Blog Peep Questions: Round 3

It's time for a little question and answer session here on the blog!!! But first, we have the all important giveaway announcement... [I so wish I could put a drum roll sound effect in here]

   

The winner of yesterday's canvas, according to random.org, is:  

Samantha: My miracle is having identical twins. It is such a rare thing. There were some complications with one of my sons at birth, but he pulled through and is completely healthy. They are such a gift from God and I thank Him daily for them.

Congratulations! Email me your mailing address to gitzengirl@gmail.com and I'll get your canvas shipped off to you!

   

   

Do you decorate any of your ambulatory aids?

Good God No. When you're pushing around a contraption like George, the situation doesn't exactly require glitter and streamers to attract attention to yourself. :) I remember my friend Kelly laughing at me a few years ago when we were going out for her birthday... they had picked me up and I was so disgusted because I had on really cute clothes, but I thought the crutches ruined my outfit. Yeah, there's just really no way to make them a fashion accessory, but I don't find it necessary to make them any more obvious than they already are.

   

Have you ever had an "I've fallen and I can't get up" moment?

Well, I didn't fall... but I definitely couldn't get up. Up until a few years ago, any swelling in my joints had been in places that were handleable for me... like my shoulder or my fingers. It's a pain not to be able to move your hands correctly or lift your arm very high, but I could still get around and function. But one morning I woke up and my ankle had swelled with fluid during the night, and I literally couldn't move without wanting to cry. Just the sheet rubbing against it or the pressure of pulling it along the bed so I could sit up was more than I could deal with first thing in the morning. 

   

It took me about 20 minutes to get in a sitting position and reach the phone, and I called my friend Meg to come over and help me [this was before the days of crutches, so I had no aids to help me get around]. She and her little boy Ben took me to my doctor's office and then to the hospital where I stayed for a few days... by the time they did the MRI on my ankle I had also developed some fluid in my opposite knee, and with all of my other mobility/joint problems they wanted to make sure I could get around safely on my own before I went back home. It's funny how that seemed so bad back then, and now it's just something I would deal with at home and call in meds for. And, of course, I now have more [undecorated] ambulatory aids laying around should the need arise.

   

After all that excitement, poor Ben thought every time they came to my house they were there to help me with my sore foot. I just know I'm going to be paying for these kids' therapy bills someday. 

   

But the one who really benefited from the whole "I can't get up" scenario was Riley. He was only a few months old and had been sleeping in his kennel at night. I felt SO horrible about not being able to get up and let him out of his kennel that morning, so I let him sleep in bed with me after that... just in case it happened again. 

   

I'm such a sucker.

    

Does your camera have a video feature?

Well, the new one doesn't, but my old one does! I've actually been trying for some time to get the blog mascot [aka Riley] on camera doing something cute, but the little stinker is so predisposed to posing for the camera that he stops doing anything fun the moment he sees it.

   

This first video shows you what I'm up against. The dog that normally can't sit still is doing a perfect impersonation of a statue. I do my best to talk to him and help him realize I'm not taking a photo, but in the end he's pulling a camera-shy act and rebuffing the camera altogether. 

    

[disclaimer: my mother has asked me to stop calling myself an idiot on the blog, so I am instead going to tell you that I sound like an absolute idiot dork when I'm talking to my dog. I promise that if we ever speak in real life, I won't talk to you like this.]

   

Riley Statue from gitzengirl on Vimeo.

    

In the following video he had been tearing from the room we were in, through the rest of the condo and back... about a million times. The pillows are disheveled because he had been playing hide and seek under them and being all sorts of crazy. But as you'll see, he notices the camera and then comes closer to lay down and pose. And then all the fun and games are over!


Riley Running from gitzengirl on Vimeo.

Don't worry, I'll keep working on him... if I catch him doing something worthwhile, I promise to put it up straight away!
   
What is your favorite ice cream?
Yes, I know, this one has been asked and answered before... but there's a problem. My favorite ice cream was Blue Bunny Goo Goo Cluster, which was a fantastic mix of chocolate ice cream with a marshmallow ribbon, chocolate covered peanuts and caramel revel. I mean seriously, people, it was delicious. I hadn't had it in years [blame it on my diligence trying to lose the steroid weight], and after I posted my love for it on the blog I was sadly informed that IT NO LONGER EXISTS!!!!
    
What has this world come to? 
   
My sister Laura and her husband Jeff brought me some little individual samples of ice cream the last time they came to visit, since I am now going to have to find a new favorite [my waistline is going to hate me for this]. But I need YOUR help. Anyone have any suggestions of flavors for me to try? I love chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, candy bar toppings, etc. ... I don't like mint, coffee flavors or any nuts other than peanuts. If you have a favorite ice cream that I need to know about, post it in the comments. I'm thinking I'll try some new ones and let you all know [after diligent taste testing] what my new favorite is...
   
[Wow. I think it's now safe to say that the blog has taken over every part of my life. I can't even eat ice cream without your input!]