My Summer Vacation

I took yesterday off to recover from the whole ER trip and whatnot. To those of you who @'ed me on Twitter, bless you and thank you for the concern. I'm feeling much better today.

But now... I need to share. I had an amazing vacation this summer. This was the first trip that I would actually call a "vacation" in a very. Long. Time. Those of you who follow the blog know that I was able to get finances in order and was able to go back home to Pennsylvania to see one of my favorite groups, LFO, perform in Allentown.

It. Was. Amazing.

I can't even begin to stress the word "amazing" or even articulate to the fullest extent.

Firstly, it was amazing because I was able to go to the concert with my best friend / sister, Stacey. She and I have been in love with these guys from the beginning. And we were just... thrilled beyond words.

Why ever would we be thrilled beyond words? I'm so very glad you asked me that question.

Because we also had VIP passes.


We had access to sound check, backstage, and the tour bus. Now, we missed sound check because Allentown streets suck and omg how many one way streets could you possibly fit in one six block area?! But we did get to hang out on the bus. And back stage.


And let me tell you. If you only ever go see one show? This is the show to hit. Our tickets were $25 each. And for that $25? We saw Kiernan McMullan, Go Crash Audio, Rookie of the Year, and LFO. How much better can you get for $25?!


The VIP passes? Oh, man. This is the best group of people to get a pass to meet that you could ever have asked for. Everyone is super conversational, totally approachable. The whole backstage area was so completely laid back and you honestly felt right at home. I loved everyone I met that night.


To be able to be there, to hang out with the guys one on one, and to chill out and hang out with them... oh, man. That's why there's so many pictures in this blog post. I can't even begin to explain the kind of emotional life high I was riding that night. And the guys of LFO? All of them - they talk to you like you've known them forever.


Which reminds me. I know I started rambling a lot when we were hanging out on the bus. But, Brad, you've got the kind of personality that sort of just... seriously, you should be in the FBI. People would spill their guts to you no problem. So if I said too much? (Especially about bunny hunting and all that - I never realized how redneck I've gotten...) I'm sorry. But at least I was entertaining?

Regardless, thank you for an amazing experience. I hope to do it again in Reno next year!

The 6 Hour ER Trip

This is not what I expected to come back from vacation to have to post, but... here you have it. I'll be back to normal posting soon, I hope.

This afternoon I was coming inside through the laundry room. I remember turning to pull the door shut behind me (it doesn't latch properly) and then all of a sudden I couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything, I remember hitting my head (which strangely felt like water being splashed on my temple), a crash of sorts as my hearing cycled in and out, and then everything went completely out for a few moments. When I came to, I vividly remember my arm still twitching, and I was mildly aggravated because I couldn't get it to stop. (Marv later told me that my entire upper body was twitching, and he's fairly sure the only reason my lower body wasn't twitching was because my legs were pinned between my torso - which was braced against the dryer - and the wall of the laundry room, as it's merely a hallway and there's only about a foot or so of space.)

Marv was leaning over me, asking me if I could hear him. Which I could, I just couldn't get my mind and mouth to function properly and I still couldn't see clearly. After the second or third time that he asked, I was finally able to respond. I still didn't know I wasn't standing anymore. I thought for sure that I was still on my feet, even as Marv was standing and I clearly was not. He asked me again, "Lin, are you with me?" And I finally came out of it enough to respond that yes, I was, but what the hell had happened?

It was then that I realized my pants were covered in soda and that I'd dropped the Pepsi I'd had, causing a large mess. I didn't even realize until I saw it that I was covered in soda. Marv asked me what day it was. I thought about it and couldn't figure it out so I ventured a guess. I said it was Tuesday. Obviously, it wasn't. He pulled me up and after a struggle to maintain weight on my feet, we made it to the living room. I was frigid cold. I bundled up on the couch for awhile, with Marv keeping me awake for a bit to make sure I was alright.

I fell asleep for a little, but when I still felt crappy and loopy and out of it upon waking, we decided to go to the ER. Especially after having consulted with my balance therapist, who also recommended it. It took approximately an hour or so before I was even taken back to a room and a grand total of three hours before I was seen, one full hour of which no one even bothered to look in on me. Now, listen, I know to expect waits in the ER, but to not even check on someone who's had a traumatic injury to the head? (I don't think I mentioned it before - when I hit my head? I took the light switch to the temple.)

Regardless, I was eventually seen and the doctor immediately said, "Yeah, that sounds like a seizure." Marv is well versed in seizures, as Joan suffered from them, and the two of them proceeded into a rapid-fire discussion revolving around symptoms and what happened, side effects, so on and so forth. Then came the testing.

After a CT scan of my head, full blood workup, and whatever testing they do on urine, we thought for sure we'd be on some sort of path. Unfortunately, there was a shift change and a different doctor came in.

So... because the CT scan and blood work came in clear and I'm not pregnant? I was demoted to a simple fainting episode and told to ensure I was drinking Gatorade because perhaps all the water I've been drinking is diluting my electrolytes. Never mind being treated like a moron because it was "just a fainting episode." The doctor told me that, "given my condition" (history with dizzy spells and currently being in balance therapy) this is something that I "may just have to expect" because it could've just been a "larger balance issue."

Six hours in the ER to essentially be told I'm being a baby. Because of what the first doctor said, and because he's the one who was following me since someone handed him my exam room clipboard when they took me back, I'm going to be scheduling an appointment with my Primary Care Provider, just to be sure.

Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts and prayers and well-wishes. I love you all and this is one of many reasons why. <3

#militarymon Tees? Fantastic!

Yes! Tees honoring #militarymon that also help a fantastic cause!

From: Milblogging.com

Bouhammer.com in conjunction with KissMyGumbo.com and Vision Strike Wear have developed and has for sale the very first Twitter-themed T-shirt honoring Military Monday, which is designated by the hashtag #militarymon.

The tees will be featuring the #militarymon hashtag on the front and this kick-ass graphic on the back:


If that wasn't freaking cool enough, when you purchase a #militarymon tee, you're also helping to raise money for an amazing cause, Project Valour-IT.

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Technology supplied includes:

• Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.
  
• Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).
• Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

The experience of Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops and other technologies can be to a wounded service member's recovery.

Also, for a fun trivia fact, Vision Strike Wear, the awesome people who are making these tees available? They're Marine owned and operated! Awesomeness and benefits all around!

I ordered my tee - what are you waiting for? Click here to get your hands on this tee!

That was a crazy week

And I'm so thankful to have made it through. *wiping sweat off brow*

I could use one of these about now...

We moved the girls from separate rooms into one room. Getting a 2 year old and a 4 year old to settle down and go to sleep is no easy task, let me tell you. Even putting them to bed separately doesn't quite work out all that well.

There were a few reasons behind this: 1- they were refusing to keep their rooms clean separately, 2- I needed a place of solitude where I could hole up and actually get some work done. So, really, it was mutually beneficial. Just try to tell them that when we're in there for the fourth time, trying not to lose our temper and telling them, "No, really, it's bedtime. Quiet time. Shh."

And then there was balance therapy. It's been going well. It's at a slow pace, which can be frustrating for my impatient self, but I need to learn to take a deep breath and slow down. Diving headlong onto the hard stuff is probably not the brightest of ideas. That, and rehabilitating something I've been having problems with for years is obviously going to take a little longer than a couple weeks' worth of exercises. I mean, we're talking about retraining my entire vestibular balance system and re-coordinating that with the rest of my balance systems. It's not exactly like making a pb&j sandwich.

On top of all that, we'd decided that this weird lump that had been growing on Wash's leg had been hanging around long enough and he needed to be seen. On top of that, he needed his rabies shots, so it worked into his yearly check up anyway. They didn't have the ability at this vet to test it in the clinic, but regardless of what it is, Washburn is going under the knife to get this lump removed. They don't think it's anything malignant or serious, but still... my poor baby's going under the knife! *whine*

I almost missed what I thought was my PT appointment on Thursday because the back passenger tire on my F150 was going flat, and MarvMan's command had been switching his schedule so much, he hadn't gotten to it. Thank my lucky stars, when I called The PT clinic to reschedule, they told me my appointment wasn't Thursday, silly duck, it was Friday.

And somehow the week pulled out of the gutter. The girls slept peacefully last night. They slept in a little this morning. Oi, sleeping in is blissful. They were pleasant this morning, despite a few sketchy moments here and there. Wash had his appointment and I'm ultimately feeling better about that situation. I got MarvMan an early birthday present, and he loves it. Then we all went to my balance therapy session - which went well, thank goodness - and then out to dinner. As a family. Just us.

MarvMan's early b-day prezzie. Taurus .38 Special

Came home, put the kids to bed, MarvMan's off hunting, and I've got quiet time to relax and be up this late with no worries. Except for some school work. But I know I've got it down and can bang it out tomorrow. Tonight is a night to breathe.

There is always something to be grateful for. Even if you have to look a little harder.

Where is our moment?

Also known as: Michael Jackson vs The Military

Michael Jackson was known as The King of Pop. He lived an extraordinary and luxurious life once he rocketed to stardom as a musical performer. Throughout his career, he was a troubled person, struggling with abuse, addictions and various other issues. He contributed much to the music industry, to include dance moves like The Moonwalk and various other hit songs, albums, and advances in musical styling. Jackson also donated to many charities, created NeverLand Ranch and dealt with accusations of child molestation which were subsequently paid off and swept under the rug. He died suddenly at the age of 50 of a heart attack. Thousands will show up to his funeral and celebrities have and will continue to express their condolences to the Jackson family for their unfortunate loss.

Your average military service member is anywhere between the ages of 18 to 25 upon first enlisting. They are usually fresh out of high school or college. Most likely their extensive job history includes stints at fast food joints, convenience stores, or wherever they could get a job to pay for the limo for their senior prom or buy books for next semester.

They enlisted for various reasons, most of which are personal, many of which involve a desperate need for money to help with the ever-increasing costs of a college education and the insanity of repaying student loans.

All of them, whether they enlisted for it or not, grow to take pride in serving and giving back to the country that has given them the freedoms they enjoy.

Many have families. Spouses and children who must wait on the home front when they are deployed overseas, fighting for our country. People who love them dearly and pray daily for their safe return.

If the service member is killed in action, their body is returned home to be buried by their family. Their life is celebrated and their death is mourned, families and friends express their condolences. Fellow service members grieve the loss of someone they had never thought this would happen to. Those still overseas grieve and in the middle of the night, they can't help but wonder... am I next? Should it have been me?

The service member is not mourned in an arena, with thousands of wailing, weeping fans who paid a cover charge to be allowed access to see the body just one last time.

The service member is not given extensive media coverage. There are no biopics made of their lives.

Celebrities do not send condolences to the families.

Congress does not stop for a moment of silence.

The service member grappled with life or death situations on a daily basis. Saw things that they will never tell you, not only because they can't, but because they went over there so you didn't have to. They fight to find support when they come home, they struggle with post traumatic stress disorder and grieve for their fallen brothers and sisters.

They are deployed overseas multiple times. Their deployments are extended. Families don't know exactly where they are at and communication is spotty at best.

If anyone wanted an update on Michael Jackson, all they needed to do was Google his name. Military families don't get that kind of information. They can't have that. They live in quiet pride and express their grief quietly when they receive that knock on the door. Cameras do not follow them around.

E News doesn't ask for their thoughts or opinions on the death of their loved one.

Today, thousands of fans will show up to Michael Jackson's funeral and they will openly weep. Media crews will fight for space and servers will crash over the high traffic to the live web stream of the services.

And military families will pay their last respects, their only prayer that no one shows up to protest their loved one's funeral.

Sure, MJ donated to charities.
Service members are donating their lives for you.

Where is our moment of silence?

#militarymon

If you're not on Twitter, I'll fill you in. #militarymon is a hashtag. Hashtags are used to group topics in Twitter searches. Its heaviest use is seen on Mondays, as it is short for Military Monday.

Military Monday is a chance for everyone on Twitter to shout out to former and current active duty, retired, dependents, spouses - anyone associated with the armed forces.

It's a chance to express your gratitude to the people who have fought for your freedom, to thank and remember those who have died for that freedom.

To cheer on those currently serving, and to peek inside the lives of the husbands, wives, and families who stay behind on the home front while their loved ones serve.

It's also a chance to connect with other military supporters and swap stories, share inspirational quotes and songs. Link to blog posts and photos that we've all dug up.

Military Monday is such a beautiful thing. And yes, the gratitude and the spirit of the day is what matters most. I connected with some amazing new people over the past day or so while tweeting about Military Monday.

But can you blame me for being a little more than miffed when #nothingpersonal and the freakin' Bachelorette are trending higher than #militarymon? Come on, now.

So here's my challenge to you and to all my Twitter followers. Next Monday, July 13th, I challenge you to tweet something military related with the hashtag #militarymon at least once. If everyone could get every one of their followers to do it just once, maybe people will pay more attention to the topic.

Because on Twitter, more attention means more awareness. Awareness means support. And those two things - awareness and support - mean everything.

Sunday Soliloquy

It is Sunday, right? Right? I ask because I posted an update on Facebook on Friday saying that it was Saturday when it obviously wasn't. Time has been slipping by and slipping away so quickly.

One of my closest friends, Donna, has a little girl who's going to turn four on July 7th. And that always leads to discussions about, "Wow, where has the time gone?" And, really, I would love to know where it has gone.

Here I sit, 24 years old, and I've got a 4 year old, and an almost 2 year old. Just four short years ago, I was young, pregnant, and totally clueless. So much has changed in such a short time.

It's almost unfathomable to me that I've become the person I am today. I've served in the military. Proudly so, and to the best of my ability. I still miss it, and may even go back once I've gotten my degree.

I gave birth to a gorgeous daughter who, for as much as she can be a thorn in my foot, she's also the light of my life and brings me so much joy.

I married an amazing man. He's still serving in the military and I am so proud to say I stand behind him and support him 210%. MarvMan spoils me rotten and I don't thank him enough for it. Just today he rearranged bedrooms so one was open and now I have an office all of my own. He takes care of us and provides for us, and I am more than happy to reciprocate. Even on the bad days when I would love to burn all his socks because they're all over the floor.

Then along came my second daughter. The one who completed the family. Who was supposed to stay small and really never has. So full of spunk and attitude and spice, it's hard to believe there's any sugar in that small body until she's in your lap and snuggling you.

I am blessed to be in college, to be pursuing a degree that I can do pretty much whatever I want in it. It's terrifying at the moment because I'm looking into the week to come with four chapters to read, two discussion posts to write, an exam and a research paper to start, and my brain is seizing. But I love the challenge and I love that it's mine.

It's long weekends spent with them that I realize how amazing they are. How much I appreciate the quiet in the house after a day full of noise, but also how much I look forward to everyone waking up in the morning and the daily hum of activity in the house.

And I am only 24.