Sunday, February 28, 2010

A New Winter Olympic Sport

Watching the Olympics this time around, I have been amazed by the athletisicm of these individuals. I love seeing the behind-the-scenes stories, and getting to know the person and family behind the goggles, or on the skates. With all the inspiring stories, it definitely inspires even the most athletic challenged to try and do "something".

Grandy has never skiid, never snow boarded, never even sledded in snow. I've played, walked, shoveled, ridden my quad, and of course even built a snow man, but because of all my knee surgeries I have never attempted to do those thins in fear of activating my medical plan.

Friday...this past Friday...Grandy decided it was time to try. There was a sponsored trip to Squaw Valley by one of our clients. All expenses, lessons, rentals, lift tickets, drinks, all paid for by someone else...who wouldn't want to go? I've gone before, but have hung out with the few that braved the weather by holding up the bar. This year, it would be different.

So...how did it go, you ask?

It was a beautiful day. It was snowing and raining, and there were all sorts of people everywhere. Grandy looked every bit the part of the professional snow boarder in her snow outfit, holding her rented board, and rocking her shades. THAT, fair reader, was the end of her skills.

Grandy invented a new olympic sport. I'm sure nobody has heard of it. NO ONE!!

Snow Butting.

Grandy went down the entire hill (oh yeah, because the guy teaching me didn't want to hike the 1/4 mile to the bunny slope so we were on a "blue diamond" hill) on her rear. Slid down. The entire way. On her BUTT!!!!!!!

The only thing that DIDN'T hurt Grandy the next day? Yep!! Her butt!!

Good times folks!! Good times!!!



Thursday, February 25, 2010

A Moment of Reflection

Usually Grandy is so sarcastic every where she goes on this Blog. A lot of it is truly a defense mechanism, or perhaps a coping skill (that I continue to work on). There's been a lot going on in Grandy-Land lately, and Grandy has decided to take a moment and try to LET GO to some of it.





If you are unable to read this poem, it goes as follows...

The Knots Prayer

Dear God:

Please untie the knots
that are in my mind,
my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots, the can nots and the do nots
that I have in my mind

Erase the will nots,
may nots,
might nots that may find
a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,
would nots and
should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all,
Dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind,
my heart and my life all of the 'am nots'
that I have allowed to hold me back,
especially the thought
that I am not good enough.
AMEN

Author Known to God

Sunday, February 21, 2010

T.M.I. At The Hospital

Sitting in the hospital, while waiting for a family member, can be an interesting ride. As you walk through the halls and make eye contact with people, you're not certain if you should give them a smile, or turn away.


Are they there celebrating the arrival of a new family member?


Are those tears you hear down the hall from relief, or from grief?


Are they nervously awaiting the results of a friends cancer surgery?


Perhaps it's just a routine knee surgery, or their cousin broke his leg jumping on a pogo stick. Either way, there tends to be more of a levity about them.


You never can tell what or why, but you don't necessarily want to pry. But over the course of a week you do start to see the same people. In the hallways, at the cafeteria, on the elevator, somehow without saying a word, you form a relationship with some of these people. The glances, the smiles, the look of I'm sorry, all represent the true depth of communication without words.


As my sister and I sat in the family waiting room, awaiting' Mom's 6 hour surgery, we sat among many different individuals. The conversations ranged from joking with each other (Grandy always gives the crowd something to giggle about when she trips over things...nothing like physical comedy to break the tension), to private internal updates on how they were holding up. If my sister and I had something personal to discuss, we had our eye communication, our whispers, and we even used our own quazi-sign-language, in an effort to be respectful of the others in the room.

In every crowd, there is someone who fails to recognize the social boundaries that should be observed. They fail to recognize that maybe people in the room want silence, maybe they don't want to be burdened with someone else's emotional drama, especially if they are dealing with enough on their own. Just because someone is sitting by themselves, does not mean that person is LONELY, it might just mean that they may want to...go figure...sit by themselves.

Enter "tweedle-dee". She sat in the room as we entered. You could tell she was coping with her nervous energy in her own way. She looked like she was spooled, anxious, and lost.

I had to leave my sister for a short time, and in my absence I received the following texts...

**Please hurry...the lady is sharing TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

**Hello? I don't need to hear about her abortion and uterine scraping!! How much longer?

**OMG!! Now her child molestation story is coming up!! HURRY UP AND COME BACK!!

As much as I laughed at my sister for her text messages, and the discomfort she faced at this woman sharing so much information, I was surprised to learn that she wasn't sharing this information with just my twin. She was sharing it all with the entire room.

It made me feel a bit sad for the woman. I was not sad for her because these things happened to her, but rather the fact that she was feeling so vulnerable and exposed at that time that she felt she had to share all this very personal information in a room full of strangers. Sometimes stress and fear makes people act and react in ways that cannot be explained. Grief does strange things to people.

I only heard of the stories after the fact. When I returned to the room, she had already gone. I know that several people in this room were also uncomfortable with the open discussion. Nobody really understood who she was there to see.

I only hope it turned out alright for her, and whomever she was there for. Someone who lacks social boundaries to that extent already struggles with what to say in a crowd, and wants to fit in. Hopefully she finds a "fit", but maybe she finds it by saying less.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

WTF Wednesday - What is left?


Whenever there is a long weekend, it of course follows that there is a short week. When that happens, inevitably the short week seems to have the vibe of WTF in it anyway.

This statement is so true in so many ways.

So...while Grandy is enjoying watching the Olympics, and driving all over the state like a chicken with her head up her butt she sends you this "Fact of Life" reminder of what's left.

Hope you're all having a great week!!! More posts around the bend...promise!!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

WTF WEDNESDAY - A Letter to a BULLY

Dear Asshole Mr. Client,

I would like to go on record by stating that I am NOT an IDIOT. Although you tried your darndest to call me one, and berate me like the bully that you are in your classic style, it is only BECAUSE of me that you are even recovering some of your money. There is no coverage under your commercial policy for the personal assistant that walked your dog, and I'm really sorry that karma kicked your ass she stole a significant amount of money from you.

Please know that I am doing everything within my power to try not to beat you with a bat help you with your current dilemma. I cannot do so, however, while you are being an asshole screaming at me, using profanity, or calling me names.

I am pleased that I was successful in saving your ass recovering some of your loss for you. However, it is unfortunate that you feel disappointed in the fact that I was honest and wouldn't lie for you perhaps did not recover your entire loss.

If there is anything more that I can do to keep you off my ass assist you, please don't hesitate to take a flying leap contact me.

Sincerely,

Grandy

Sunday, February 7, 2010

It's About Time

Remember my post last week? The one that said Grandy was spending quality time with her niece and Mom in the hospital? Well, remember the posts a few weeks back that said Grandy was dealing with her own stupid stones issues?

Well the next day after that post, everything came to a head for Grandy. She called the doctor and got an appointment first thing. The little guy Grandy also had injured himself while snowboarding with the scouts on Saturday, and his knee was looking worse. So Grandy also called and got an appointment for him that afternoon.

Here's how the day transpired after that...

- Fubby (new nickname for Hubby for the last 10 months that stands for F-N Hubby) has to drive Grandy to the 10:00 doctor's appointment.
- Pain so bad for Grandy that tears are coming down.
- Doctor takes one look at Grandy and tells Fubby to get me to the hospital, they will do emergency surgery that afternoon.

"We stand a 50% chance of fixing it this time," the doctor says.

::blink blink::

"Ummm...what about that other 50%?" I ask.
"We'll worry about that after" he says, with a crazy look on his face as he speaks only to Fubby.

- Fubby drives Grandy to the Hospital, where nice people are waiting for me with pain meds. They all remembered me from my surgery 2 weeks ago...which helped.
- Grandy calls the office (fully medicated) and tells everyone she won't be in for a few days.
- Medications roll...Fubby leaves the hospital to go pick up Little Guy Grandy from school 20 miles away, so he can be back in time to see the doctor before surgery.
- Fubby & Ty make it back just in time to meet the staff rushing me in.
- Nite Nite Grandy
- Fubby takes Ty to the doctor, where they send him for x-rays.
- Grandy has sweet friend working recovery that day, taking very good care of her.
- Fubby & Ty (now on crutches) return to hospital in time to meet Grandy on her way to her way to her room.

"WHAT? You're keeping her?" Fubby asks.

- Doctor shows Fubby & Ty the stones he removed. The largest of them is the size of Fubby's pinky tip. The smallest was the size of his finger nail.

"Nevermind." Fubby says.

Grandy proceeds to pass several more stones through the course of the next couple days and develops a new affection for morphine and norco and comes through with a smile. (On a side note, Grandy is hoping that she passed the last of the big ones last night).

- Several more appointments for Ty are sprinkled in over the next couple days because they're worried about a blood clot, among other things.

Needless to say, Fubby handled it all in stride. My pain, Ty's pain (which now looks to be a slight tear of the ACL), and all the fun that goes with it.

Thank goodness this week is behind us. Thank goodness the stones are out of me.

THANK GOODNESS WE'RE DONE!!!!

I hope!!

Monday, February 1, 2010

SPAM BOTS-R-US

Grandy has been VERY busy spending some quality time with Mom and Niece lately, and hasn't had a chance to log in and blog. Albeit, that quality time was spent in the hospital with my lovely ladies, I am happy to report that both beauties are officially home...and so is Grandy.

While I've been gone, I got a little bit behind in both the blog and my personal email. While cleaning out my 238 personal emails, I noticed a pattern of SEVERAL "Anonymous" comments on random postings. Now, Grandy has several friends and family members that comment via the anonymous name, but they always leave something that lets me know it's them. These anonymous comments, however, were none of those.

Usually I will delete all spam bots' comments, but for some reason (maybe because I'm feeling like a b!tch) I've decided to make an example out of this one:

Good day, sun shines!

There have were times of troubles when I felt unhappy missing knowledge about opportunities of getting high yields on investments. I was a dump and downright pessimistic person.
I have never imagined that there weren't any need in big starting capital.
Now, I'm happy and lucky , I begin to get real money.
It gets down to choose a proper partner who utilizes your money in a right way - that is incorporate it in real deals, and shares the profit with me.

You can get interested, if there are such firms? I'm obliged to answer the truth, YES, there are. Please get to know about one of them:.....

(What...you didn't think I would give them double time for their blog did you?)

Ok...really? Where must I begin in critiquing your writing? If you REALLY want people to stop by your blog, you might consider just a couple things.

~ Proper English (it helps to know your audience)
~ Proper Spelling (because they are not one in the same)
~ Maybe consider (and this is just a thought) that you might post your comment on a site that remotely has anything to do with money or investing.

Once you realize you cannot meet these 3 things, whether you're human or not, Grandy asks that you please...PLEASE...reconsider additional comments on this blog.

Psst...every real person out there...let's subscribe to the comments and see if we get ANY spam comments. I'm sure they don't realize we're talking tot hem.