RLS - it's the worst

I have been suffering from RLS for years. It’s brutal. I even had myself diagnosed with restless leg syndrome years before the commercials came out on TV that educated everyone. Who new that the uncontrollable urge to move one's legs could almost send them into insanity!

My symptoms usually come at night so I very reluctantly go to movies or concerts at night because I know that it could very easily turn into a night of torture. Late night 3 and a half hour trips to Eagar are pretty much vetoed from now on. Once I had to practically bite someone’s head off because he told me it was “all mental” as I was pacing during a movie (don’t worry that was the last time I went on a date with him).

I guess I am so used to it that I don’t realize the things I do to make my legs feel better. The other night as we were trying to go to sleep Bryan said (very politely) “How about you hold your legs still and I will shake mine tonight so you can sleep.” Oh! That is so sweet. Thanks honey, I wish it could work like that.

I am about at the end of my patience. I have done lots of research and have tried everything other than prescription drugs. Magnesium supplements don’t help, iron doesn’t help, B complex doesn’t help (although it does turn your potty cool colors), and potassium supplements don't help. The only thing that helps is movement. Anyone have any advice? If not I am resorting to drugs. And lots of them.

My gratitude attitude

My sister-in-law is doing a cute thing on her blog. For the past few days she has been asking people what they are grateful for and then she posts their response. I apparently didn't make the cut and was not asked so here is my list, posted on my own blog. Don't worry Ashlee, I am not the type to get offended.

1. New running shoes. When I get new shoes I feel like I am running on a cloud for a week. Yep, pretty grateful for new shoes.

2. Digital grading books. I can’t even imagine having to calculate grades by hand. Thankfully I can just put the points in my grade book on my handy computer and it automatically figures out grades.

3. Debit cards. For some reason I get nervous writing checks (even though I have written MANY in my life). What if I do it wrong?

4. The people at work that bring yummy treats to share at lunch.

5. Advanced medicine and smart doctors. It’s amazing the healing, relief, peace, and hope that the medical field can provide. Things that were deemed impossible in the past are now, well, completely possible.

6. To be in charge of only the veggie tray at Thanksgiving. Thanks mom. I can totally handle that one. It’s gonna be the best veggie tray you have ever seen!

May we all enjoy being grateful!

Up Time

I liked this and thought I would share.
(Try to ignore the fake applause and laughter.)

I thought I'd been swined.

I got sick this week. Real sick. I, along with the rest of earth’s population (thanks to the media), immediately figured that it was the swine flu. Ahem, excuse me “H1N1” (oh brother). As I laid in bed for 2 days straight with a fever and nausea I thought of how this could have been avoided. Me? I can’t get the swine flu! I should have washed my hands every half an hour instead of every hour (seriously I am OCD about this). I knew that I should have faked that I was pregnant so that I could have gotten the vaccine (apparently teachers who have over 150 teenagers in and out of their room everyday aren’t high risk enough to get the first batch of the vaccine (yeah, oh brother again). I thought of everything I could as I flipped my covers on and off trying to get some sort of temperature regulation. I went back to work today. I had many students tell me, “You're back. We thought you died!” I just smiled. “Nope, not dead.” They asked, “Did you have the swine flu?” Again I smiled. “Maybe. Or maybe it was a stomach bug or food poisoning. Honestly it doesn’t really matter”

At lunch I snuck over and talked to the school nurse. She said there is a stomach bug going around that sounds exactly like what I had. Bummer. I was hoping that was my go around with the swine flu and now I would be immune. So I guess I will keep being paranoid with the rest of the world about getting the swine flu. When does the second batch of vaccines come out again?!

Green(ish) Thumb

Yesterday I decided that I had ignored my yard long enough. I have been wanting to get out and do some work for weeks now but never seem to have a full day of nothingness to spend out in the yard. Yesterday morning I sent Bryan on his way to do some electrical and I put on the garden gloves. I opened the front door only to see 3 landscaping business cards fall to the ground. Huh, is my yard really that bad? Nah, they give those to everyone.

The landscapers that originally did the yard were bush happy. That's fun when they are little cute bushes but baby bushes grow up to be big bushes and things tend to get a little crowded. So I am getting rid of some of 'em. I easily removed 2. They were easy to get out and I admit I was pretty impressed with my 'rip the bush out' skills. Then came time to get rid of this monstrosity.


I hate the desert one. It is ugly, pokey, and catches every feather, fuzzy, and piece of trash in the neighborhood. I nievely took on the task of trimming off 5,872 double edged spears. I found all kinds of stuff in there: candy wrappers, mailers, and yes, 2 landscaping advertisements. It was a lot of work. I had it down to the trunk and got stuck. Bryan had to help me get the roots up when he got home. We proudly stood by our trash for a while and waived to neighbors.


We just hope that this bush can recover now that there is a little more room on the side of our house.


As I was pulling some weeds in the back I noticed something odd in the garden (ok, fine, the big sectioned off space full of dirt that is supposed to be our garden when we get with it and actually plant something)


Gross, what is that? Some funky type of mushroom? I don't want to touch it! It was stuck in the ground big time! After unearthing it I discovered that it was this:


It was in the back yard when we bought the house (a major selling point :) and we had forgotten that my little nephew buried it months ago when he was over at our house. He has been placed back in his rightful spot. Guarding the backyard.

So maybe my thumb is a little green but mostly my arms are cut from the huge bush and my hamstrings are sore from leaning over. Yard work is not for wimps.

You are what you eat

I bet you have heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’. Let me assure you that it is true. Take for example the time when I sweated sweat that smelled like Cool Ranch Doritos a day after I ate them. Don’t believe me? Here’s the story.

I ate Cool Ranch Doritos yesterday. Mmm, boy were they good. I didn’t think that I ate a ton of them; in fact I was very proud of my self control. Well, today when I was working out I started to notice a not normal smell. What is that smell and why is it staying with me wherever I go? Yes, after some detective work I figured out that it was me. I also figured out the odd smell was in fact Cool Ranch Doritos smell. My sweat smelled like Doritos. I can’t decide if this is cool or disgusting (I am definitely leaning towards the disgusting). This does raise some interesting questions though.

Is this healthy?

Am I a freak or has it ever happened to anyone else?

Since sweat comes from blood, does my blood smell like Doritos right now? What about my tears? This has to be throwing off the pH of my body!

I recently bought a ton of pears and am eating them like crazy…if I smell really carefully will my sweat have a tint of pear smell to it?

Sorry if this was an over-share post but I am really concerned about this! Correct me if I am wrong but I don’t think the human body is supposed to have a cool ranch musk to it. Excuse me while I go detox…