Why I Wouldn't Trade Places with Kate Middleton

I know a big deal is being made of "the royal wedding." Frankly, I'm just not into it.

Moreover, I sort've feel bad for Kate Middleton. On the outside it appears as though she is having a glamorous fete but I suspect the reality is that very few of the decisions on her special day, were actually made by her. According to the incessant media blitz, Kate was at one time quite the party girl. A stuffy wedding where you have no real control over everything from the guest list to the food. Not to mention, answering to the Queen!

Yikes. I'll stick to my commoner wedding where I chose most everything (except for the hors d'oeuvres, but that's another story....)

So, did you love the wedding? Are you glad it's finally over? Was it your style?

Mediocre

I was really excited to try the Pepperidge Farm Milano Melts. When I opened the bag, they smelled absolutely divine! They're pretty bland, though. Don't waste your $4.

www.thefunky-monkey.com

Pepperidge Farm didn't pay me for this review but if they want to send me some cookies in the other flavor, I'd gladly give them another try!

I Just Wrote to Say "Thank You"

In high school I had a teacher that made a very strong impact on me. I have thought of her often over the years. I won't bore you with how or why she impacted me, but after much thought, I decided I should thank her.  With gross overcrowding in public schools, teachers often feel like babysitters, and it can be hard to get through to kids when your classroom is a circus not of your doing.

I know if I were a teacher, I would want to know if I made a difference. This woman impacted the woman I am today. I found her through the magic of social media and I wrote her a letter. It wasn't as eloquent as the one I planned in my head at 3 a.m. but I hit "send" anyway. I nervously and anxiously waited to see if she would respond.

She did! And she said very nice things. And despite our roles from close to 15 years ago, she wrote to me woman-to-woman. She was very pleased to hear from me and said she'd treasure my letter. I am really glad I sent it.

Sometimes I think our first instinct is to complain about stuff, but really, taking the time to compliment or speak of good things is what we should be doing. I felt good sending it and I felt even better knowing it made someone else feel good.

More Prayers, Please

My husband's grandfather was hospitalized this morning. Honestly, I don't have a specific cause to plead for but Mr. Case and I adore his grandfather. He is the cutest, sweetest little man. He is affectionately known as "Dido" by the family and he is a very inspiring person. He survived a Nazi concentration camp and came to America where he successfully built a life for himself and his family. We would just be devastated if something happened to him. Our plan was to visit during our trip to California next month.

Also, I have a very close friend IRL who is enduring something very, very gut-wrenching. Her story is not mine to tell so I can't in good conscience betray her confidences. But if you could, I would appreciate some generic prayers/good vibes on their behalf's.

Character

My husband is a man of character. This week alone:

1. He stopped to help a woman stranded on the side of the road. He was going to change her tire for her so she didn't have to use her AAA but she had two flats and only one spare.

2. On Saturday night, during an electrical storm, he pulled over to help a man pushing his stalled car. It was pouring rain, there were no streetlights (welcome to Texas, y'all!), and I silently worried the man could've been a serial killer, but that didn't deter Mr. Case. He pushed the man's SUV to safety.

I'm so blessed to have him as my inspiration to serve others.

3+

Happy Easter from the three, soon to be four, of us! He is risen!

Frazzled

I don't know how I managed to not mention this, but, my FIL was in the hospital again starting last Sunday. More heart problems. It's not my story to tell so I won't elaborate (or bore you!) but any spare prayers or well wishes would be much appreciated. My husband could use the good vibes, too. It's complicated but needless to say he is very upset over his (young-ish) father having heart problems. He had another heart surgery just in January, so, needless to say this isn't a good situation.

MIA

Guess it has been a long time since I posted! I'm really losing track of my days lately. Nothing of interest is happening. We booked a quick weekend trip to California, which I'm really looking forward to.

My FIL is in the hospital and it is causing Mr. Case great stress, as is to be expected. Plus, his work has been really slow and that is worrisome. My poor husband!

Paris seems to be feeling considerably better. We had an incident with our other dog yesterday, too, and I felt like such a schmuck taking him to the vet because the second we got there he acted like he was totally fine. I love when my pets make a liar out of me! Well, better that than the alternative.

I need to do A LOT of cleaning and organizing but I can't seem to get motivated. If you walked into our room, it would show! Poor Mr. Case is so beyond stressed and he has to come home to a pig-sty. I really need to get my act together. I keep telling myself, 'Tomorrow, tomorrow.' Hopefully I can get everything done by the weekend so we can enjoy our holiday.

Speaking of Easter, I need to bring something for church service. Usually one person brings a light snack each week such as donuts or muffins but there might be upwards of 150 people for Easter and while I don't have to provide for all of them, I do want to make a nice contribution on a meager budget. Suggestions?

Well, MAYBE Buy

I know I said to never buy a Babyliss Pro blow dryer but I may have changed my mind. Several stylists on a message board I frequented really encouraged me to try another one. They also suggest I look at TJ Maxx because apparently they get high-end blow dryers in.

Lo and behold, I was able to get a late model machine for $25! It is lighter than my other blow dryer and despite the buttons being a little wonky, it seems to work great. In summary, I would buy another Babyliss Pro but only from a discount merchandiser like Marshall's and never for full price. Ever.

(Ever.)

Rough Weekend

I have been trying very hard to adapt the mindset that complaining is entirely unacceptable. The theory comes from the book I'm reading, which essentially tells you that complaining is detrimental to your psyche and it does more harm than good. I am not perfect (obviously.)

Sorry for the delay in not posting much. My weekend was awful. On Saturday I came home from running some errands with my mom to find my beloved Paris having a Grand Mal seizure. We rushed her to the vet and the vet was a very cruel, unkind woman. I am honestly surprised she works with animals for a living.

Paris was so bad off that we planned to have her euthanized on Sunday morning. We were under the impression she was paralyzed, and she would not eat or drink. Long story short, in typical diva fashion, she was waiting for something more delicious, I suppose, because she proved to us she could walk when offered an omelet.

I know some people think it is silly to get so worked up over a pet, but honestly, she has been more loyal and loving to me than many of my human friends. I had her before I had Mr. Case! She has helped my entire family (as individuals) through hard times. Both my brothers left work and came home to say their goodbyes, and my parents spent hours holding and petting her, too. Not one person didn't shed a tear.

Thankfully Paris has been rebounding. Another doctor from the vet hospital called to check on Paris and I relayed to her the treatment we had received during emergency hours. She insisted I speak to the owner of the hospital and when I did he was the kindest man. He had me come back in and he wrote a prescription for anti-seizure medicine, which is what I had been hoping for,but has been denied by the mean vet. He also went to great lengths to assure me he had reprimanded the other vet. In all, he really went out of his way to rectify the situation and ensure my animal received proper care.

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I have received a couple of emails and just wanted to mention that yes, I will be announcing the baby's gender but it won't be here. Still trying to keep this a relatively baby-free blog. The announcement will be on my family/pregnancy blog either tonight or tomorrow.

So Very, Very Broken

Our new insurance kicked in this week.

Let me start by saying that as someone who has spent the past 5 months pregnant and uninsured, I am very grateful to have insurance now.

But the system is broken. I've posted a few times about the odd laws in my state as well as what many of the insurance companies are doing to protect themselves from the impending reform. But seriously, we have a major problem in this country.

More than a political issue, this is a common sense issue for me. This morning at bible study I was talking with a friend who said, "I used to go to the doctor whenever I felt I needed it. Because of my new insurance, I have to think twice about whether to get a recommended test, etc." How sad that medical decisions are made based upon finances and not health.

I had to make one of those decisions myself. I am currently taking blood thinners. I am currently on an inferior drug because I can't afford "the good stuff." I patiently waited for my insurance to become active so I could finally get the medicine my doctor and myself, prefer I take.

Well, the deductible on my PPO is so astronomically high, that I still can't afford the superior medication. As a consequence, I will have to stay on this inferior medicine for as long as I can. In doing so there is a fair amount of risk to me, as it has the potential to severely damage your platelets. The first quote I got for my magic elixir was $2,000/month. With my new insurance, it is $800/month.

Not gonna happen.

I still have to pay my doctor a delivery fee prior to my delivery (screw you, global billing!), on top of the hospital fees. My savings is quickly dwindling, and frankly, I am one of the few people I know who even has a savings account. And let me promise you, mine is very modest.

I feel the current health care reform is too flawed to work. But it was a much-needed start to an issue that effects millions of people. I have been on both sides of the fence: insured and uninsured. I can say with complete honesty that I have wondered which was the lesser of the evils. That is not a good thought to have racing through your mind.

I would be lying if I said I had the solution(s). But what I do know is that we must all take a vested interest in this issue. If you have the time, please write to your local congressman with your suggestions. I'm sure most congressman don't take the time to read every letter they get but I believe a worthy letter might garner the attention of an intern, and in turn the actual talking head. Write a blog, send a letter to the Editor of your favorite newspaper. Whatever it takes, please, do something.  In my heart of hearts I don't believe you can afford not to!

Do NOT Buy!

Due to the funky nature of my 1/2 Puerto Rican hair, I am required to buy high end styling tools and products if I intend to look half-way decent. I have tried tools from places like Target but they simply won't work.

I have been a loyal Salono blow dryer fan fro many years but about 5 years ago I bought a Babyliss Pro on the recommendation of my stylist. My blow dryers typically last me many years because I don't blow dry frequently. Therefore, it is easy for me to justify the enormous cost for these tools. This particular blow dryer set me back close to $300:

www.frugalcouponliving.com

About a year ago, one of the plastic blades on the fan gave out. Mr. Case was able to break off what was left hanging and get me to the point where I was still able to use it. Given our circumstances, I was looking to delay buying a new betrayer at any cost.

Well, this morning, the thing made a noise that resembled death and spit out a massive spark, shocking me along the way. I was literally so frightened I threw the blow dryer onto the floor, even though it was still on. It is safe to say I am livid. I will never buy another Babyliss. I take very, very good care of my tools. They are always kept clean and in their original packaging. There is no excuse for such a costly product to give out 4 years in.

Now, I have to search for a new blow dryer. I do not have $300, let's just say that. Any suggestions?

Tacky, Tacky, Tacky!

Mr. Case and I were perusing the dollar bins at Target when we stumbled upon some pink, plastic flamingos. You know the kind, right? They're most frequently found on the lawns of the elderly in Florida. We hatched a plan to plant one in my parent's yard, and wait to see how long it would take for them to notice. Here it is:

We took bets on Facebook on how long it would take them, promising the winner baby naming rights. All of the guesses were very weak and gave my parents entirely too much credit. It's a good thing, too, because the options weren't names we were too fond of, to say the least! Myrito Axle Rose, anyone?

Anyway, much to our shock, it took longer than even we anticipated. My mom didn't notice till day 4 and my dad didn't notice at all. My baby brother had noticed on day 2 but I had sworn him to secrecy. To our further surprise, mom loved it and decided she wanted to get a flock's worth to put out as a signal when she is hosting a party. Go figure.

They Have It Out for Me

The California Department of Motor Vehicles, that is.

When we were beginning to plan our transition to Texas, I learned that out insurance broker couldn't write policies in Texas. Bummer. So I set up a new policy with a broker in Texas. For well ove a month we had overlapping policies. Way more insurance than we needed!

We let the California policy lapse on its own. In California, your insurance company informs the DMV that you are covered with them, since it is a requirement in order to have a vehicle registered, that you provide proof of insurance. When they no longer cover you they also inform the DMV. Obviously there was no expectation on my part that our Texas company would let them know they had taken over coverage. I knew California would contact me to demand proof of insurance. Fine.

So the letters come demanding I provide proof of insurance before today, April 4th, or my registration would be suspended and I would be fined.

I mailed in my proof of insurance, via certified mail, and it was confirmed delivered well before today. Last week they sent a letter claiming the registration had been suspended and the fine imposed. How can they do this before their deadline? Furthermore, it is isn't even possible that the letters crossed in the mail because I still had until today. And lastly, where is the proof I sent them? So far I have only received a supsension confirmation on one of the vehicles so we are only driving the other one. I really don't need the stress. I am waiting on a call back from them now so hopefully someone can help me!

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid

If ever you're at the Galleria in Dallas, for the love of all that is holy, do not eat at Salad Bowl. I got a mild case of food poisoning and am simply glad I lived to tell about it. No bueno. You've been warned.

Allen Avengers

Tonight we went to a hockey game with our friends from church. It was a play-off game featuring the Allen Americans and The Killer Bees, both minor-league teams.

Despite being the play-offs, tickets were only $9 each. Ha! I must say, the facility was super nice, with comfortable seats and good concessions. Parking was even free, which is pretty much unheard of at a sporting event.

I laughed a good portion of the night watching the sponsors scroll across the big screen. They included such big names as Uncle Bob's Storage and Littlefield Cleaners. Welcome to Middle America, folks! And, despite there being very few people in attendance, those who were sure had a lot of team spirit!

As we were preparing to lave Mr. Case asked me what he should wear. we are not true fans of either team, having never heard of them before, but I asked Mr. Case to guess the team colors for the Allen team. Naturally he guess right: red, white and blue! I love me some patriotism! I definitely think we will go to more of these local events in the future.