99 Balloons

I may have posted this video before, I'm too lazy to look at back posts and check. Whether or not I've shared this before it deserves to be shared again. (and again, and again, and again) It was sent to me for the first time a little over a year ago. I heard this afternoon that this couple was on Oprah yesterday.
This couple, Matt and Ginny, are an amazing example of courage and faith.
I give this video a 5 out of 5 hanky rating.

Add to the 'Never-thought-I'd-say-this' files

Motley group of kids (all 7 and under) runs off to look for eggs in the chicken coop at my friend Carol's house. Carol yells after them, "NO CHICKEN THROWING!!"

I'll keep to myself what prompted the reminder not to throw chickens. Of course, my darling dears have nothing to do with it.

The election.

No, I am not going to tell you why you should vote McCain or not vote for Obama. Unless you have been living under a rock the last 6 months you are well aware of both sides. I have no great insight or new interesting information that is going to swing any one, and I am not a great writer who will persuade anyone to 'see the light'.
I care about this election. I care deeply. There is a lot at stake.
Pray for our country, pray for our next president, whomever it may be.
There ends my election post.

Today's funny

Lucy has a cold.

Mom: "You look lousy."
Lucy (with a very serious look on her face): "I'm not lousy, I'm Lucy."

Slave labor

Getting ready for guests. There is a solution of vinegar and water in the spray bottle, nothing toxic.

Leave Joe alone!

Photo credit (CBS/AP)

Enough is enough. Joe Wurzelbacher should be left alone. The media will tire of him eventually but in my opinion it should be sooner rather than later. The man asked a question on a rope line. The candidates used him to further their own purposes during the debate. Now he is being vetted on the national stage. Doesn't this bother anyone? I guess not. We are a country who spends millions a year on rags like the Nat'l Enquirer and Us Weekly. Knowing the private business of others is a national pasttime.

I'd like to see both McCain and Obama ask the media to leave him alone. They requested privacy for Bristol Palin as her pregnancy is not an issue in the election. I hardly see how Mr. Wurzelbacher's divorce, plumbers license or tax return is an election issue either or changes the validity of his question.

The MSM doesn't have enough news to cover right now?

Hypermobility

I am hypermobile, many of you knew that already but not all. To explain simply, many of my joints move beyond their normal range of motion. It is expressed the most in my fingers, knees, and shoulders. It was 'fun' as a kid since I could do all kinds of tricks and was flexible without even trying. It isn't fun anymore. The wear and tear are my hypermobile joints has caught up with me. For a few months now my hands and fingers have been making me miserable. I always feel like someone just stepped on my hands. Like a good girl, I saw my doctor who ran all the requisite tests looking for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and thankfully they were all negative, it is 'just' my hypermobility. I'm very thankful that I don't have a chronic, debilitating, degenerative illness but I still can't play catch with my kids or do laundry without pain.
I remembered hearing about splints that some hypermobile patients wear to help stabilize their fingers. I searched around and finally found a company that will sell them without an order from a PT/OT/CHT. I bought one. I wanted to try it on my worst finger first before ponying up the cash for enough to splint all the fingers that are painful-these splints are about $60 each. It came yesterday. All I can say is WOW! what a difference. I have a ways to go with healing but it is pretty neat to take a hold of something without my finger hyperextending and hurting.


Some pictures. I have ugly man hands, just so you know.

My thumb. It has 180 degrees of motion.


My right ring finger. It has the highest degree of hyperflexion of my fingers but is almost pain free.
You can see how far it flexes.

How it looks/flexes with the splint on.

I bought the splint for my right middle finger. Here you see how stable it is with the splint. No pictures of it hyperflexed without the splint because there is too much pain. That finger is actually starting to tilt to the right from the PIP (middle joint).

All in all this is a no big deal problem but I am only 37. I am seeing a rheumatologist in December. She comes highly recommended, we'll see what she has to say. I'm not looking to be pain-free. I don't think that is realistic and it isn't necessary. I'd just like to be able to perform most of my daily functions without *added* pain. It may be all I need is splints. My big goal is to be able to toss a football.

Nothing clever...

so I'll resort to pictures.

Vacation pics and more

Wish he listened to me like this.
View of the USS Lexington from the aquarium.
The road to the beach from the condo. You are allowed to drive on the beach. We learned, however, that our van really is not equipped to drive on the beach. We didn't realize the directions to the condo took us on the beach and before we knew it we were on it and not long after that we were stuck. Thankfully, Jack, Ian and I were able to push the van to safety while Chris drove. (Note: my husband isn't a jerk who makes his wife get out and push. He is a better driver than I am and I preferred to not be responsible for driving out of the mess)

Emma and Ben in the brig on the USS Lexington
Emma ready to pet a stingray.
Katie and Ian on a gun at the Lex. The yellow sign?
View from our condo.


Sad that this is a bloggable picture. Gas is under $3 at one station in SA now.
Grace talking up the lady giving the lecture on alligators.
Emma talking up the same lady lecturing about sting rays.

CAP article

CAP online article This article is about a SAREX (search and rescue exercise) that Jack participated in. He is in quite a few of the pictures. Jack tries to attend as many of these exercises as he can and goes on one about every 8-12 weeks or so.

Home again!

We spent a great few days at the coast. We went to the USS Lexington and the Texas State Aquarium as well as hitting the beach. As is typical for the K family the trip wasn't without incident but we managed to get there and back without any calls to AAA or visit to an ER so I call it a success. I didn't take many pictures as I am not about to risk my new camera at the beach.