Land of Osbourne

Katie seems to be doing better. She isn't quite as clumsy, she is no longer groggy, and lethargic, and was reported to RUN up and down the back yard steps. She isn't thrilled at the whole idea of being on a diet however. She has lost 4 pounds. Yay for the Goose! I took her for a walk yesterday, just a short one, to see how it goes. She wasn't real excited at first, but as we got going she seemed okay. I took Ozzy on a walk too - total different experience. He wanted to GO GO GO GO GO 100 miles per hour. Both are doing the go for a walk thing tonight after work again. thanks for the positive thoughts, prayers and love. April

Favorite Quotations I don't know what that means....Temperance Brennan Now you know what I do for an encore....Elvis Presley in King Creole It doesn't matter where you work, or what you're doing, there will always be someone or something there you don't like. - Dad - If you want something badly enough, if you work hard, you can make it happen - Dad - Its important to remember when praying to God, sometimes God says no. - Mom -

2 years ago today, this morning, my Rommy Bear crossed the rainbow bridge. Last week, my sweet Katie Goose began to have seizures in her sleep. John and I took her to the vet, they have her on phenabarbital. Since being put on this she has not had any other seizures. They did a complete blood work up, and her liver, kidneys and everything else are normal. Good news for a 12 year old sweetheart. She HAS however gained 6 pounds in 2 months - which is a LOT for a little dog like her. She is up to 25 pounds, and should be 16-19. On a diet now. The drug that Katie is on makes her very sleepy, groggy, and clumsy. The vet assured us that those symptoms should fade in 2 weeks. I have to carry her when she is really bad outside to potty. I am struggling with this. Am I being selfish? I don't want to keep Katie alive if her quality of life is going to be like this, but how long do I wait until facing that decision? More importantly, will my sanity make it that long? I can't s

Here is a lesson that Sharon Gammell taught me not long ago. Wise words Sharon. You can do anything that you set your mind to. You are the author of your own life . You have the ability to change your life. You have unlimited potential ! You are a living magnet. You literally attract the things , people , ideas , and circumstances to you that vibrate and resonate at the same energy frequency as yours.Your energy field changes constantly , based on your thoughts and feelings , and the universe acts like a mirror , sending back a reflection of the energy that you are projecting.The stronger and more intense your thoughts and emotions are , the greater the magnetic pull becomes.Now , this is not a process that requires any real effort ; a magnet doesn't ''try'' to attract anything-it simple does , and so do you !You are always in the process of attracting something into your life. Do you realize that your life at this very moment is the result  of ever

This morning at 3am Katie was laying next to me, and woke me when she had a seizure.   It lasted a few minutes, her little tongue was sticking out a little, and she was drooling.  She was a little tired for a bit after, then she got up, got a drink of water, wanted to go potty outside, wanted a cookie, then hopped back up on the bed to lick. (she licks everything).  I called the Vet, they said that sometimes in older dogs, they can develop epilepsy.  Its nothing I did wrong, and it doesn't mean she is going to die tomorrow.   If she has another one this week, I should bring her in for blood work, but she probably (hopefully), won't have one for a few months, but to just watch her.  I've been crying all morning.

Hi Guys, Well, I have kneeful news. I met with this super awesome specialist, one of the top knee surgeons in the State of Minnesota on Tuesday, where she and another collegue surgeon as well as a nurse did a battery of tests on my knee. Good News: I have not lost any strength at all in my knee, leg, or butt. YAY me. That's about as far as the good news goes. If I am really lucky, I tore my ACL again. (uplifting thought huh?) If I am not so lucky, I stretched the replacement ACL out. Not so lucky, you wonder? Why not so lucky? SIGH. Well, because one of the treatment options for that would be to cut a chunk of my tibia off, and put the whole mess back together again, thus preventing my knee from hyperextending, and causing further problems. Doesn't that sound just horrible? I can't imagine not only the pain levels but the rehab for that. Yikes! Hence my statement of if I am LUCKY, all I did was tear my ACL. Then I'll have another round of ACL surge

Forgiveness is letting go of the pain and accepting what has happened because it will not change.  Forgiveness is dismissing the blame.  Choices were made that caused the hurt;  We each could have chosen differently, but we didn't. Forgiveness is looking at the pain, learning the lessons it has produced, and understanding what we have learned.  Forgiveness is starting over with the knowledge that I have gained.

A song just played on my iphone and it made me recall this. There is this one hit wonder called: "Bobby's Girl" by Marcie Blane from the 60's. When I FIRST met John, I was 18, going on 19, and I'd walk around the house (I lived at home), and I'd sing the lyrics, except I'd change it from "Bobby's Girl" to "Johnny's girl" there is this one part of the song where the back ground singers are singing: "Your not a kid anymore...." On the icing on my birthday cake when I turned 19, Mom had the bakers write: "Your not a kid anymore".... Here are the lyrics to that song: (You're not a kid anymore) (You're not a kid anymore) When people ask of me What would you like to be Now that your not a kid anymore (You're not a kid anymore) I know just what to say I answer right away There's just one thing I've been wishing for... I want to be Bobby's girl I want to be Bobby's g

Doctor called back with the CT scan results, as well as with the pathology report from the colonoscopy. Good news, no problem they can detect with the esophagus / stomach. Why the narrowing then? Its an allergic reaction to a food that I've developed an allergy to. I've narrowed it down to dairy. Bad news... Well.. Bad news is my liver has fat deposits on it - so that means I have to get off my ass and get more exercise and eat better.  I would like to bitch for a second on this issue though - how exactly am I suppose to successfully loose weight if I can't eat fruits and vegetables? Whatever. I'll find a way. I'll just hang out with my pal Elliptical more. Other bad news... The biopsies they took are still precancerous. These cells turn into cancer. I asked the doctor how they deal with that, if it turns into cancer? His response? Colon removal. Okay. We all know how I feel about that. I told the doctor that surgery is not an option. He said h

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Great news! I've been cleared to eat SOLID FOOD. I only have a 30 minute lunch, so my options are limited - since there are mostly only fast food places around here. Burger King McDonalds Perkins Culvers IHOP India Palace Caribou Jimmy Johns Subway So far, Subway is winning.

Hi Guys, I forgot to update you on my Crohn's saga. Yesterday morning the doc called me to see how I was doing, any recurring bloody scenes, etc. I told him no, all was quiet on that front. He said to stay on the liquid diet and we don't have to do the colonoscopy. (which I was doing without sedation, since I had no driver and wasn't going to miss any more work), so I was pleased about that decision, although not so excited about the liquid diet part. When you're hungry and haven't eaten in a few days the last thing you want is broth or tea. I want a cheese burger or a plate of spaghetti. So yesterday went fine. After work I went to my friend Kim's house for dinner. She had her tonsils out and is on a liquid diet too, so we had protein shakes together. So filling. So delicious.  . . sort of. I am suppose to get a call from the Doc this morning to check in and (hopefully) release me from the liquid diet. I was marveling to John how attentive and car

If you're a member of my family, its a given, if not a requirement that you not only know this song well, but the lyrics backwards and forwards.

Hi guys, So as you all have read, I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy last friday.  Nothing very exciting happened afterward, nothing unsual. Until yesterday afternoon. I had a can of soup for lunch, not a bowl of shards of glass with a side of razor blades. I went to the bathroom, and the entire toilet was filled with blood. Like....horror story blood. Wow. That surprised me a little, (since I had a hysterectomy 2 years ago!). I didn't really think it was an emergency because I felt fine. No pain, not dizzy. Sure, a little tired, but fine. I figured I'd email the doc just in case. Okay about 2 hours after I emailed the doc, same thing happened when I went to the bathroom. Hm. Not good. Doc's nurse called me back. Said to go on a liquid diet (oh goody), and if it happens again, go to the ER. (sigh) Okay. Less then 3 minutes later the Doctor himself called me back and said to go to the ER. Great. I went to the ER (and as a side note the Doc called my cell p

I know she is gone. I know I will see her again someday. But I miss her so much. I think about her at least every day. I see those little "laughing cow" cheeses at Cub and it makes me want to cry. She use to give those to us when we'd go to Thayers. I am to the point I avoid that section so I don't see them and want to cry. As my days go by, I think "Oh, I should email Sharon about this and tell her about it, or see what she thinks".....then I remember she is gone. I was riding in the car with John somewhere this weekend, and I thought I saw her out there  on the sidewalk. But of course it wasn't her. :(

I don't know if this is real or not, but it looks exactly what I have in my mind where the Rainbow Bridge is, where I know I'll be spending 90% of my time when I get Home.  

Once Is Enough by Elvis Presley All you got is one life Living once can be rough But if you live every day all the way Once is enough You can own just one suit Worn and torn at the cuff But if youre livin the life that you love Once is enough Whats the good of reaching ninety If you waste eighty-nine You got one life so live it If you dont its a crime Lifes a playful puppy You can grab by the scruff And if you live every sec what the heck Once is enough Never wait until tomorrow What if it never comes Life is a seven layer Dont you settle for crumbs Lifes a playful puppy You can grab by the scruff And if you live every sec what the heck Once is enough

Greetings Well, yesterday was my colonoscopy and endoscopy. As expected, the colonoscopy was the same ol same ol. Biopsies taken. Sent to lab. Don't call us, we'll call you. Only difference this time was they shot a bunch of blue dye in there so it looked like I ate a smurf. (When I told this to John, he suggested it was probably Clumsy Smurf, I concur). Anyway, I had my first upper endoscopy. From everything I've read and heard, it should have been a breeze. (cue forboding music). Okay. So they did the endoscopy 2nd, since I already would have had sedatives in me, to help pave the way. The doctor shot some crappy tasting stuff in the back of my throat, and put some sort of mouth guard in. (so I woudln't bite someone?) I didn't quietly relax as they did this, as I'd feared. Dispite the numbing stuff, I still gagged and struggled. It was horrible. They wound up giving me more sedatives, and thats about all I remember. I do remember hearing them tell m

I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis. Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn’t really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, ‘HE’S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!’ I left Andy’s office with some written instructions , and a prescription for a product called ‘MoviPrep,’ which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven.  I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America’s enemies. I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous. Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my prepar

Hi Guys, Here are some little "April Updates" for you all. First, I'd like to thank Harley Davidson for finally sending me that check back that I messed up on and that Wells Fargo did nothing on. Thanks. I am going to now be thrilled to pay Mom and Dad back as well as my cousin Heather & Mike. It makes me nuts to owe money to people I love. Second, I made my 2nd opinion help me my knee is screwed up appointment. That is for Tuesday March 12th. That is the first available appointment they had, so hopefully my knee and I can reach some sort of understanding. . . Dear Right Knee,  I'm sorry. Things haven't worked out quite as I'd hoped these last 10 months or so. I think I can say that its a little of my fault and a little of yours, yes? Sure, I probably should have kept up with the knee exercises that the physical therapist gave me, but in my defense, things have been a little busy. You though, I think we can both agree that you could have tried

Don’t Take Anything Personally.  Nothings others do is because of you.  What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.  When you are immune to the opinions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. - Don Miguel Ruiz,

Hello faithful Land of Osbourne Readers You may recall, back in May of 2012 I had ACL & Miniscus surgery on my right knee. I made it successfully through surgery, recovery and later, physical therapy. I have some not so fond memories of the huge cumbersome knee brace I was forced to wear. After surgery I met with the guy who did the work, to see how my knee felt, bla bla bla. He shook his head in a sort of resigned way and advised me my knees are very very loose. My flexibility is going to be an ongoing problem. (doesn't that just give you warm fuzzy feelings?) He also indicated that its very hard for him to test my knees because they're so loose. Even right after the surgery, my right knee was loose. When I first met the guy, he said that if they do a cadaver ACL replacement, the healing is faster and the pain is significantly less. (Well hell, that sounds good to me!). The only down fall was that the likely hood of having to do all this again is higher. (I mus

Greetings & Salutations! I've got good news! (well, maybe not for YOU, but for me it is and I want to share it with you). I have been working on refinancing my house since December 2012, and FINALLY it is DONE! The process probably wouldn't have taken so long but we had to jump through a few hoops to make it happen. #1, we owe more than our house is worth. (not a unique situation, I know) #2, we did not have the funds to do an apprasial #3, we have PMI, which really threw a monkey wrench into things. Anyway, John got that awesome new job at Aaron Carlson,  and although everything was approved, we had to provide new pay stubs, bla bla bla. Our previous interest rate with Citi Mortgage was 6.375. Our new improved interest rate is 3.75, we didn't have to start over at 30 years,  and we didn't have to come up with an apprasial. We are going to save a plethora of money and lower our monthly payment. So, the stress leading up to getting this done has reall

You're going to love this.  So this morning, we stopped at this coffee shop across the road from Aaron Carlson. John always gets a Mocha, I always get a cup of light roast, extra cream.  Okay.  So its really quiet in there, and the coffee guy had run in the other room for a minute to get something.  As we're standing there waiting, I was sort of just looking around.  A movement caught my eye near the floor.  Yep. A little grey mouse scurried from one side of their kitchen to the other.  When the guy came back I debated saying something.  I didn't.  Good thing I am not squeamish about that sort of thing.  If it were a huge bug, well...then I would have been all girly girl. (says the gal who has a tarantula and a python....) 

In life you’ll realize there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you, and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you. Keep people in your life who truly love you, motivate you, encourage you, enhance you, and make you happy.  If you know people who do none of these things, let them go. Love is not about sex, going on fancy dates, or showing off.  It’s about being with a person who makes you happy in a way nobody else can. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring – all of which have the potential to turn a life around.   The most beautiful thing is to see a person you love smiling.  And even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it. Choose your relationships wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. Being alone does not mean you are lonely, and being lonely does not meanyou

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can be incredibly challenging. In Crohn's disease, a rogue immune system attacks the digestive tract, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Crohn's disease symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and fatigue. Like many autoimmune diseases, symptoms tend to cycle, getting worse during flare-ups and then subsiding. Here are 11 people who achieved celebrity for their deeds—not their Crohn's disease diagnosis—and how they dealt with the condition. Cynthia McFadden ABC News correspondent McFadden first experienced the excruciating pain of Crohn's disease, which her friends euphemistically dubbed "George," in her sophomore year of college. "They weren't going to say, 'Did you have 15 diarrhea attacks today?'" the journalist says in a 1994 People magazine interview. "So, instead, they'd ask me, 'How's George?'" After a bo

Today I know that I cannot control the ocean tides. I can only go with the flow of life. Today I know that I cannot control the consequences of the choices I've made in the past.  Life doesn't happen to me , it happens because of me. Is what I choose to think, do and create in each moment. Today I know that I cannot control people . I can only control my attitude towards them and their behavior. Today I know that I cannot change people , they are on their own path. I can only act in kind, loving ways toward the people around me. Today I know that we are our experiences and that love is the only answer I was looking for my whole life and I can only find it within myself.

Friends, Romans, Countryman....  I figure I am due for a "Real Life" update as opposed to the quirky, positive, introspective things I've been posting.  When we last spoke, I'd updated you guys on my friend Sharon Gammell, who was dying. I am sad to report that she is gone from this world, and is lucky enough to have gotten to go home. I miss her every day.  John got a great job offer from his previous employer, Aaron Carlson, and jumped at the chance to work for them again. He is the supervisor of the finishing department. We ride share now, which is great. It takes me approximately 7 minutes to get from his work to mine.  Its really nice to have him with me to and from work. The commute isn't so boring when you have someone to talk with whose company you enjoy.  I am now on the warpath with Wells Fargo.  I made a mistake while using Wells Fargo Online Billpay on Friday January 18th. Instead of making the $199.36 payment, I inputted $1999.36.

You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose.  You're on your own.  And you know what you know.  And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go... You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.  You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.  So be sure when you step.  Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.  Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.  And never mix up your right foot with your left.

There are only two things to worry about: either you are well or you are sick.  If you are well, then there is nothing to worry about.  But if you are sick, there are two things for you to worry about, either you will get well or you will die.   If you get well, then there is nothing to worry about.   If you die then there are two things to worry about either you go up or you go down.  If you go up then there is nothing to worry about.  But if you go down you will be so busy shaking hands with old friends you won't have time to worry. 

Each day we can wake up and choose to see life as a gift and to be fully present in that day. We cannot always control the outcome, but we can control our reactions. Each day we can bring all we have to that day, choosing to live it fully, seeing it as a great gift.  Each daywe can train our mind not to obsess on regret, nor to worry for tomorrow but to be in this present moment.  Each day we can be grateful for what has happened that day.  And we can choose not to judge our lives from moment to moment (am I happy, successful, unhappy, a failure, good, bad) but simply to live our life.