Some ER Advice...

A few weeks ago my cousin was sharing with me her recent ER visit. It was the typical story you hear from the ER... long lines, no sense of urgency from staff, surrounded by drug abusers... you know. She had messed up her hand pretty bad, and it wasn't but many hours later that she was finally tended to and sent home. She gave me some, what I thought was, excellent advice.

"Anytime you need to go to the ER, when you check in tell the that you are having chest pains or short of breath."

Little did I know that advice would come in handy so soon. It wasn't but that night that I woke up with awful pain. (Note: Ever since Emi was born, I have been suffering from this awful pain. I've never done anything about it because it would always happen in the middle of the night, and I was never in the mood for an ER visit). I suffered through the pain all night, all morning (while attending my Grandma's funeral), and as my hubby drove me back to Des Moines (where the real doctor's practice). As we entered the ER I announced "I'm having chest pains!"

And just like that, I bypassed the long line of uninsured people, drug abusers, and uninsured drug abusers, and they hooked me up to the EKG machine. I sat proudly hooked up to that machine thinking about all the losers sitting out in the waiting room. That was until they determined I wasn't having a heart attack, and they sent me out to the waiting room. With the uninsured people. And drug abusers.

A few hours later, they wheeled me down for some testing and my pain disappeared. Figures. After my testing they found out I had enough gall stones to landscape a small garden (or perhaps my dad said that). And then, after my pain was completely gone, they offered me some pain medication. Ugh. And then my mom rubbed it in by reminding me that I just paid for an EKG I didn't need.

So, my friends, my advice to you: If you go to the ER, tell them you're short of breath. After all, that should be easier to fake, right?

Ten Things....

Here are ten things I'm mad irritated about:

1. I'm mad irritated that nothing has been invented to keep beverages cold 24/7. You know how many times I want a cold water/soda, and open the fridge to find none there. I go outside to the garage to get a bottle, and feel the luke warm room temperate beverage which instantly kills any desire I once I had to drink it. Why is it there is never anything cold to drink when I am always responsible enough to fill the fridge up!

2. I'm mad that when people do come up with good inventions, like google reader, they then take it away. Google Reader died on July 1 and I haven't found a replacement. Which pretty much means I rarely read blogs, and never conveniently. And that sucks.

3. Speaking of death, now that is something I'm just mad about. I'm mostly just mad about how it comes to an end, not that it does, just how it does.

4. I'm mad irritated with grumpy people. Over the last few days people haven't seen my always present fake smile. And then they look at me like "well, what do you have to be irritated about?" like there lives are so much worse and I could give them the courtesy of a fake smile. Ugh. People are such grumps.

5. I'm mad irritated with the Urbandale cop running radar on the interstate today. Seriously, its Monday morning. Can't you give people a break?! That shenanigans should be left to a Thursday or Friday when people can handle it better. On a side, I'm totally happy that he caught the guy right behind me, and not me!

6. I'm mad irritated with 18 month old shenanigans. I miss my beautiful daughter all day. And as I come home to give her a hug and a kiss, she smacks me right in the face. Twice.

7. I'm mad irritated that God only puts 24 hours in one day. I could waste so much more time get so much more done with just an extra like 45 minutes. Seriously, I'm not even greedy!

8. I'm mad irritated that I brought a bunch of work home with me and didn't get it done. It's a lose-lose situation when I bring it home. Had I left it at work it would not have gotten done, but I wouldn't have thought about it all not. Now it's not done and I have sat and thought about how its not done which has helped to ruin my night.

9. I'm mad irritated with the IT people at my office. I ask them to fix one thing. And they do. And now eight other things don't work. Ugh.

10. And lastly, I'm mad irritated I can't think of a tenth thing to be irritated about!

18 Months Already!

Emi celebrated her half-birthday on Saturday (which also happened to be my cousin and nephew's birthday as well as the day of my grandma's passing- but more on that later).

We went up to Minneapolis (totally unplanned) and spent the afternoon at the Mall of America. I used to hate the Mall of America, but in the last two years have grown to love that place. (Yes, we go there a lot. We go to Clear Lake a lot and if it is raining we just get in the car and drive to Minneapolis!).

We did a little something different this time. (Well, besides a trip to my beloved Nordstroms and Macy's!) First, we spent what will come to be the first of many trips to the American Girl store with Emi. She already has her Bitty Baby (Molly) who she drags with her everywhere! It was about time that Molly got accessorized. So after letting Emi play around in the store, we found the stroller would be just perfect! And it is! She loves pushing it all around the house. So sweet!

We then decided to take Emi to the aquarium in the mall. So much fun!

And last, but not least! A ride on the Carousal! Emi's Favorite! (I was just glad she didn't cause too much of a seen when it was time to get off!)

All in all, a wonderful half birthday for my darling!