I got lost in my own bedroom last night.
Sadly, it's happened before.
I was sleeping and in the dream that I didn't know what a dream, I was standing in our front hallway and someone cut their hand wide open. We're talking blood gushing EVERYWHERE. Apparently my panic in my dream translated too well to my body, because I leapt out of bed to get bandages to help the friend- only when I opened my eyes, the room was pitch black.
It took me several minutes to reconcile that I wasn't where I was supposed to be. Meanwhile, three steps away from the bed, I was utterly lost. I recall hanging on to the dresser at one point (right beside my bed) and trying to convince myself I wasn't in the front hallway, I was in the bedroom. In my mind's eye, I still saw the hallway, knew that I had to be there because that's where I last "remembered" being. Meanwhile, my brain is feverishly trying to figure out what the dresser is and where it fits in to the hallway, what the bath towels are- anything I touched, it tried to contort in to something else.
After stumbling around in just a few steps, I finally was able to calm myself and recognize enough of the signs of sleepwalking that I knew I could go back to bed. Thankfully I was easily able to find the bottom of the bed and I gingerly (and blindly) walked myself back to my spot and crawled in.
This has happened off and on forever, even though I haven't caught myself sleepwalking in a while. It's very bizarre to know what you are doing and to see it, but not be able to stop yourself- I usually have to play out several minutes of whatever is going on until I can convince myself to go back to bed. Sometimes I can do this without waking Tim. Sometimes, I'm not so lucky. I sit here now, fully awake, and wonder how my motor skills were fully functional, but the reasoning was not. I can still feel the panic of knowing someone was badly hurt and needed help, but not being able to make it to the bathroom (right off the main hall) to get towels to help. Add in getting lost in the dark, in a familiar place and it's even worse. I knew that if I walked too far, I'd have trouble finding my way back to the bed. Perhaps it was some small part of me trying to keep me safe.
Oh well, thankfully that was the only episode of the night- and no. It never occurred to me to call out to Tim for help (turning on the light, etc). In my sleepwalking state, I was alone. And lost. In the dark.
-Kristen
Showing posts with label Weird. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weird. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Monday, November 12, 2012
Christmas Advertising
I remember when I was younger- tearing in to my stocking on Christmas Morning. There it was- that shape, that size- it couldn't be...but no, it had to be!
"OH MY GOSH!" I would jump up and down and scream, the excitement threatening to stop my young hear- "Look! Look what I got! It's a toothbrush!"
Uh no. I don't think so.
I was flipping through a magazine and saw an ad for Colgate spinning toothbrushes....advertised as stocking stuffers.
Really? What kid has ever put a toothbrush on top of their list to Santa?
Advertisers are getting more and more odd in their attempts to sell us things. I'm fairly certain that no 8 year old is going to beg his mom to buy him a $4.00 container of shampoo to put under the tree for Christmas. Men, if you give your wife pots and pans, a vacuum, teeth-whitening strips or anything vaguely related to cleaning supplies, you're in for a very un-Merry Christmas indeed.
My second favorite commercials are the kind where someone buys someone else a $35,000 car for Christmas, without their knowledge. Then puts it in the front yard with a big bow on it and again, they have no idea. You know, because half of all households get a new luxury sedan for Christmas without one party consulting the other in any way.
Ahhh Christmas Advertising. How I didn't miss you at all, but here you are, early to the party again.
-Kristen
"OH MY GOSH!" I would jump up and down and scream, the excitement threatening to stop my young hear- "Look! Look what I got! It's a toothbrush!"
Uh no. I don't think so.
I was flipping through a magazine and saw an ad for Colgate spinning toothbrushes....advertised as stocking stuffers.
Really? What kid has ever put a toothbrush on top of their list to Santa?
Advertisers are getting more and more odd in their attempts to sell us things. I'm fairly certain that no 8 year old is going to beg his mom to buy him a $4.00 container of shampoo to put under the tree for Christmas. Men, if you give your wife pots and pans, a vacuum, teeth-whitening strips or anything vaguely related to cleaning supplies, you're in for a very un-Merry Christmas indeed.
My second favorite commercials are the kind where someone buys someone else a $35,000 car for Christmas, without their knowledge. Then puts it in the front yard with a big bow on it and again, they have no idea. You know, because half of all households get a new luxury sedan for Christmas without one party consulting the other in any way.
Ahhh Christmas Advertising. How I didn't miss you at all, but here you are, early to the party again.
-Kristen
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Black Friday Ad- Walmart
Walmart has already released their 2012 Black Friday Ad.
Not only that, some of their deals start at 8:00pm on THANKSGIVING DAY. Target is starting their sales at 9:00pm, from what I've heard.
I think this is a huge shame. It's not enough that Christmas items are being put in stores before Halloween even arrives, but now the sales are starting at 8:00pm on Thanksgiving? One of the few holidays we have that aren't centered around buy, buy buy?
I'm all about saving the money, but hey- can't we keep the sales to "Black Friday"? Why rush through one of the (probably) few meals the entire family gets to anymore, to go get some discount DVDs? Some people will spend all of Thursday and perhaps a good chunk of Wednesday lining up outside of stores to be the first in to the sales.
I get it. Times are hard for a lot of us. To give your kids the Christmas you think they want or deserve, you're willing to make a lot of sacrifices and that includes giving Thanks for what you do have and spending time with your family, but c'mon retailers! We'll all get up at the crack of dawn on Friday- don't push this to Thursday.
I feel bad for anyone that works in retail right now. Think of the people who won't get the choice to spend time with their families because they have to work.
It just makes me sad.
-Kristen
Not only that, some of their deals start at 8:00pm on THANKSGIVING DAY. Target is starting their sales at 9:00pm, from what I've heard.
I think this is a huge shame. It's not enough that Christmas items are being put in stores before Halloween even arrives, but now the sales are starting at 8:00pm on Thanksgiving? One of the few holidays we have that aren't centered around buy, buy buy?
I'm all about saving the money, but hey- can't we keep the sales to "Black Friday"? Why rush through one of the (probably) few meals the entire family gets to anymore, to go get some discount DVDs? Some people will spend all of Thursday and perhaps a good chunk of Wednesday lining up outside of stores to be the first in to the sales.
I get it. Times are hard for a lot of us. To give your kids the Christmas you think they want or deserve, you're willing to make a lot of sacrifices and that includes giving Thanks for what you do have and spending time with your family, but c'mon retailers! We'll all get up at the crack of dawn on Friday- don't push this to Thursday.
I feel bad for anyone that works in retail right now. Think of the people who won't get the choice to spend time with their families because they have to work.
It just makes me sad.
-Kristen
Monday, September 10, 2012
Babysitting a Geriatric Poodle
We are watching my friend's extremely old poodle while she and her husband are in Fiji for the week.
Spade is approximately 900 years old. He's mostly deaf, mostly blind, partially incontinent and so needy that I think his fur is actually velcro. He takes 100 medicines twice a day and two more once a day. I'm not sure how he is still alive.
Joy.
Spade is a good dog in general. He is very devoted to Becca, my friend, and apparently females in general as he is suddenly glued to me. Unfortunately, Becca and I train our dogs differently. Spade is accustomed to sleeping in the bedroom with his owner, if not actually in the bed with her once her husband goes to sleep.
We don't let dogs sleep in the bed with us.
This led to the first fun moment of the night last night, when I put him in the bathroom for the evening, along with food and a loaner toy (and his blanket). He proceeded to howl and bark for 20 minutes. So in to the bedroom he had to come, since there is no place we could stick him that we wouldn't hear him.
Ugh.
Off came the collar, because every time he moved it was "jingle jingle jingle". Diaper on (Yes, Spade wears diapers), in case he decided to lift a leg in the house (also not acceptable behavior).
Then came the crying to go out at 1am. He'd already peed in his diaper. I hadn't managed to get to sleep at this point, so I was obviously annoyed at taking him out.
Fast forward a few minutes when I force him to come back in because he's just standing outside with his nose buried in the dirt doing nothing. It takes him 15 minutes to settle back down, after wandering the room, rustling bags, etc. Finally he curls back on his bed and goes to sleep.
5am in the morning, he decides he wants to go back outside. Tim stomps him outside, because if Tim is awake, damnit, everyone else is going to be awake too. Thanks Tim, I was finally working on getting some sleep.
Spade comes back it, it takes a few minutes to herd him back to the bedroom. Then Tim forgot to put his diaper on. The lights come back on, more stomping around the house, etc. Finally, Spade is diapered and settles back down.
Alarm clock comes on at 7:40 am. Just when I am finally sleeping hard. I get up, get ready, take the dog out, he comes bouncing in thrilled to be up and even happier to receive his arthritis and heart medicines. Then I shut him back in the bedroom because Tim is trying to sleep and I have to go to work.
He starts scratching at the door. Also not acceptable behavior in our house. As I left this morning, Tim was yelling at a deaf dog to "STOP IT".
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind dog sitting at all. Becca is my bunny sitter when we are out of town. I am just really hoping this first night was rough simply because he was being too nosy to properly go outside and use the bathroom. He also needs to adjust to our schedules. Becca and her husband stay up later than Tim and I do, so I'm sure that has thrown the potty breaks off a bit.
It does leave me wondering though....can I safely roofie a 15 lb, 900 year old dog? Because I could really, really use a good night's sleep tonight.
-Kristen
Spade is approximately 900 years old. He's mostly deaf, mostly blind, partially incontinent and so needy that I think his fur is actually velcro. He takes 100 medicines twice a day and two more once a day. I'm not sure how he is still alive.
Joy.
Spade is a good dog in general. He is very devoted to Becca, my friend, and apparently females in general as he is suddenly glued to me. Unfortunately, Becca and I train our dogs differently. Spade is accustomed to sleeping in the bedroom with his owner, if not actually in the bed with her once her husband goes to sleep.
We don't let dogs sleep in the bed with us.
This led to the first fun moment of the night last night, when I put him in the bathroom for the evening, along with food and a loaner toy (and his blanket). He proceeded to howl and bark for 20 minutes. So in to the bedroom he had to come, since there is no place we could stick him that we wouldn't hear him.
Ugh.
Off came the collar, because every time he moved it was "jingle jingle jingle". Diaper on (Yes, Spade wears diapers), in case he decided to lift a leg in the house (also not acceptable behavior).
Then came the crying to go out at 1am. He'd already peed in his diaper. I hadn't managed to get to sleep at this point, so I was obviously annoyed at taking him out.
Fast forward a few minutes when I force him to come back in because he's just standing outside with his nose buried in the dirt doing nothing. It takes him 15 minutes to settle back down, after wandering the room, rustling bags, etc. Finally he curls back on his bed and goes to sleep.
5am in the morning, he decides he wants to go back outside. Tim stomps him outside, because if Tim is awake, damnit, everyone else is going to be awake too. Thanks Tim, I was finally working on getting some sleep.
Spade comes back it, it takes a few minutes to herd him back to the bedroom. Then Tim forgot to put his diaper on. The lights come back on, more stomping around the house, etc. Finally, Spade is diapered and settles back down.
Alarm clock comes on at 7:40 am. Just when I am finally sleeping hard. I get up, get ready, take the dog out, he comes bouncing in thrilled to be up and even happier to receive his arthritis and heart medicines. Then I shut him back in the bedroom because Tim is trying to sleep and I have to go to work.
He starts scratching at the door. Also not acceptable behavior in our house. As I left this morning, Tim was yelling at a deaf dog to "STOP IT".
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind dog sitting at all. Becca is my bunny sitter when we are out of town. I am just really hoping this first night was rough simply because he was being too nosy to properly go outside and use the bathroom. He also needs to adjust to our schedules. Becca and her husband stay up later than Tim and I do, so I'm sure that has thrown the potty breaks off a bit.
It does leave me wondering though....can I safely roofie a 15 lb, 900 year old dog? Because I could really, really use a good night's sleep tonight.
-Kristen
Friday, August 17, 2012
Refuse Jelly
Never in my life did I know you could make so many things out of "reject" parts of food. For instance- Watermelon Rind preserves? Had no idea! Corn Cob Jelly? Now we're just getting silly!
It's true though- these are real foods. For instance, here is the recipe to Watermelon Rind Preserves:
And here is the recipe for Corn Cob Jelly-
You can do all kinds of neat things with odd pieces of "refuse" that you would think would need to be thrown out or tossed on the compost heap. It may be worth giving it a shot- imagine serving this to someone and after they ooohh and ahhh over it, telling them not only did you make it- it was made out of rinds or corn cobs!
-Kristen
It's true though- these are real foods. For instance, here is the recipe to Watermelon Rind Preserves:
Ingredients
Directions
- Peel off the green part of the watermelon rind, and slice into 2 inch pieces. Soak the rind in a solution of 1 gallon water and 1/2 cup salt overnight.
- Remove rind from the salt water, and place in a stockpot with clean water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the rind is tender. Drain.
- In a large pot, combine the sugar, 8 cups water, and sliced lemons. Tie the cinnamon and cloves into a cheesecloth bag, and place in the pot. Bring the syrup to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Add the rinds, and cook until transparent. Remove spice bag. Stir in red food coloring, if using. Ladle preserves into hot sterile jars, and process to seal.
And here is the recipe for Corn Cob Jelly-
Boil 6 or 8 sweet corn cobs (after corn is cut off) for about 10 minutes in water to cover. Strain the liquid. Measure 3 cups liquid in the same pan.Add 1 box of Sure-Jell and bring to a rolling boil. Add 4 cups sugar. Again, bring to boil and boil 1 minute. For color, you may add a little yellow food coloring. Pour in glasses, same as any jelly.All I keep hearing about Corn Cob Jelly is that it tastes just like honey.
You can do all kinds of neat things with odd pieces of "refuse" that you would think would need to be thrown out or tossed on the compost heap. It may be worth giving it a shot- imagine serving this to someone and after they ooohh and ahhh over it, telling them not only did you make it- it was made out of rinds or corn cobs!
-Kristen
Friday, May 4, 2012
What is the point of a storage locker?
I don't understand the purpose of storage lockers.
Don't get me wrong, I love love love Storage Wars. I am also fully aware of the general purpose of a storage locker. It basically boils down to this: You pay good money to store crap that isn't good enough for you to keep in your home. Eventually you forget what you are storing, so you continue to pay good money to store crap that is old, outdated and that you don't even recall.
Did I get that right?
Storage Wars has taught me one thing- frequently people store money and valuables in Storage Lockers as well- which blows my mind even more.
Really, truly- I don't understand why you'd pay for a storage locker for more than few months in the midst of a move or something of that nature.
As is, I can't remember some of the items I have in boxes in the closet! At least those don't cost me a monthly fee to store!
-Kristen
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Southern Sayings- Part 1
I often use Southern sayings- and it greatly amuses me how many people have no idea what I am saying. However, I've noticed the generations coming after mine have absolutely no idea what is being said either- and they are from the South!
So I'm putting together a reoccurring series of Southern Sayings! Enjoy!
Month of Sundays- a long time. "I haven't seen you in a month of Sundays!"
Blue Million- a lot. "I have a blue million book ideas!"
Forty eleven- a lot. "She has forty eleven cats."
Mule eatin' mayonnaise- an unattractive face or an unattractive person. "She looks like a mule eatin' mayonnaise."
Champagne taste, beer pocketbook- Expensive tastes but not much money. "I always seem to like the most expensive clothing. I've just got champagne taste and a beer pocketbook."
-Kristen
So I'm putting together a reoccurring series of Southern Sayings! Enjoy!
Month of Sundays- a long time. "I haven't seen you in a month of Sundays!"
Blue Million- a lot. "I have a blue million book ideas!"
Forty eleven- a lot. "She has forty eleven cats."
Mule eatin' mayonnaise- an unattractive face or an unattractive person. "She looks like a mule eatin' mayonnaise."
Champagne taste, beer pocketbook- Expensive tastes but not much money. "I always seem to like the most expensive clothing. I've just got champagne taste and a beer pocketbook."
-Kristen
Friday, January 13, 2012
I'm not normal
After an hour with the Doctor (who I liked a lot...though he was a UNC grad, what do you expect?), it was determined that I tore my trapezius muscle. Yeah, tore it. Apparently during my whiplash reaction to the wreck, I managed to tear the muscle in my neck, which explains the lump that appeared in my neck. Whew, I thought it was a bone.
He prescribed two medications, one is a muscle relaxer and one is a pain manager. Apparently the muscle relaxer is supposed to make me very drowsy.
It hasn't.
I haven't met a medication yet that can make me drowsy. Not Codeine, not Nyquil, not Benadryl and sure not "Cyclobenzaprine".
I am not feeling particularly "loosey goosey" yet either.
I never seem to react the way "normal" people do to things. Might make you drowsy? Nope, not me. Won't make you feel sick? Yeah I'm gonna be nauseated for fun.
Ahhh well, I guess in this case it's a good thing. Here's hoping the meds help me heal faster. If I don't feel better by Monday (better, not perfect) I'm supposed to call for Physical Therapy.
Happy Friday the 13th!
-Kristen
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Worry Wart
I'm such an incredible worrier. I don't know when I became this way or maybe I've just repressed memories of being such a worry-wart from my childhood. Wait- yep, there comes a few memories. I've apparently always been this way. Whew, at least it's not because I'm getting old. Yet.
One of my many goals in life is to learn to let things go when I can't control them- or worse, when they haven't even happened yet.
I worry I'm the only person in the world that does this. Oops, no wait. I'm not going to worry about that. Anyway, I am possibly the only person in the world that lies awake at night and invents scenarios to worry over, based on events that haven't even happened yet. "Well, if she says this, then I'll say that, but then if she gets mad, then that means this won't happen and if that doesn't happen then they are not going to be able to..."
Take a deep breath and let it all go.
If it hasn't even happened yet, it might not happen that way at all (which I've noticed is often the case). Even if it has, my worrying over someone else's reaction is not serving a purpose.
I think a lot of this stems from my desire to be prepared. If I worry, I work out scenarios and have a bit of control over the situation, even if it seems out of control. Instead, I spend sleepless nights tossing and turning over things that never happen. I spend energy I could devote elsewhere to running scenes through my head trying to map out a course of action I will probably never need.
I need to learn just to let it all go. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Although inside of me, a little part is screaming "But what if you get there and need a rope?"
-Kristen
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Why I need to pay more attention when I read...
I'm hunting across all of the Groupon, Living Social, etc. etc. sites today, trying to find discounted tickets to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (I was just informed I will be stabbed if I call it a race track) Museum.
There it was on Groupon: An ad. In my quick scan I saw "Ticket, Speed, Indy Speed". I HAD IT! I had stumbled upon exactly the groupon I needed.
Then I read it a little more closely.
Hmmm.
This is not exactly what I thought it was.
On a side note, why exactly do you need two or four tickets to a speed dating event?
-Kristen
There it was on Groupon: An ad. In my quick scan I saw "Ticket, Speed, Indy Speed". I HAD IT! I had stumbled upon exactly the groupon I needed.
Then I read it a little more closely.
One, Two, or Four Tickets to a Speed-Dating Event From Indy Speed Date (Up to 58% Off) Over 200 bought
Hmmm.
This is not exactly what I thought it was.
On a side note, why exactly do you need two or four tickets to a speed dating event?
-Kristen
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
To sleep-perchance to dream
I've been having really... I guess you would call them busy dreams lately. They aren't necessarily bad dreams, but there is so much going on in them I don't wake up feeling rested. Maybe it's not there is a lot going on, but it's that I'm too close to consciousness and I remember too much of them- really I don't know.
It's definitely no fun though.
Two days ago I caught myself about to start sleep-meddling. In this case, I was seconds away from ripping all the covers off the bed (where Tim was trying to sleep, blissfully unaware) and taking them in the laundry room to wash them in the middle of the night.
This morning, my alarm went off for work and I lay there drifting in and out of sleep, telling myself I needed to get up. That kind of extra "rest" isn't going to make me feel any better, but somehow I just could not force myself out of bed. Eventually Tim started kneeing me (which earned him grunts of not-happy) and I dragged my tired body out of bed.
I seem to go through cycles of not sleeping well. It's never just one bad dream or one "busy" dream. It's always a set of them- maybe it lasts a week, then I sleep wonderfully for a while. Or I have 10 days of not being able to fall asleep at night, then suddenly I'm sleeping like a baby for a month.
I can never tell why these periods of troubled sleep happen. Sometimes I can break the cycle though, I'm hoping I can do that this time.
-Kristen
It's definitely no fun though.
Two days ago I caught myself about to start sleep-meddling. In this case, I was seconds away from ripping all the covers off the bed (where Tim was trying to sleep, blissfully unaware) and taking them in the laundry room to wash them in the middle of the night.
This morning, my alarm went off for work and I lay there drifting in and out of sleep, telling myself I needed to get up. That kind of extra "rest" isn't going to make me feel any better, but somehow I just could not force myself out of bed. Eventually Tim started kneeing me (which earned him grunts of not-happy) and I dragged my tired body out of bed.
I seem to go through cycles of not sleeping well. It's never just one bad dream or one "busy" dream. It's always a set of them- maybe it lasts a week, then I sleep wonderfully for a while. Or I have 10 days of not being able to fall asleep at night, then suddenly I'm sleeping like a baby for a month.
I can never tell why these periods of troubled sleep happen. Sometimes I can break the cycle though, I'm hoping I can do that this time.
-Kristen
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
5.9 Earthquake!
Oh...my....lord.
Seriously? We don't GET earthquakes in our area. It just doesn't happen. We're all much more concerned about hurricanes- in fact, there is one that is projected to bother North Carolina this weekend.
Today, a 5.9 earthquake rocked Mineral, Virginia. It was felt as far up as Toronto, Canada and it sure jiggled us here in North Carolina, Virginia's cooler and more southern cousin.
I was at work, standing in my boss's office and honestly thought it was working going on at the quarry down the road. The glass in the windows of the building was rattling to the point I thought it was going to break. We looked at each other and then she said "Well...the books aren't falling off the shelves..." After about a minute or so, the shaking stopped and we went on about our lives.
I can't believe that we actually FELT an earthquake and not only that- a fairly decent sized one! A friend of mine located only 30 minutes from the epicenter said she was thrown to the ground while she tried to take pictures of her rabbits. She said things fell around her, but luckily she and her farm animals were unhurt.
Man, who would have thought that the East Coast would have been rocked by an earthquake ever? Much less on such a beautiful day!
-Kristen
Seriously? We don't GET earthquakes in our area. It just doesn't happen. We're all much more concerned about hurricanes- in fact, there is one that is projected to bother North Carolina this weekend.
Today, a 5.9 earthquake rocked Mineral, Virginia. It was felt as far up as Toronto, Canada and it sure jiggled us here in North Carolina, Virginia's cooler and more southern cousin.
I was at work, standing in my boss's office and honestly thought it was working going on at the quarry down the road. The glass in the windows of the building was rattling to the point I thought it was going to break. We looked at each other and then she said "Well...the books aren't falling off the shelves..." After about a minute or so, the shaking stopped and we went on about our lives.
I can't believe that we actually FELT an earthquake and not only that- a fairly decent sized one! A friend of mine located only 30 minutes from the epicenter said she was thrown to the ground while she tried to take pictures of her rabbits. She said things fell around her, but luckily she and her farm animals were unhurt.
Man, who would have thought that the East Coast would have been rocked by an earthquake ever? Much less on such a beautiful day!
-Kristen
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