures with anyone who asked. After a few drinks Monica and I even went over to ask him for a picture (unfortunately, my eyes look really weird; I had already had a few drinks and I couldn't contain my excitement. I'd like to blame my weird expression on the alcohol that was definitely settling in).
Us
Gabe & Beto
Monica, Gabe, and Me
Sunday (12/21):
Sunday (12/21):
We went to SeaWorld for the holiday celebration. Jacob had been wanting to go on a cold day and it was definitely cold when we went. We were both bundled up in sweatshirts and jackets. I even had a scarf and gloves. It was nice being at the park when it was practically empty. We saw the Polar Express 4-d show; we fed the sea lions; we visited the sharks, clydesdales, and penguins; we listened to carollers; we saw the Clyde and Seamore show (Clyde wasn't cooperating); we rode the steel eel (our faces were practically frozen stiff); and we had some delicious hot cocoa! Unfortunately, we didn't last until the Shamu show but we're hoping to return for an evening within the next 2 weeks to catch the show before the season is over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)