Leap Day

We get one extra day this year.

I heard a radio personality grumbling on the radio about how we don't get paid for the extra day this year (if you are salaried). I thought that was a REALLY negative way to thing about it.

So I thought about all the things I would do with my extra day:
pet my Maddie
cook a delicious meal
work out
hug my hubby
bask in the sunshine

I am grateful for Leap Day. And every day. Especially recently.

Haha, screw you winter

Here are the things I have NOT done this winter.

1. Worn a coat. (I have worn a fleece.) But not a coat.
2. Shoveled snow.
3. Said "Boy, the roads are bad."
4. Gotten depressed from lack of sunshine.
5. Had skin crackle from dryness.

Here are the things I HAVE done this winter.
1. Hiked.
2. Geocached.
3. Watered pansies.
4. Sprayed for weeds in the lawn.
5. Grilled steaks on the deck.

Georgia 1, South Dakota 0.

Networking...at Work

I learned an important lesson yesterday, my first day back in the office.

Never underestimate the power of a good, 5-10 minute cubeside chat.

With my ability to see the computer limited to 20-30 minute stints, you better believe I'm not going to 'waste' my time at work by just twiddling my thumbs during my eye-rest periods.

So, I went around to all of my most important constituents and caught up for 5 minutes. Five minutes is long enough to reconnect but not so long as to completely derail the other person. And before you do more than say 'hello', you ask their permission to interrupt them.

Here are my top 5, 5-minute conversations:

They all start out: "Hey! How are you? Do you have a couple minutes?"

1. Anything been going on since last week when I left for eye surgery?

2. What did you do this past weekend?

3. What are you doing this coming weekend?

4. How is your pet / family / hobby going?

5. I love your hair / outfit / shoes - did you change something?

And that, my friends, is one way to win friends and influence people.

Eye Surgery

Sorry for the lack of posting the past week...but I had eye surgery so I could not SEE to TYPE my awesome updates.

On Wednesday last week I went in for PRK. Yes it's sort of like Lasik in that it corrects your vision.

But in every other way (ie, the important ones like pain & recovery time) it is much sucky-er. They scrape off the protective layer of your cornea, laser your vision into submission, insert some protective lenses, squirt the hell out of your eyes with icy water, and send you on your way.

Here is a photo of me right after surgery - before the pain started.

As I was sitting in recovery, I started to feel a bit of an itchy burning. By the time I got out of recovery and in the car on the way home, prior to the Vicodin kicking in, I had a "wee bit o' panic attack" from the bright sun and pain...Jeff's "Get ahold of yourself" was all that it took for me to reel it in, but it was scary.

I proceeded to pretty much sleep and eat for 2.5 days. (Maddie thought it was the greatest 2.5 days ever. Kitty needs nap? Yes please.)

Then I started to move around but was still pretty drugged up. (Sorry, Lois, if my phone call was too hilarious.)

Finally by the weekend I could start moping about my blurry vision and still being in quasi-pain, but not enough for the good drugs (which also made me completely nauseous).

I 'listened to' Season 4 & 5 of Burn Notice. I 'listened to' NPR. I 'listened to' Taylor Swift. By Tuesday my brain was ready for work. My eyes were not. Today my brain was ready for work. My eyes kind of were, but not for driving.

HOPEFULLY TOMORROW MY DOC WILL CLEAR ME FOR EVERYTHING AND I CAN GO TO WORK!!!!!! I miss my Delta family. And shhhhhh...I'm a little bored.

Flooring Update

This weekend we accomplished (in no particular order)

0. Pulling out the last 'old' hardwood flooring board that was 1000% stuck
1. Learning how to use new flooring stapler (Jeff)
2. Figuring out how to set up jigsaw and miter saw cutting area in garage
3. Learning how to measure & use miter saw to cut boards (Jess)
4. Installing a new Cat Genie (new project)
5. Troubleshooting new Cat Genie when it filled up with poopy water (Jeff)
6. Spending 3 hours on the phone over the weekend with Cat Genie only to have them not figure it out and need to call back on Monday
7. Learning how to rack hardwood flooring. 4 different times. 4 different ways.
8. Lining up flooring to be straight without a chalk line.
9. Learning how to use a pneumatic air nailer to toe-nail boards
10. Discovering our air compressor was not powerful enough and needing to borrow the neighbors (thanks Chad)
11. Attending to first aid misadventures (broken skin and slivers)
12. Cooking made-at-home Egg McMuffins (delish by the way)
13. GAME NIGHT WITH FRIENDS (yippee!!!!!)
14. Bit o' laundry
15. Prepping paperwork for eye surgery on Wednesday

No wonder we only got 7 boards fully installed.

Finally...Delta's Flash Mob

And...here is the video we saw at our meeting last week...don't be fooled by the first minute - stay tuned and I promise you'll giggle!

DIY-ing

At the commencement of this renovation project, I was so excited to get my hands 'dirty', to learn new skills, to have pride in a project, and to save money.

I have decided all of those noble things are COMPLETELY overrated.

Except the 'save money' part. I am super glad we were able to get a nicer floor by saving money on the installation.

However, we have not actually started stapling the floor - so I reserve the right to change my mind.

I am super proud of how hard Jeff's been working on this - if not for him, I would FOR SURE have hired everything out. As it stands, all ceilings and walls are painted with 2 coats, all the floors are prepped, we have practiced racking, and we have all materials (even a new flooring stapler) purchased. (Do not ask us how many trips to both Lowe's and Home Depot, and another Home Depot, we have taken in the past 3 weeks.)

WE ARE READY FOR THE WEEKEND!