Steak And A Cupcake...

And a beer....

My husband has his priorities straight. And really, I can't think of a better alliance of food than the great American steak and a frosted cupcake. The beer just goes without saying.

Speechless

I. Wow. I don't even know what to say about this. It starts out weird and gets weirder once the cats show up. Still, I couldn't take my eyes away.

MEG - Precious @ Yahoo! Video

5 Things To Be Grateful For Today

Cooler temperatures! Fall is on the way, my favorite time of year!

My amazing, wonderful, loving, sweet, handy and handsome husband! He's worked VERY hard all week installing new hardware in our kitchen and bathroom and he's made dinner every night! I'm so lucky!

My new laptop bag! It's strong enough for a man, but made just for a woman (which means it's functional and cute)!

Finally, affordable Viagra! I received a whole bunch of emails about it. No more erectile dysfunction for me!

I get to bake loads of cupcakes today and have my house filled with all my bestest girlfriends ever!

Eat Your Heart Out

Nick made dinner tonight! Mustard-Maple Pork Tenderloin. It was de-li-cious! And have a gander at that colorful pile of greens there. This is one healthy meal made by one handsome guy!

Nick actually did the meal planning and grocery shopping for the week as well as prepared really yummy dinners the past two nights. Did I mention he does dishes? The man is a god.

I tried to snap a photo of the chef in action, but, as usual, he wasn't very cooperative. I told him I was going to get a picture of him smiling on my blog if it was the last thing I ever did.

His response was that it would be. Smart ass.

Love you!

Meee-ow!

More experimenting with Photoshop.

Yeti's eyes are his most striking feature and I really wanted to emphasize that. I also wanted to give him a kind of aura or ethereal appearance because, as clearly stated by the expression on his face, he is far superior to all humans.


The angle in this shot and the expression on his face is slightly reminiscent of a politician, all noble and meaning business. Just add an American flag and a slogan....



He's got my vote.

(This is what I do, people, when I've had too much wine at dinner and the room is spinning and I can't sleep and want to throw up. I design campaign posters for cats. Really, what else is there to do?)

More Fun With Photoshop

I'm having some fun experimenting with the various aspects of Photoshop. The shot of this little flower girl looking at herself in the mirror was just too cute to pass up playing around with. I'm not sure that I'm 100% happy with it yet, but for a first attempt I'd say it's not too shabby.

My Friend Becky

This is my friend, Becky! Ain't she cute?!

Circumstances in life are moving her to Florida next week and while I believe she is heading on a positive path, I'm sure gonna miss her guts out. Of course, we will keep in touch, but I'll miss the opportunities to hang out.

We met at work four years ago and quickly became friends. I always looked forward to the days we worked together because when Becky was there, I knew it was gonna be a good day. Her cheerful and giggly personality could brighten up any day and she was always a great ear when I needed to get something off my chest. She can also be credited for finally turning me on to MySpace and teaching me how to text like the cool kids do!

I love you, Becky! Thank you for always brightening my days and for being such a great listener and friend. I wish you all the peace, happiness and opportunities that you deserve.

Love,
Niki

Bee 'Tocks

When I woke up this morning and glanced out my window, I noticed this one lonesome flower peeking out of a crack in our back fence. I liked him, so I moseyed out in my underwear to snap a quick photo or two. I'm pretty sure the neighbors weren't up at this early hour. And if they were, I sure hope they weren't looking at the strange girl crouching in her underwear and staring at a hole in the fence.

As I was snapping my shots and feeling the weeds that are our "lawn" tickling my bottom, this little guy came along to partake in some pollen. Good morning, Mr. Bee!



Nice 'tocks!

My Evening Routine

Wash my face.
Pet the kitties.
Put on pajamas.
Trip over the kitties.
Catch up on blogs and email.
Stick a needle in my leg.

As part of my little MS project (and also my apparent need to photograph everything - see previous post), I've taken some step-by-step photographs of what is involved in my daily injections. Needle in one hand, camera in the other; now that's multi-tasking!

What I am injecting is called a disease-modifying drug. A disease-modifying drug impacts the course of MS by slowing the progression of the disease and decreasing the number of relapses. It does not, however, eradicate my daily symptoms. It's kind of like putting a dog on a treadmill; He's not going anywhere, but he still gets tired.

Still, after a year and a half on this drug my brain scans show a significant decrease in progression. Whaa-hoo! So as disenchanted as I have become by the nightly ritual of stabbing myself with a needle, I'm grateful for what it does for me and I'm going to keep that puppy on the treadmill as long as I can.

So here is my arsenal of supplies that I sit down with every evening. The blue pouch stores everything I need in one handy place. Almost like Mary Poppins' carpet bag, though I've yet to come across any home decor items or magical measuring tapes. Instead it holds my auto injector, alcohol wipes, cotton balls and my injection log book.

My medicine is kept refrigerated and is taken out and brought to body temperature before injecting. I do this by placing the syringe under my arm pit or, as suggested by one injection training nurse, right down my cleavage. Boobs...is there anything they can't do?



My log book is where I track all my injections. It's important to properly rotate these injections to avoid skin and tissue damage. I rotate between my thighs, hips and stomach. There are multiple sites within each area and I've devised a numbering system to help me keep the injections spread out evenly from each other. I also use this book to keep notes on my symptoms, which is helpful for doctor visits and to identify what's working and what's not.


Here's my Auto Injector. This thing is a real life saver! It automatically injects my medication from the syringe without me ever having to see or handle the needle, which makes injecting a whole lot easier and much less nerve-wracking. Here's how this baby works:



The injector is two pieces and opens like so.


The red end is pushed up against the yellow end and is pushed all the way up until it clicks. This locks the spring mechanism, which pushes the plunger of the syringe down, into place.


The syringe is inserted into the other piece, needle end down.


And pushed all the way in until it clicks.


Then I screw the two pieces back together.


This is where I adjust the depth of the needle (how deep it will go into my skin). Getting the depth just right was a process of trial and error and I experienced some pretty nasty looking welts and bruises. I only wish I had thought of photographing them at the time.


Once I check the depth adjustment I'm ready to inject and I swab the area to be injected with an alcohol wipe. My X-files bruise is still hanging around. I wish I knew what the aliens were trying to tell me!


Next I pull the red piece out, which removes the needle cap.



The needle is completely hidden!

I place the injector over the area I am injecting (taking care to avoid any veins) and push down until the white piece meets the blue piece. This unlocks the safety lock. I push the blue button at the top to release the yellow spring mechanism and begin the injection.


It typically takes between 5 and 10 seconds to fully inject. Now that doesn't sound very long, but the liquid medicine burns as it goes in and sometimes it feels like forever until I can take the needle out. I know the injection is complete when I see the red completely fill the view window.


There's my needle, which is completely visible after being removed. I disassemble the injector and dispose of the syringe in a sharps container.


I place some gentle pressure to the area with a cotton ball to stop any bleeding or oozing of the medication. If needed, a kiss from my husband can be administered to help with any pain.


This injection wasn't too bad. Just some mild redness and a pretty small lump, which will be gone in a few days.

So there is my nightly routine! I've done it 534 times and I pretty much have it down to a science. When I first started out with this treatment, Nick was giving me my injections until I was able to work up the courage to try it myself. Once I got the auto injector, however, I've been injecting on my own ever since. I really appreciate the independence it has given me and the sense of control I have over my own treatment.

Like I said, as much as doing this night after night really sucks, it seems to be making a difference. So I'll keep this routine going until something better comes along or I finally find that magic lamp with the genie inside. I've got my three wishes already picked out.

A Day At The Gynecologist!

I may have reached new levels of blogging obsession, for today I brought my camera to my vaginal exam. Hell...why not? What could be more fun than a vaginal exam? I mean, besides everything in the whole world?

The point is that I do not look forward to this annual ritual of violation so I decided to add a bit of fun to it. I brought my small camera so as not to be detected taking photos. I didn't want people thinking I was weird or something. Psh.

One of the many enjoyable tasks of visiting the gynecologist is peeing in a cup. It must be done every time. Honestly, I don't even know what they're checking. Ph levels or pregnancy, I think. Whatever. So here is me with my little pee cup, which I have written my name on as instructed. Hello little pee cup. I hate you.

Once in the exam room there is much to catch the eye. Wonder what all this stuff is for?

"Do not use in eyes and ears". Noted.

Well doesn't this look cozy and inviting! Just strip down naked and drape these cut up old bed sheets over yourself. They won't actually cover a damn thing and you'll be all exposed, but just relax until the doctor is ready for you.

While you're naked and waiting, why not enjoy some reading material.

There, all done! This is what I came here for. It's called a Pap test. You don't even want to know where that stick thing just was and, quite frankly, neither do I. But there it is. See you next year!!

Peanut Butter Cookie Time!

Wow, am I a food blogger now? I guess so! It makes sense since it's combining two of my favorite things: photography and eating. And cooking. So three. It combines three of my favorite things. Oh, and writing. So four. Four of my favorite things.

Who wants cookies? I share with you!

How To Win Friends And Influence People

The "experts" out there will have you believe that their rules and books and step-by-step programs are what it takes to excel at winning people over. But there really is no need for all that. This, my friends, is your golden ticket to winning anyone over.

Olive cheese bread (recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman). It's food-gasmic. Food-vana. It's just damn good. You will shine at your next office picnic or pot-luck gathering and those who experience this divine creation will sing your praises. And who couldn't use a bit more of that?

I have been considering this dish for an upcoming event I am hosting and decided to take it on a test run at a small gathering of friends this evening. I didn't need to win these people over, they already love me! They were my unwitting test subjects from whom I was hoping to gain valuable feedback. There were no leftovers.

As I sat down to create my shopping list, I grabbed the first magazine handy to have something smooth and firm to write on. What an ironic choice. I guarantee this bread will do nothing for your waist line except expand it. But trust me, you won't care.

The ingredients are fairly simple. Two kinds of olives (black and those green ones with the pimentos in), green onions, butter, mayonnaise, a loaf of French bread and, the shinning star of the piece, shredded Monterey Jack cheese. An essential tool for the success of any recipe in this house is the purple squirt bottle filled with water, which keeps cat fur from infiltrating the process.

The completed mixture in my most favorite mixing bowl. I love this bowl in it's bright, sun-shiny yellowness. The most difficult part of this step was not eating every last bite of this mixture with a spoon. Because I easily could have.

Okay, I had a few bites. But I was able to successfully get the majority of the mixture onto the French bread, which was really the whole point of this endeavor.

While the bread is baking, take care to leave the dirty dishes for someone else to clean up, like a husband, for example, and go watch a favorite TV program or do some Yoga or something.

Actually, I did the clean-up myself. The husband was busy on an important project. I didn't mind.

Fresh out of the oven in all it's gooey, cheesy deliciousness.


Slice and serve to those who will be your eternal admirers. Or just keep it all for yourself. I won't judge.

Dick Move Of The Week

I think Jon Stewart is brilliant. What I love about this bit is not just the sharp humor that is typical of the Daily Show, but that a valid point is made so effortlessly.



To further his 'dick' status, John McCain mocks Obama's advice to all Americans to keep vehicles properly maintained and tires properly inflated to reduce our fuel consumption. Right. Because we wouldn't want to reduce our fuel consumption or save money. Dick.

Guardian of Rest

This is another tombstone from the St. Albans cemetery. I was really drawn to the woman sculpted here, not sure if she is a saint or quite possibly the Virgin Mary. She's beautiful in her simplicity and conveys a sense of comfort and peace as she stands, forever guarding over this resting place.

Warshak Bruise

My latest injection site. I did not win the big fucking lump in this round, but I received this lovely bruise as a parting gift. It almost looks like a bear paw with claws. Or maybe even the Burger King crown. Or a space ship with flashy lights. Hmm, yes I think it's a space ship. Obviously, this is proof of the existence of extra terrestrials and this is their latest message to humanity.

*cue X-files music*

Where Have I Been?

It's been a mother-fudging hot couple of weeks (yes, I said mother-fudging!) and as a result, I haven't been feeling my best. As I've said before, heat wreaks havoc on my internal workings and between the vertigo spells, the extreme fatigue and the spasticity, I haven't been up for much. It's about all I can do to make it through the work day, but thankfully I have a wonderful husband to come home to. Nick's just great about making dinner and helping me get comfortable after a rough day. He sure makes a difference!

Today, however, we enjoyed much cooler temperatures and I was glad to be able to stay home and take it easy. I caught up on a few light household chores and did some photo editing I had been meaning to do. I also went here and ordered my embroidery starter kit! I've really enjoyed cross stitching, but embroidery seems to have a lot more potential. You can embroider on just about anything. And check out these designs! I've got so many ideas, I can't wait to get started!

I've also been working on printing and framing some of my photography. I've been learning and improving all the time and I wanted to enjoy some of the pieces I am more proud of by displaying them in our home.


This is the first set of photos on display here at the Brooks Gallery. The top image was taken at Wheeler Historic Farm earlier this year and then altered in two additional hues. Larger versions of these images can be seen here, here and here.

More photos coming soon! For now, back to rest.

The IT Crowd

My new favorite show, people. It combines my affection for geeks with my love of British comedy. Enjoy a laugh!

Kinda Done With Summer

My fabulous thigh after another daily injection. Now I know this photo may spark a few questions, so I'll take the liberty to address the one that is most pressing on your minds: No, I did not borrow those shorts from my grandma. I bought them at a department store in the JUNIORS sleep wear section! They're totally trendy, the sign said so. There. Glad I could set you all at ease about that.

It's been a very hot month and as a result my symptoms and side effects have been significantly exacerbated. Heat is to MS what the Daleks are to Doctor Who. Not a sci-fi fan? Try Voldemort to Harry Potter. Superman's Kryptonite. Skeletor to that homosexually charged cartoon fella. You get the idea. Hot summer weather combined with MS equals bad news bears.

So in addition to injection lumps that render me reminiscent of a certain Ex-Galactic President (Are you counting the geeky cult references in this post? There will be a quiz at the end.), I'm finding myself walking around like a drunken pirate. Balance is always the first thing to go with me. That in itself isn't so bad, but pair that with slurred speech and head twitches from muscle spasms in my neck and I appear to have escaped from Arkham Asylum. One of these days I'm gonna have some real fun and, with a few head twitches, ask some random person sitting next to me if they are aware that Major League Baseball is spying on us all.

Most days it's all rather amusing, though it hardly seems fair I should experience the effects of a bottle of rum without actually enjoying any. Some days, however, it all gets rather exhausting. Still, I try to keep it in perspective. It could be, and has been, much much worse and I'm grateful it's all down to what I consider to be a dull roar. Still, sometimes it's the little things I've had to give up that I miss. And on those days where I can actually make it through the day in a pair of dress sandals and my hands stop trembling enough for me to apply eye shadow...I kind of feel like a normal person again. And normalcy, my friends, can be a real treat.