The morning after....

....The Blind Side. We loved it and Twila, true to her word, did not give away any of the 'good' parts or anything, since she was the only one of the four of us who had seen it. Judy C., whom Justin refers to as my BFF, came, as did Twila and Martie. Judy J. was also invited and expected but was a no-show for some reason. I am going to guess she perhaps forgot! No worries, more Papa Murphy's Chicago-style pizza for us! Even with four of us eating off the family-sized pie, there were still four slices leftover, two of which I sent home with Martie! Filling! A dish of fruit accompanied the pizza and I even made a batch of cookies using Papa Murphy's cookie dough, which I also sent home with Martie.

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So, now, to The Blind Side....Wow, I loved it, we all did. When I had first invited Judy C., she leapt at the opportunity to see it at long last, and when we finished watching it, determined this would be one to buy. Twila, who had seen with our 'group' around Christmas time, was going to rent it before I asked if she wanted to come and said she might have to go buy this one for her collection. I think we have a winner! The movie, based on the true story of the Touhy's and Michael Oher, was well done and incredibly heart-warming. Leigh-Ann, played by Sandra Bullock, was a no-nonsense woman who was not to be deterred. I told the ladies that she really reminded me of my friend, Brenda W.! Especially when it came to her children, all of them. At one point her snooty lady friends were sort of 'teasing' her for taking on this 'social project' and she nicely got up from the table and left, picking up the tab for their luncheon. So there!

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Justin has watched it over and over, telling me to watch for certain things that he knew were going to be triggers for me, including the Thanksgiving scene, which brought tears. And, the 'bedroom' scene where, for the first time in his life, this 16-year old boy has not only his own room, but an actual bed to sleep on. His 'mom' would never let him see her cry so after these poignant events, would go into her room or go sit in the car. She had described him as being an onion, having to peel away his layers to get to his background, and she was an onion with peels of sentimentality. Michael peeled away her layers....Go! Buy this movie!

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Well, I survived my overnight fast, which I feel slightly embarrassed discussing since my sister was prepping overnight for a much more 'involved' test Friday. I can handle no soda or food, with my hands tied behind my back, compared to what she was doing. Some say it is not so bad while others hated the entire process. Guess it is different for each individual and by the way, Jill did fine and came out with a clean bill of health, among other things! She was hungry for a juicy hamburger when she was doing her prep, likely because that was one thing she had to forgo for a few days. Today she can resume normal dining so she might have her burger. I recommend the Quarter-Pounder from McDonald's since they do not have a Hardee's any longer in Manitowoc.

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I should have left earlier for my Life Line Screening appointment but it was not a problem that I was a couple minutes late. Once I completed the paperwork, I chatted at the table with another lady there for her check-up. She was Mom's age and told me that her doctor said they won't send her for these tests until AFTER a heart attack and she did not want to wait for that to happen. So she chose LLS to have herself checked out. In talking with her, it seems more an insurance decision than the doctor's decision, which she agreed. So she took her own "insurance" by having it checked out in advance. Me, too!

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When I was called behind the screens, the first order of business was the blood work. At the desk, the nurse pricked my finger and squeezed out a few drops of blood into a thin tube which she placed in a little machine on her desk. Checking my blood pressure and heart rate was next, and then the dreaded scale and height measurement. Yikes! It seems I have lost some weight since the beginning of the year, which is fine, but I measured at nearly 5' 1"----what??? I have never been taller than 5' tall and now I am growing taller? Wonderful! I will guess that she took into account my hair or something, which made me glad I'd gotten my hair cut or I'd be 5' 4"!!!

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Back at the desk, she realized that, for some reason, my blood didn't work....what? I told her it was because I had no soda yet that morning. She asked her co-worker if she should send me around for the rest of the tests or re-do the blood work, and the lady said to re-do the blood. Dana was more upset about wrecking my nail polish when pulling the first band-aid off than about having to re-do the test. I told her I have more polish at home and these were home-grown nails. She had the other kind, quite ornate and lengthy. Finally she got me on the table for the Doppler testing in my arms and legs. After she did them, Tiffany and she stood at the counter awhile, looking at the machine. Oh, oh! Since I did not hear the rescue squad come roaring up, I figured there was another problem with the operator and not me! As she was listening to my heart beat through the Doppler thingy, it made the swishing sound like an ultra-sound. I told Dana it was taking everything in me NOT to ask if it was a boy or a girl. She looked at me a bit strangely (really???) and I said, "I suppose you have heard that one before...." and she said, "No". What is the matter with people that they don't even ask????!!!!

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Well, as I lay there, waiting, Tiffany told Dana to start on the man on the table next to me, someone I knew from the networking group I was involved in years ago. Tiffany came over to my table and told me she was re-testing me, which she did in a flash. I think, guessing here, that perhaps this was Dana's first day or first week, causing quite the back-up in the waiting area. I had to go sit back at the table between tests where I found Kathy B. sitting. They seemed to be about a half hour or longer behind schedule, probably my fault! Next I was called into the other room where another team quickly and efficiently did the testing of the aortas in the abdomen, neck, and legs, and out the door I went. When I came out of that room, Kathy B. was still sitting there, drumming her fingers, so I sat down to chat with her some more. She was still waiting when I left, as I had to get out to my car for a soda!

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The blood work results were given to me immediately when last year they came in the mail with the other results. They all look good, only one of the cholesterols coming in borderline, thank the Lord! I liked it better in the days before there was cholesterol, didn't you? I heard a man at Weight Watchers say once that, when he was a kid, they didn't have cholesterol, and if they did, they fried it!!!! Yeah!

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Earlier in the week Janet had asked me to send a reminder to the members via e-mail about the bake sale and yard day, which I am glad to do. I sent out the reminder, putting down the start time for the Yard Day on Saturday at 9:30....A little while later the phone rang with Renee on the other end, asking if I was trying to kill her. Yes, I am....NO, why? Evidently the Yard Day was being held on Friday instead of Saturday this year, so quickly quickly I sent out a correction which hopefully all got and adjusted their schedules. I do fear, however, that even fewer people will show on a week day than a weekend, but Renee claimed the 'Ladies' Group' wanted it on a Friday. I am part of that group and so is Judy C. and Twila, and none of us thought it was a good idea. That is what happens being gone for so long! I hope someone besides the two people in Renee's household showed up. Neither Kathy nor I were available, even though my getting down and dirty days are behind me. Friday? Really? I do hope that folks will bake for the sale and buy the finished products!!

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Sunday I am going to miss the Bake Sale by going to worship at Victory. The choir at my church is idle this week so it is the perfect time to go over there. Pastor Hoyer told us Thursday that two little ones are being baptized Sunday, a child from their preschool and her younger sibling. Their mom is going through the Bible Information Class right now, too. Victory has the VPK program, sponsored by the State I believe, and has a full house. Their hope is to add classrooms and grades very soon. So, anyway, not only will there be the baptisms but another 20 members will be welcomed, either by transfer or confirmation. Wow! Another time when I was there, 23 people, including children, were welcomed as members. I told Justin he missed his chance, he should have transferred his membership and joined with this large group. He does not want to be singled out or have a fuss made over him, as they applaud and such after they are welcomed. Justin does not like the 'ado', but this time, he could have just blended in. I will let Phil know that so the paperwork could be in process and just ease Justin's name into the next larger group of new members.

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Last night was a lovely bright moon reflecting on the river, which was relatively peaceful. This morning it is quite windy, I can hear it plus can see the palm trees being whipped about. The river holds about three boats visible to me from this vantage point of my bed but not with sails up. Justin is busy these coming days helping pack up his father's household as a move is pending before the end of the month. He was going to come over to hook up my cable boxes which were to have been delivered yesterday (Comcast was a no-show!), but said he was going to be too busy. No worries, except that the TV stations keep going off the air and then coming back, and I missed my "Selling New York"!!!!! I want the new boxes and such before next Thursday and that's it!