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October is my favorite Month...

Hello! Long time no "see". Life is finally calming down a bit for me now so I am going to blog on the latest and greatest.

Move

We've been officially moved in with my in-laws for 1 full week now and so far so good. We'll see if I feel the same way after 1 month of living here. Last minute issues like my in-laws telling us "No you can't store your furniture and stuff here" lead to more money spent on a storage unit and such but hey, at least we have a roof over our heads and the apartment complex who was going to sue us for last months rent has agreed for us to just pay in payments.

Job(s)

My job is going fantastically! In 3 months they've realized I was a Tier above the work I was doing and promoted me (still while I was a contractor) AND They've offered me a Full Time position as an actual EMPLOYEE with benefits!!! Woo Hoo! This will take about 1 month till all the references are checked, background check etc...but I am hopeful by November I will be an employee and eligible for health benefits!!

Hubs still has not found a job, but, he is going to apply this week for some Retail Christmas jobs etc to get something...anything. And still making contacts in the IT world so he can hopefully find something!

Life

Angel of Friendship Willow Figurine (I love this one because it has a dog like mine)

I celebrated my 38th birthday yesterday, 1 day after my Mother-in-Law celebrated her 65th. My sister in law and nephew came up from Florida so we could make a BIG deal out of MIL's birthday and because they (the golden child and her offspring) were here nothing really occurred for MY birthday. We went out to lunch and did a little window shopping and then last night my legs killed me...Gabapentin take me away....and it did....eventually. The friend celebration will be in a few weeks so that's good! :-)

Willow Tree Friendship Figurine that I got from my Sister In Law Sarah

I started collecting Willow Tree Collectibles and got my first 2 for my birthday. I commented how I liked these a few weeks ago and Hubs was paying attention! I've never collected anything before, so I thought I would start with these! :) You can buy them at any collectible store and cracker barrel! Or HERE (this link is for the benefit of my husband, assuming he'll read this!)

Next month is our first wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been a year since we went to Jamaica. Now that we are living here, I hope to save save save after hubs is working and get back there again someday. I'll have to plan something special to celebrate!

I am enjoying my favorite time of year (Fall), looking forward to my favorite holiday season (Christmas) and just excited to be living life again with fewer problems and MS interruptions. I am going to color my hair a chestnut color today for fall (fingers crossed I'm doing it myself) and really love the fact I have to wear long sleeves most days now.

MS

Since this is an MS Blog I do not think I am jinxing myself by saying....WOW MY MS SYMPTOMS HAVE SUBSIDED THE PAST 6 WEEKS!!! I think my body is now in the rhythm of working 8-10 hours a day, coming home and relaxing and I switched my work hours to 9-6 which my internal clock loves...I get to sleep in till 7:30 some days! Getting on a regular schedule has resolved all my sleeping problems, working has been great for my emotional state and I am starting to feel like a "normal" person again. I loyally do my shots nightly as I really think they have a HUGE impact on how well I feel lately.

Don't get me wrong, I do have weak or painful leg days, however, they are few and far between. I realize what shoes I can and can't wear and I am disappointed that I must get rid of even my shoes with wide heals...my legs can't take them. One day at a time, the old me is coming back...now to loose all this "MS" weight. MS weight is weight I gained during the last flare up when I sat around for over a year and did nothing...

Stress is still a constant, but, we are taking steps to making our lives better and less stressful and that is a good thing! I am in 3 Fantasy Football leagues this year and I pretty much suck in all 3, I laugh though as I am realizing there are more important things in life and I'm HAPPY now and thankful for all my blessings. Now I have to go kiss my husband and hug my dogs!

Enjoy the beautiful Fall weather friends! My favorite month is upon us and It just gets better as each week goes by!

Boxes, Boxes and more Boxes

Hubs and I have begun packing up our belongings to move in with my inlaws in 2 weeks. Not the ideal situation, but we are completely out of options. Hubs is still unemployed and my salary cannot support us. This is the most humbling experience EVER. Our age and having to accept help from family, God is constantly teaching us lessons I suppose. Selling off furniture so we don't have to store it, going from a place of our own with just us and our dogs to living in a small ranch house with PARENTS. If only we had another option.

I will have to drive about 90 miles each day round trip for work...and work EARLY at 7am...this will be a challenge. Getting up at 5, leaving by 6 and then at work at 7. Ugh. Alas, I dare not complain as money is money and at least we can afford to feed ourselves, make the truck payment and pay our new bills (we are paying the utilities at the house). Even if we still have no health insurance. Beggars can't be Choosers. My immediate manager at work was laid off last Thursday night! They are doing a reorganization and he was a causality....but they will keep me... the cheap help...lol

On a positive note, the girls (our Bichons) love being at their grandparents house with a huge yard to run around and hanging out with their Grandpa who takes them with him fishing and hanging in the yard. So they will make the transition easily. The lack of privacy is going to be challenging, but again I am blessed to have a place to go and a roof over my head.

Thanks for letting me vent...yet again...one day I will get back to the purpose of this blog....

Now back to the boxes, boxes and more boxes that liter this place....

The Open Road

We are hitting the open road! Nothing like a Road Trip to forget your troubles! My family has been nice enough to fund a trip for Matt and I to drive to PA for a visit this holiday weekend. We both need to get away SO bad that I am very thankful for this. It will be good to see them as we haven't seen them since New Years. See my niece Asia play high school field hockey, play with the boys, Darius (5), Braylon (4) and Marcus (2) and just relax, cook-outs, visit some of my favorite Lehigh Valley haunts and DO NOTHING.

Alas - Tuesday I'll have to come back to reality, but that leaves me with 4 days of nothing but FUN FUN FUN!

Woo Hoo!!!! Now off to pack for the 13 hour drive! Just so you know VIRGINIA really IS the longest state in the union...I think we are in that state like 6 hours of our drive...no kidding!

Disability

Hello All: I am going to meet with a few disability lawyers this week. What questions do I ask? What information do I need to make sure is covered. My life working FT right now and dealing with my MS symptoms kicking my ass is preventing me from doing alot of research, so if you have advice, please leave it in the comments.

Matt's mom is going in for a Cardiac Cath tomorrow morning, he is still unemployed and all but one of his leads has fallen through and the 1 that he has is taking their good ole time making a decision. I had to leave work early 2 days last week because I was so fatigued and in so much pain I couldn't take it anymore. We are moving in with his parents at the end of September and I am praying it will not negatively affect our marriage. The good side is we will have a roof over out heads, the bad side it will cause me to drive 88miles a day to and from work during rush hour ... yeah that will help my MS symptoms flare. Lovely.

I can't quit yet, but, may be forced to try to negotiate a PT schedule, though I don't believe I will get one...they need a FT person. So fingers crossed I won't throw myself into a huge flare up because as of Tuesday I have no health insurance. No money for Cobra...sold everything I could...such is life.

That's about it for tonight...I have to get to bed..

Here's What's New With Me

Hi Everyone! It's been a little while since I posted anything of substance here. Lots going on these days. Here's an update.

JOB

I've been at my FT Helpdesk job 1 month now and It is going pretty well. Some Days the Fatigue is a bit much, but most of the time it is Okay. My legs are MUCH more stiff lately, spasms have gotten pretty bad as well, but, it's great to be back in the work force and having a daily schedule. So while Yes, it is affecting my health, it's doing so in 2 ways. Positively for my Emotional Health and Negatively for my physical health. Not so Negatively though that would cause me not to work. I never realized how much having a purpose can affects someones mental state.

I say this because my husband has been depressed to extremes this past week and his not having a daily job to go to has negatively affected his mental state. On the bright side, he does have 3 companies interested in interviewing him this week. So fingers crossed he'll have multiple job opportunities coming up soon. After these opportunities came his way his mood improved drastically.

BLESSINGS

Amazingly in these hard times, I have been blessed in so many ways. One of them having total strangers offer me their Copaxone shots that they will no longer be using. Thank you to Amy Gurowitz at Multiple Sclerosis a Life of Learning. I also have another person who is going to be sending me their excess shots since they recently switched meds. The kindness of people is amazing to me and in today's world it means that much more.

I was also blessed to sell my painting and for my husband to have some 401K cash so we can stay in our apartment a month longer and not have to move in with the inlaws. That I do consider a blessing.

TIMING

The timing of things in life does make me laugh sometimes. Today for the first time in about 2 months we went to church and the deacon's homily was about Faith in God and returning to the church. Makes me smile because every time I need to hear something from God, when I go to church he usually sends me a direct message. Not all the time, but, when I really need to hear it. I feel like things may be turning around for me now and hopefully will continue to do so. While we may be stuck in TN for now, it could be worse.

I have to give the apartment complex 60 days notice if we are going to move out at the end of October. Alas, that is hard to do especially when right now it would be hard to find another apartment without hubby working. On the crappy salary I make, no one is going to rent to me. So, I have to figure this all out THIS week before the end of the month. Fingers crossed Hubs will get a job offer this week.

So that's a little of what is going on with me. Football season is here and that makes me happy! The Holidays are right around the corner and my favorite time of year is about to start in 2 months! Life could be worse.

Conquering The Storms

I'm sad. I had to sell my one and only piece of valuable artwork today. I purchased this painting in 2001 about 1 year after my divorce was final. Painted by Thomas Kinkade, it is Titled "Conquering The Storms"...fitting for the storms I had just finished in a tumultuous marriage with an abusive husband. And the new storms I was facing alone as a single woman.

It is the highlight of my Dining Room Wall...and soon it will be gone. I often look at it and think of the Storms I've Conquered in my life and how many there have been. Alas, to make it through the latest storm, I must sell my beautiful painting and Conquer this Storm too.