Ryan's First Helicopter Ride

Wow! What a night! It started out like any other Friday night. I dropped the kids off to do some skiing and snowboarding and we went out to dinner. At 9:02 all normalcy ceased. I got a call on my cell phone that Ryan had an accident on his snowboard and that they needed me in the ski patrol hut. Having skied for 35 years and knowing Ryan, I figured everything was fine, but he was just shaken up. After arriving there, I still had that feeling that he had the wind knocked out of him and was scared and maybe he had done some damage to his ankle. They checked him out and explained some stuff to me and then told me I needed to have him checked out. We made sure he would have room in my mom's SUV when all of a sudden they told me they were calling 911 to have him transported. They explained their reasoning - his belly was swelling and they were afraid he may have some internal injuries. Fine. I still didn't panic. The squad arrived and they tried to get him calm, hooked him up to an IV, and kept a close eye on his vitals. They got me situated and strapped me in the front seat as we got ready to make the run to Hillcrest. I told Marty to meet me there and that's when things went horribly wrong. Ryan couldn't feel his arms. He couldn't lift them and couldn't wiggle his fingers. Stilll, I didn't panic because I knew he had worked himself into quite a frenzy. The next words from the paramedic's mouth was, "We're calling LifeFlight." My head spun around on my head and I know my look turned to sheer terror. They expained to me that they were worried about the fact that he couldn't feel his arms and his vitals were spiking. That's when I called Marty and told him to get up to Alpine NOW. Marty arrived and he was a basket case. Maybe it's because I handle these types of situations better or maybe it's because I had been there while he was still in the ski patrol hut, but when Marty saw Ryan strapped to the board and them putting an IV in his arm, he lost it, as did Amanda. She was crying and telling me how she wanted her grandfather. God knows I was thinking the same thing and I knew he was up there watching out for all of us.

I was cleared to ride in the helicopter and we were gone within minutes of it touching down. The 5 guys on board were great as was the entire staff at the trauma center at Metro. By the time the 9 minute flight from Chardon to Cleveland ended, Ryan was feeling better and we were engaged in a game of thumb wars. The trauma team at Metro took over and did a very thorough job of checking him out and around 1:15 he was given a clean bill of health and we were able to leave. He's going to be sore today and probably for a few days to come, but he's not ready to give up the snowboard, but he will be wearing his helmet from now on!

Feelin' Great!

Yep, that's right. It's Monday and I'm feeling great! I've kept my promise to myself to work out every day (well, almost every day) and I'm feeling wonderful. I skipped Friday because I had to run out and pick out light fixtures for the new bathrooom after work and I skipped yesterday because I worked all day. WTH? It was Sunday and I was at work for more than 8 hours. Go figure! That was partially my fault because I wanted today off to spend with the kids, but I'll still have to work at least 2-1/2 days this week. I keep saying it's time to quit, but then I think, no, they just hired 2 more people to help me with my job so things will get better. I think I'm going to try to ride it out and see what happens in the next year. With Marty's job going the way it is, we can afford it, but what would I do with my free time? I couldn't stay at home and I don't want to become one of those women that goes to the mall everyday. BORING! Let's see, what do I want to be when I grow up? I still don't know.

I've got to jump in the shower now. Promised Ryan I would take him to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. I think we may even hit the slopes this afternoon. We're staying close to home and not taking that trip to NY because I don't think the conditions are all that great, and I can't justify spending $120 in lift tickets alone to ski on yucky, man-made snow. Pray for snow!

What's With the Weather?

I can't believe this! The winter (actually it was still fall) started out with a bang and once winter really hit, it died so fast. I think here in the snowbelt we had 83" of the white stuff before Christmas and when Christmas came, so did the rain. It seems to me that it's been raining ever since. Who'd a thunk it? Both of the kids wanted season's passes to the local ski resort, but I wasn't willing to take that chance, not knowing what the weather would be like. After we got those 83" of snow, I thought to myself, what was I thinking. It would be a wonderful winter for a season's pass. WRONG! Thank goodness I didn't change my mind and buy them those for Christmas. I would've been bummin'. Anyways, today is Ryan's day for snowboarding and I can't imagine how crappy the conditions are going to be, especially with the downpours I heard when I was playing volleyball last night. I should've know. I got my car washed on my way home from work and you really can't tell now. It's filthy. Unbelievable. Well, not really.

So the kids are off next Monday for Martin Luther King Day and then again on Friday for teacher in-service day. I'm hoping to take those days off from work, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to swing Monday. They are both begging to go to Peek 'n' Peak on Monday because they have all 28 hills open and all 8 chairs working. Obviously they aren't having the temps that we are having because they've been making snow every night. I guess we'll wait and see if we can make the trip. I just heard from my sister-in-law and she and my brother are coming to town next weekend because her 28 year old sister is scheduled for surgery. Cancer. Will this never end? She's young, she has a baby. Why does this keep happening? I sure hope everything turns out alright and I hope the weekend goes smoothly.

Just finished my Special K and I'm off to the gym. Time to lift those weights and ride that elliptical. After that, I've got errands to run. I've got to get the last of the Christmas presents that don't fit back to the store. Yuck. I've become quite spoiled lately. I love to shop at little boutiques and lately I just can't stand the crap they sell at the mall. Wow. What a snob!

The End of Another Chapter

Another chapter of my life has come to a close and I'm not sure how I feel. Several years ago I re-connected with an old high school boyfriend and we became friends again. But, after many ups and downs, it came time to say goodbye again. The first time, there were no goodbyes, he just disappeared in the horizon. Today it was my time to say goodbye. I'm not sure who handled it better, him disappearing 22 years ago or me telling him to go f*$# himself. Yes, those were my exact words. Probably not the best choice, but it got the point across. The relationship had become toxic and unfortunately he began reading way too much into everything. I felt that the best thing to do was to move on and I know it is definitely the best thing for him. It's too bad it came to that and I will miss him, but we will both be better off in the long run - especially him. He held some deep resentment against me that didn't come to light until this morning. I can't believe I didn't see it before, but the moment it surfaced, the light bulb went on and everything made sense. All I can say is, "Goodbye Rob. I'll miss you."

On a lighter note, last Friday I called the doctor and I was on hold waiting for my OB/GYN to pick up when the nurse got on the line. "Susan?" she asked. "Yes," I replied. "We got the results and they are positive. The numbers, however, are low and the doctor would like to see you next week." WHAT?????? Having had 2 children, one being a high risk pregnancy that followed a miscarriage, I knew exactly what she was talking about. PREGNANT? I don't think so!! I told her why I was holding for the doctor and she apologized. What are the odds that there are 2 Susans on hold at the same time? I was dying. Being the smart ass that I am, I couldn't wait to share the news with everyone. It sure was funny to see the looks on the faces of my friend at work, my mom, and my son. DH just said, "Well, if you are, we have bigger problems!" Didn't even phase him. My son just kept snickering. I wish I had video of that. It cracked me up.

Oh yeah - I worked out today. 13,000+ pounds and 2.5 miles on the elliptical machine. Go Sue!

Why?

Why, when I'm working so hard at it, is losing weight so damn difficult? It hardly seems fair. I can gain weight by just looking at food, but losing it is another story. Pack on 3 pounds in one day, but it takes 3 weeks to get those same 3 pounds off. There are days when I wished I wasn't so obsessed with my weight, but right now I'm not obsessed. A lot of times I worry about the number on the scale, but right now I'm just not comfortable in my own skin. I catch my reflection in the mirror in the store dressing room and I'm disgusted. I don't think I've ever felt like that before. Sure, I've been unhappy, but not disgusted. In this time of low-rise pants, it's even worse because it's always hanging out. I'll just keep working at it. Fortunately I'll be working at least 3 days this week, which makes sticking to the WW plan a lot easier. I also think I'll invest in another water cooler so that I start drinking more water and less Diet Coke. I think Amanda is doing really well and we've seen some changes on that front. I certainly don't want her high school years to be her overweight years. Not fun!

Big plans for this afternoon. Ry-Guy and I are taking a geocaching class sponsored by the local park system and Gander Mountain. He went geocaching in his gifted class last year and my dad got him a hand-held GPS system for Christmas before he died. Since he never got a chance to use it with Ryan, I'm going to go learn how to do it. It sounds like a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to learning more about it and then actually going out and geocaching in the spring and summer. Heck, Jeep has some really cool prizes you can win in a geocache that they have set up. Should be lots of fun!

Oh yeah, and the plumber is here today and finishing up the bathroom. After he's done we need to buy the toilet, sink, bathtub, cabinets and countertop, and then figure out what were doing about flooring. It's actually getting done. I'm so excited!

Happy New Year!!

I made it throught the holidays and, to tell you the truth, I'm glad they're over! It was a tough one this year, but once I made it over the hump, things got better. I survived my 40th birthday party and actually had a good time and I think that everyone that came had a good time too. Now it's time to start working on making Thank You cards. No more store bought cards for me. I'm making my cards from here on out!

The kids had a great holiday, getting lots of cool things. I even got some really cool things this year. I think I did a good job shopping this year. The kids got some nice things, but I didn't go overboard like some years. Next year I would seriously like to think about taking a cruise the week before Christmas. Amanda is all for it, but Ryan will take some convincing. It's tough when they're that age. He still wants lots of stuff. Amanda would be happy with one thing and a relaxing, fun-filled vacation. We'll have to do some thinking on that matter.

It's time to make those New Year's resolutions, too. I'm gonna lose some weight and get back into shape. I can't believe I still weigh what I weighed this summer when we were vacationing in Holden Beach. You sure couldn't tell. The flab is hanging and I.DON'T.LIKE.IT!! Amanda doesn't know it yet, but we're gonna be some hot looking chicks this summer. Thin and fit!