I was supposed to be spending the week with Dad while he was in town on business but life seems to have gotten in the way. I did manage to get an update on step-mom from him last night though...

Following a scary call Monday night rushing them to the hospital first thing the next morning they got good news and bad news.

Good news: They believe they got the whole tumor in the surgery.

Bad news: They want her to go through six cycles of chemo.

Good news: She should be able to do her treatments on an outpatient basis instead of being hospitalized like a couple of years ago.

I guess that works out to more good than bad, but still not much fun...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 08:59 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I'm officially creeped out now.

First, I woke up experiencing a panic attack this morning. Yeah, that was fun. Squeeze ... pound, squeeze ... pound, squeeze ... pound... Just what I wanted to wake up to this morning - my heart trying to leap out of my chest. To make matters worse, I have no idea what the panic was about or how it was triggered.

Then, after I had calmed down, my condo started vibrating. I laid on the bed and felt a gentle vibration get stronger, then the windows kicked in. It lasted for close to 45 continuous seconds. It stopped rattling for a few seconds before there was another jolt and a little more vibrating. It really felt like a minor earthquake. It lasted too long and there wasn't enough noise for it to have been a truck outside. On some level it made me feel better, like I had a little piece of home keeping me company. But then I just felt like a crazy psycho when USGS didn't have any earthquake data in the area.

Next I opened up my e-mail to a message from an ex ... saying things weren't so good in his life and that hearing about my new life would cheer him up. He's random like that. At least once a year or so he is good for a 'why do I continue being such a dumb asshole' message sent my way.

I tried to get on track for the day and I didn't get too far before I was interrupted again. I was expecting a phone call... but not from him...

That's right, another ex. He 'thought I had left a voicemail last night' that said I needed to talk to him. Convenient how he was just bitching about his drama with the psycho chicks in his life.

I think I need to crawl under a rock for the rest of the day. I'm not sure I want to know what random life-test is lurking around the corner. This time it is a conspiracy for sure...I just know it...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:45 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Rocks can be fun. I'll hide with ya!

Posted by: Ogre at September 07, 2005 02:04 PM (/k+l4)

2 NEVER talk to strangers, or ex's...even if they bring candy

Posted by: ArmyWifeToddlerMom at September 08, 2005 10:00 AM (iySL4)

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It was a little too warm
It was a little too light out
The celing fan's light fixture was insistant for attention

With the bulbs adjusted and the glass tweaked...
There was a patterned hum as the blades rotated

It was a little too uncomfortable
It was a little too wrong
The tossing and turning refused to take the night off

My insomnia has returned, in full force.

I woke up this morning far earlier than I wanted to and on the verge of tears. Just before waking up I was dreaming of an old job and re-experiencing the frustrations of working there. The nice people were all still there but the manager had been replaced with the former district manager who was worse, ten fold.

In the dream...
I was packing small bags with my things - the equivalent of cleaning out my desk. It was understood that I was quitting. The layout of the store was different but most everything else was the same. There was a snitch that made career points at everyone else's expense. The top management was rude and abrasive. In the midst of me doing my job and her in the middle of another task, she dropped everything came over to me. She ripped my name badge from my neck and demanded to know where I had gotten it. She made clear that if I wanted to quit, she didn't need me in her store for another minute longer. I snatched the name badge away from her and retreated to the break room. She continued to make comments as she walked to the back of the store to go to her office. It was too much for me to take and I screamed at her as she walked away, "if you didn't exist, this would be the greatest job on earth. I don't understand why you are even here." At which point I broke into tears in the break room and was consoled by another worker.

I couldn't fall back asleep after that. I was too upset and too disturbed by my childish reaction in the dream.

Yet another good night's sleep has managed to escape.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:13 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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1 I wish I could interpret dreams -- this one sounds important. Then again, it could just be random thoughts of a pepperoni- and beer-addled mind...

Posted by: Ogre at September 06, 2005 09:56 AM (/k+l4)

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It was a long day of post-op recovery for step-mom. Surgery takes a physical toll that catches up with a patient by day's end.

Daughter 1 and daughter 2 each drove down to Cedars this afternoon. Step-mom was boosted by that, as well as a personal call from her senior physician.

I stayed here last night at Cedars on a cot in step-mom's room. I think tonight
I'll head home for a few hours rest and to see that all is in good shape at home.

We're anticipating a visit by Dr. K - senior staff - tomorrow morning at 0700. Dr. K is a gem, a valuable resource for the women's health care initiative.

We're feeling fortunate, blessed to be surrounded with such great personal
and professional support, together with equally good news at this juncture.

Thanks again to all.

Best,

Dad& step-mom

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:45 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I called Dad last night to see how everyone was holding up after the surgery and found him still at the hospital, just where a devoted husband belongs when his wife has been through a major ordeal. Step-mom was in a private room in the hospital where she would recover for the next three or four days and Dad was awaiting a cot so he could sleep there with her. Her daughters were no where to be found.

Before he left they repeatedly pestered my father about where he would spend the night. Why? Because the very day their mother underwent surgery to remove internal organs and potentially deadly tissue these girls were plotting to throw a party in the parent-free house. Their excuse for not visiting was traffic...

It is labor day weekend and I'm sure my dad will spend a lot of it in the hospital keeping his wife comfortable and in good company. That leaves these satan-spawn to throw as many parties as they like. And if they are good at one thing it is answering when an opportunity like that knocks.

I don't know why I am shocked at this turn of events but my step-sisters never cease to amaze me. At 21 and 17 you would think that by now they would have developed some level of sensitivity and maturity. Maybe normal people of their age would have, but not these pieces of trash.

When my mom had outpatient surgery to remove a malignant mass I made sure I was not only in town but at the hospital with her before, during, and after. She didn't spend a moment of the few hours she was in the hospital outside of surgery without me. My brother was there for most of the time and her friend was there a good portion of the time as well.

My mom and I have our differences and have fought more often than not throughout my life ... but when it came right down to it, being there was more important than anything else I could have had going on in my life. I guess the same is not true for the step-sisters.

I am so beyond disgusted right now that there aren't words...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 03:01 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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It has been confirmed that my step-mom has been attacked by cancer for the third time in her life. Her first two battles were with the same type. This time she is facing an entirely new monster.

Under the advisement of some of the best oncologists in the country, her first line of treatment is a hysterectomy - scheduled for tomorrow. Whether she will need additional treatment has not been decided at this point.

No family should have to suffer the pain of cancer as much as hers has.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:31 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I don't care how slim the chance is that a creepy crawly thing could actually hurt me... stuff like this is why they are simply and unwaiveringly banned from my house. I mean, just listen to this:

Thinking it was a mouse, I went to investigate the sound. The sound was coming from under some papers which I lifted, expecting to see the mouse scamper away," the 32-year-old psychotherapist said Wednesday. "Instead, when I lifted the papers, I saw this prehistoric looking animal skitter away behind a stack of books.

The Scolopendra gigantea has front claws that are adapted to deliver venom when it stings, which can lead to a blistering rash, nausea and fever. The sting is rarely life-threatening, but painful.

Banned. Period. Case closed.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I just got off the phone with Joshua Tree Superior Court in California...

And they tell me I need a lawyer now.

And I wasn't the one that got arrested.

But I won't see my bail again if I don't.

WHAT . THE . FUCK ?

Posted by: Princess Cat at 02:03 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I want to send best wishes to Gulf Coast residents. I can't even imagine what you are in for this week and in the weeks to come. Many a blog will keep people updated but this is not one of them. Bou and Eric most definitely have their share of coverage and more expressive words about the subject than I could dream of being able to write.

The most I can really say is that people I know have loved ones in Katrina's path and they are worried. They are upset because they know there is nothing they can do but call and ask if everything is still ok. I have been along the coast there from Pensacola to NO itself and it is a shame to think of the desctruction she is capable of brining to it. So many people's lives at stake and so many resources that will be spent to put the pieces back together again.

I know now is probably not the best time for humor but sometimes it is how I deal with what I cannot control. So just remember, when the water's coming, do what the stupid chick in the horror flicks always does when some psycho is chasing her around the house ... always go up!

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:34 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Yeah, I'm thrilled... my company is sending me right into that area next week. I think my boss hates me.

Posted by: TheBisch at August 29, 2005 12:55 AM (D96xQ)

2 I just heard Navarre is taking a beating now. One of my best friends from college lives there... her husband is in Iraq... and she has 3 kids. What a mess.

Posted by: Bou at August 29, 2005 12:35 PM (5JHEt)

3 .. one nasty nightmare, that's for sure...

Posted by: Eric at August 29, 2005 12:43 PM (YlwMq)

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4 weeks ago today I went in to have a long over do check up. It had been about six years since I was looked over for cancer, despite my high risk status and previous findings of pre-cancerous tissue. I had been putting it off out of fear of what they would say. Mentally I guess I'd rather stay guessing than hear the bad news. I hate the scars that the biopsies leave behind and some part of me was avoiding that as well.

Last night I got a little pre-printed card from the doctor's office with only my name, address, and biopsy date filled in by hand. Even the doctor's signature was a very, very poorly stamped signature. It was good news but am I the only one that thinks this is seriously unprofessional? First I had to wait a month to find out if I was infected with these evil, malicious cells. Then I'm not even worthy of a phone call or a letter that is (1) less obviously a form letter, and (2) has less of a generic 'keep an eye on it' type recommendation?

This office had come highly recommended. I will have to respectfully disagree and never go back. The possibility of cancer is far too scary to be blatantly treated like a number, especially in a private practice.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:08 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I sat here thinking about this whole situation a lot over the last couple of days and I realized two things.

1. I am without a doubt my father's daughter
2. It's not about the money.

It irks me that my family is out the money but it isn't the end of the world that we are. Assuming the jackass goes to his court date at least some of the money will be returned by the courts. That means only the car costs and chiropractic costs will be left unpaid.

What really irritates me is the fact that my dad has jumped though hoop after hoop because of this pair. The time off work, the trips to the auto shop, the time spent thinking about what to do. The girl has been nothing but disrespectful from the beginning but Dad has a soft spot for people that live a tougher life than he does. He excuses away bad behavior with reasons of their stress or worry. Sometimes I think he'd just keel over on the spot if someone tapped him on the shoulder and said 'Thanks for all you've done but your services are no longer needed - no one in the world needs helping anymore.'

And because of that generosity he now has a car in his posession and there is nothing he can do with it. He doesn't have the title so he can't sell it. And even if he wanted to just hand it back to her and be assed out the cash, he can't - she won't return his calls and he doesn't know her address. The car is the stress on his life that he doesn't need.

So I believe Eric said it best earlier '... some people need a good beating, that is for sure...'

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:55 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Remember that accident I was in a month ago? Yeah, still not resolved.

The guy who was driving, that got arrested, and I bailed out of jail? Not returning my phone calls. Where's my $1600, pal?

The chick who's car he was driving? Still being a manipulative bitch. Not returning phone calls either. Dad took her car to be repaired under the agreement that she either repaid the money or would give him the title so he could sell it. Now she's doing neither. She wants it to run perfectly before she makes a decision. It had an exhaust leak and it sounded like a go kart before the accident. What do you want from us bitch? Where's the $1700?

Why am I so angry about it right now? Because I care about my dad and I care about how much stress he is under and I care about nice guys getting screwed over. He was nice to these people because I was in the car at the time of the accident...no.other.reason. Dad has just found out that his wife may have cancer, again. Yes, again. This would make the third time for her, I believe. And while I don't like the woman, I don't wish that torture on her or for the anguish it puts my dad through.

So I am angry at these two yahoos for kicking a gift horse in the teeth. I feel like my hands are tied since this is all taking place in LA and I am not there. And I can't make my dad teach them a lesson. He has bigger, more important things going on in his life. When push comes to shove he'd probably take the hit to the wallet just to avoid the hassle of court.

If anyone in LA wants to handle this for me or break a jackasses knees in Brooklyn, let me know.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:22 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I woke up his morning with the distinct feeling that something, somewhere, was going terribly wrong..if it hadn't already. Not quite a panic but more than a worry - it started my day very poorly.

So far I haven't figured out what the evil I was feeling is so maybe it was just my dream...

I woke up in the middle of a dream where I was house sitting with friends. We were watching something on TV and a few of us were getting a little too loud. Cops showed up and sentenced me to pay for the actions of all with 10 mins in jail. I set off to find the jail and was having one hell of a time doing it. A little later my best friend showed up with the same sentence. She and I were still trying to find the jail and having no luck. We asked cop after cop in the middle of festivals that were going on. We made it to the justice center but the family area with food courts, shopping, fountains, and lush green terraces was so hugely like a mall that we still could not find where official business was to be conducted. We talked as we walked and discovered the officers who had handed out our sentences told each of us individually that we were paying for the actions of one man... and that each of our friends would continue to do so until he stopped. I was tearfully asking yet another officer how to find our way to jail and listening to him tell me to come back at 2am when things would be quicker when I woke up...

I hope this day is better than it feels like it's going to be...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:57 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I'll be taking it a little easy tonight.

Why?

Well I've taken a page out of Dad's book and I'm really hoping it doesn't become a whole chapter. Just before dinner I bent over, put my hands on my knees, and then slowly crumpled to the ground. There was a loud pop and a sharp pain in my lower back. Seems my sacro-iliac joint was none to happy this evening and needed to bring me down with it. Once the pain and tears subsided I was ok. It feels a little iffy now and then so I'm being extra careful.

Good thing I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow!

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:44 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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My time at the chiropractor was both heaven and hell on a table. He's a big believer in sports therapy and I couldn't agree more with his tactics. While he did inflict a lot of pain trying putting pinpoint pressure on muscle spasms, he more than made up for it with his massage therapy sessions. It's amazing how great a vibrating powertool can make a girl feel. I'll have to ask him how I can add one like his to my collection...

But I've managed to jack myself up so thoroughly that what should have been a 15 min appointment was an hour long. I have 2 more appointments this week and will be back three times next week. After that, the balance between targeted exercises and adjustments will depend on how much my body has healed. Good thing I found someone relatively convenient to get to.

I called dad to update him on what the chiro said but I didn't get too far... he was driving Lil Bro to urgent care again. Seems Lil Bro was having a dizzy spell and tightness in his chest that made him feel he needed medical attention but he was uncomfortable being behind the wheel.

I'm beginning to feel like I come from some sort of sickly stock... we're all just falling apart left and right! I blame the genes...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 06:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The following is a real conversation:

Ex: its been a yr since ive seen u right
Me: yeah
Ex: when did we hook up?
Me: what's with all the questions?
Ex: im trying to remember the good times
Ex: ive had a bad day
Ex: trying to keep people stright... JK
Me: isn't it your gf's job to cheer you up then?
Ex: ses still at work
Ex: shes
....
Ex: I swear last i knew u were in Pa (*)
Ex: thats why i asked
Me: nope
Me: apparently you don't remember a whole lot of what it was like to know me
Me: feels real special
Ex: shut up
Ex: i remember ur ass and tits
Ex: and that wonderful smile
Ex: sorry im a in rare mood
Me: k
Ex: u really should send me a pic of u so when im down i can remember more of thoes days when we hooked up and all the fun we had

Why do I even answer IM's from people like this? I know exactly how it is going to turn out every. single. time... I am apparently an emotional masochist with the inability to learn. Maybe that makes me insane too...

* I have NEVER lived in PA...in fact, I have never even visited

Posted by: Princess Cat at 06:45 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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You heard me... no more vacations! Not for my family at least. First there was my vacation troubles in LA last month (no, they aren't resolved yet) and now Dad.

A couple of days ago, while on vacation in Hawaii, Dad threw his back out... I only found out last night because I happened to call my mom to chat about my current medical woes. Mind you, Dad is a fairly healthy guy...goes to the gym... tries to eat well ... and follows most medical advice his docs give him if there is any trouble. He's had some back pain before but the problems were generally kept at bay by specific strengthening exercises given to him by his chiropractor. I guess they weren't enough anymore. In his words, "I thought I was headed to the hospital...I was in real trouble last night." Apparently the muscle spasms were so bad that it caused him some respiratory distress as well. I haven't gotten all of the details from him but a doctor was called to the hotel, he was having trouble breathing, he's been prescribed valium and vicodin, and has been to physical therapy every day since it happened.

So now you see... I hereby decree vacations BANNED in my family.

Now lets just hope Mom and Lil Bro (& GF) can make it home from their camping trip without a vacation fiasco of their own.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 08:33 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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... whoa... call me naive... say I was brought up under a rock... say what you will, but realize first that I honestly had no idea Mormons had special underwear... some sort of knee-length thing with thick fabric buttresses over the special places.. mainly the nipples and pubes.... again, all I can say is whoa... the thought of someone needing reinforcements over their extra-sensitive bits just boggles my mind... Mormons must have nipples of steel... but, I digress...

.. this post, in no way, is meant as disrespectful of Mormons.... actually, I've never even met a Mormon... and as such, I usually wait until I've met people before I start making fun of them... so, this is NOT making fun of Mormons... it's just me... trying vainly to understand why the vast majority of the population isn't going Commando.... after all, God created us naked... and even after Eve bit into that forbidden fruit and covered herself in fig leaves, God issued no great commandment about negligees.. gentile or not.... surely God's Underwear is nothing but fur resting securely against denim.... as it was in the beginning, right?... or at least fur against silk... or satin... or burlap...

.. damn... there I go again... digressing... see, I have just had an email exchange with Boudicca... and it is quite possible that it is the strangest exchange via the internet that I've ever had... which is saying a lot.... anyway, I was told something that I was honestly ignorant of... sure, the Blogosphere is full of freaks, geniuses, flashers, and ego-maniacs... but in all my years of corresponding with them, I've never stumbled upon the fact that Mormons have special underwear.... so, thank you, Bou... I don't know where I'd be without you... still, someone should have sent me the memo...

... anyway, to cut a long story even shorter, here's the deal... as a public service announcement, be it herein known, Mormons wear a body sock with reinforcements... pretty damn kinky, if you ask me.... and I, as you all know, am a sworn proponent of boycotting knickers in general... freedom, that's what God intended... flowing in the breeze, and knocking at your knees mid-thigh....

... and it is at such times as I am currently experiencing - this shocking revelation of Mormon underwear - that I question the validity of the religious way of life....

... what's my point?... well, as is often the case, I have none... other than to say that if the Mormons ever moved to the South, they'd be in for trying times... indeed, they'd either convert to a different religion, or die of heat stroke... now, I'm all for religious tolerance, but I have to say... even the Great State of Tennessee is not friendly to cotton knickers in July and August... much less full-body socks with reinforced nipple-covers.... chaffing, rashes, and dehydration await the Mormons that wanders South... it's a sore, but salient fact, people... it's not the heat down here, but the humidity that kills ya...

Posted by: Eric at 12:59 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Wow...I had no idea too. And hell, I have actually KNOWN Mormons. I actually went to a Mormon wedding reception (non-mormons can't watch the ceremony). Weird...so weird!

Posted by: Dorothy at July 30, 2005 01:57 PM (LGAeW)

2 LOL! You are very welcome. Heh. To think I was able to teach the SWG something. Kinda blows me away...

Posted by: Bou at July 30, 2005 03:14 PM (5JHEt)

3 Whoa, you go commando? Nice... So, um... when did you say you were submitting that Application to Date Me on my blog? And do you wear mini-skirts on the first date?

Posted by: TheBisch at July 30, 2005 05:15 PM (y+dDE)

4 .. Mr. TheBisch, I appreciate your sentiment.. however, my name is Eric and I'm married... I'm merely guest posting for Cat while she's away.. ... although, I must admit, I am quite flattered...

Posted by: Eric at July 30, 2005 05:22 PM (YlwMq)

5 Doh, I missed that one. That's what happens when you travel for work and then come back and try to catch up on two weeks of blog reading!

Posted by: TheBisch at July 30, 2005 05:29 PM (y+dDE)

6 No such thing. Nope. Never. No way.

Posted by: Denise at July 30, 2005 10:38 PM (JTlEe)

7 Eric WOW hangin' in the breeze right up against a tree K*I*S*S*I*N*G ~BARK~ Burlap!!! Are you NUTS! Damn, that hurts just thinking about it! Who the heck invented underwear anyway... it's a stupid tradition... used to be underwear was considered decadent and immoral Women may have worn alot of petticoats and corsettes but not knickers! Well You do know the majority of Mormons live in Utah Where the temps can really rise to heights of hell And, it's mostly desert Well...the climate IS dry So...not so tough with the Xtra layers I suppose But, think about THIS: Where on earth did they come up with another layer of clothes? Some Mormons have several wives........so.........um Well, they also have lots of little rugrats....... Hey, maybe the extra layer of cloth is actually a stimulant? Nah....but...nah... I actually know some Mormon people in Utah, Nevada and TeXass (too chickenshit to ask them) Eric? Is this one of those bizarro weirdass traditions nobody can figure out where it came from and what it means and what the point of it all is because it happened in some past millenium that doesn't exactly apply to this millenium and ........is it like the speaking in tongues deal? All I know is, somebody's got some 'esplainin' ta do! And, I found a PICTURE of Mormon Garments I can't seem to get this site to take a link, so here it is the hard way: http://molelog.molehill.org/blomt/archives/2003/05/mormon_garments.html Ya know...this is kinda sick. No offense. I saw one acticle that they use them for evidence of ........ excitement. Not sure if that's exactly true... Well...um...look at that guys...

Posted by: Sinequanon at July 31, 2005 02:03 AM (Mvts/)

8 BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA all that underwear talk got Cat's readers worked up and you got asked out!! too funny, man...

Posted by: shoe at July 31, 2005 01:40 PM (awET/)

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... is apparently not my month...

At 7:45a the outside temperature is 77 with 90% humidity...making it feel like 85 according to the weather gods. The temperature in my house is about equal. The A/C isn't working, I can't turn the fan on, my old thermostat is in pieces on the dining room table (as is the new one for some reason), there are tools all over my dining room, and I've heard nothing from the roommate or the landlord about what is going on.

... stupid July ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 07:47 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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...I meant to write children... wonder how that slipped past the proofreading...

Anyhow, I'm back in DC after a series of terrible customer service experiences with United Airlines and experiences of even greater horror with the little demons they allow to travel their planes.

Today reaffirmed several long-held beliefs of mine as well...
1) When you need the shuttle to arrive on time, it will inevitably arrive early
2) Never, ever, EVER fly a major airline unless you have to
3) Children Devil spawn should travel in the cargo hold where their screaming, crying, shreaking, babbling, putrid smelling, seat kicking, hair pulling, arm poking, window slamming selves cannot be noticed.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:31 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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