Chicken-Butt Feathers….

Happy Thursday Reader’s!

One more day till Friday! I am going to see my radiologist bright and early tomorrow for a check up. I have had a few requests for pictures of my hair. I am not to happy with it right now. It growing out very crazy like. My Man says the back looks like chicken-butt feathers and I have to agree. I am still wearing a hat or scarf when I go out. The weather has been so crazy here that my head still gets cold easily. Plus the color! Ugh. I miss my blonde highlights. I think it is still too short for highlights but I am thinking about doing an overall color change. What do you think?

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Chicken Butt feathers

Chicken Butt feathers

Madness

No Sleep till…..Pickles, I am still awake.

Reader’s, I am tired. I was so tired last night but I had the hardest time falling asleep. I hate when that happens. I was awake when My Man came to bed and I was awake at 2am. I think Timber was having the same problem because I could hear him walking around the room and upstairs. Later when i looked at my sleeping pattern on my FitBit report and it showed that I did sleep but that it was very restless. All I want to do is get back in bed and sleep. No such luck for me this Monday Morning.

Madness

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Poor Wichita State. They played so good all game but were not able to score the last 3 pointer they needed to win yesterday. I am totally bummed out. Thankfully I have my #1 favorite team, Michigan State, to chest on. They are a heavy favorite to make it to the final four. Go Sparty!

Getting Better?

I have been going to my therapy for about three weeks now. They are working on my pulmonary issues but also my scar tissue issues around my left should blade and right side. If you were to ask me if the scar tissue issue was getting any better last weekend, I would have said yes. But right now? Uh no. My shoulder is back to hurting me and as are my ribs on the right side. Ugh. Not good. I fell asleep sitting up on the couch on Sunday morning and woke up in major pain.

As for my breathing I guess it is getting better. It is kinda of hard to tell. I have a thing to exhale into that measures my breath. It goes up to 4000. I can only get it up to 2000. Every so often I can get up to 2500 but I am coughing by the end. My Man does it and he can get all the way to 4000! I guess it will just take time.

The sun is out today in the ATL. I hope the sun is out where you are! Have a wonderful day!

 

Time to start planting!

Happy Sunday Reader’s!

Spring seems to have sprung here in the ATL. The temperature hit the 70’s yesterday so it made it a perfect day to do some planting. I have been using my old k-cups to start seeds in. They are the perfect size and there is a little hole in the bottom for draining water. I am also using the used grounds and crushed up egg shells to mix in with my soil. Have you started planting your garden? What are your favorite veggies?

Getting ready for the garden!

Getting ready for the garden!

A few weekends ago I planted spinach and arugula seeds in a big pot. Can’t wait till they all grow in and I can start harvesting for salads and The Girls.

Spinach and Arugula

Spinach and Arugula

The Girls are also enjoying the warm weather. They have been making dirt baths and scratching up a storm. I wonder if they have any idea that soon there will be two new hens in the coop.

The Majestic

The Majestic

On Friday night we went out to one of our favorite places, Empire State South, for dinner. The weather was so nice that we sat outside before dinner for a drink. Our meal was wonderful as usual.

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Empire State South

Empire State South

I love it when everyone gets along.

Simon, Timber & Panny

Simon, Timber & Panny

Have you been watching basketball? Been a crazy tournament so far. Who are you cheering for? Go Michigan State!! Go Wichita State!!

Whatcha Listening to? Whatcha Reading?

Whatcha Listening To?

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Band of Horses-Live at The Ryman

We have been big fans of Band of Horses for years now. My Man and I have seen them about four times and The Boy has seen them once. Last month when we went to Nashville and visited the Ryman, we saw that they had played a show there recently. I was super excited when about a week ago I saw that they released an acoustic album of the songs they played there over two nights. I LOVE this album. I love the reworking of the songs especially The Funeral and Older. So, so good. I also love how after almost every song they are like “thanks y’all! or Thank you so much!.” Such nice boys. Check it out!

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Hoizer-Take Me to Church EP

I know nothing about Hoizer. Well, I just google him and apparently he his from Ireland so I know he has one hell of a sexy accident. That counts for something right? Anyway, I heard his song Take Me to Church on XM radio and really liked it. The EP contains a total of four songs and I like all of them! From what I read, it looks like he is hitting it big in Ireland and starting to tour in Europe as well. Maybe he will soon hit the states and release a full length album. So far I like what I hear!

Whatcha Reading?

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Cockroaches- Jo Nesbo

I know I have mentioned Jo Nesbo before on a pervious Whatcha Reading. Since he is originally from Norway not all of his books get released in English in order. He became pretty popular in the US when Snowman came out and since then they have been translating his older books in the Harry Hole series. Cockroaches is one of them. I am about half way through and am enjoying it just as I have all of his books. Even with all his faults (he has many) Harry Hole is a character you can’t help cheering for.

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Still Life with Bread Crumbs- Anna Quindlen 

From Booklist

Rebecca Winter was once a famous photographer, and, with any luck, she will be again. Having achieved surprising early success with her feminist “Kitchen Counter” collection, Rebecca, now 60, finds herself on fame and fortune’s flip side. With her former torrent of royalties dwindling to a trickle, Rebecca has been forced to give up her perfect Manhattan apartment for a paltry upstate cabin, and with marauding raccoons, stray dogs, and trigger-happy hunters, life in the country is proving to be no walk in Central Park. Luckily, Rebecca still has her camera, and she soon finds inspiration for new work in unexpected places, often in the company of a bird-watching roofer named Jim, whose quiet companionship proves to be just the balm she needs to fully embrace her unfamiliar surroundings.
What got me to read the book in first place was that the main character was once a famous photographer. Being that many moons ago I dreamed of being a famous photographer, I thought it would be a good read. And it was. Don’t think it is all about photography, it is a story of a woman, in her 60’s (she is not written like any 60 year woman I know) trying to kick-start her life again. Who of us hasn’t had to do that two or three times?

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Stella Bain-Anita Shreve

From Publishers Weekly

Shreve’s 17th novel is a tragic yet hopeful story of love, memory, loss, and rebuilding. A young woman wakes up with amnesia in a battlefield hospital tent in Marne, France, in 1916. She thinks her name is Stella Bain, and she thinks she knows how to nurse and drive an ambulance. As she recovers, she returns to duty in this new environment, caring for the wounded and dying. When she arrives in the city exhausted and destitute, she’s discovered in a park by a doctor’s wife, who takes her in. The doctor, Augustus Bridge, is a cranial surgeon with an interest in psychiatry. Stella becomes a €œquasi-patient€; he finds a way to get her into the Admiralty, and, when a former friend recognizes her by name, her memories return, including the fact that she has children—and the reason why she left them. The amnesia and its cause are only part of the story; the lack of understanding at the time of the consequences of witnessing the horrors of war, for both men and women, also plays a key role.
I love reading historical fiction and this one did not disappoint!!
Readers, what album can you not stop listening too? What book can you not put down?

Suck it Up and Deal With it…..

Reader’s! How the heck are you? I know it has been awhile since I last updated y’all on what is going on here at My Hotel Yorba. Sorry about that. Going back to work has really cut into my blog time… and my sleep time…and my relaxing time. Crazy how a job can do that!

New Additions!!

No, I am not pregnant! As if!!??!  No, instead we have ordered two hens to add our flock and The Majestic!!  After some research I came across a farm in Cleveland, GA, called Glass Pond Farm. I got in contact with them and found out that they were about to have several hens hatching four or five different breeds of chicks. I looked up the different ones that they were offering and picked one Black Astralorpe and one Barred Rock Hen. Both breeds are good in cold winter, brown egg layers, friendly and most important docile. We don’t want to upset our head hen Turbo. The girls should be coop/run ready around mid April.

Black Astralorpe

Black Astralorpe

Barred Rock Hen

Barred Rock Hen

Glass Pond Farms look like a super cool farm. They breed, raise and sell ducks, turkeys, chickens and rabbits! They also offer a CSA. It is too bad that they aren’t closer to us. I would love to partake in it. Once we pick up our two girls, we will revile their names. Yes, we already picked them out. I even have a third name in my back pocket just in case!

Three legged pig with Coke-a-Cola hat

Three legged pig with Coke-a-Cola hat

A Death

There was a death a few weeks ago at My Hotel Yorba. My Dyson vacuum up and died on me while I was in the middle of vacuuming up a ton of Simon/Panny/Timber hair that had accumulated on the stairs heading down to the basement. I couldn’t believe it! I was not about to spend the $$$$ on another Dyson (this was my 2nd one). I do love the vacuum but right now, I just didn’t want to do it. So I looked up the best pet vacuums on the Consumer Reports website and ended up buying the Hoover Wind Tunnel Pet. It looks a lot like the Dyson Pet but nowhere near the cost of one.

New Vacuum Cleaner

New Vacuum Cleaner

So far I am giving it a B+. Maybe I am not used to it yet but there are a few issues. The cord is not as long as the Dyson. However, it does have button you push and the cord zooms back in place! Love that! The “wand” isn’t as long as they Dyson and you have to put three pieces together to get it all set up. Like the Dyson it is bag less. However when I went to empty it, half of the fur would not come out, even when I stuck my hand up into it. Gross. But I was able to get it with free shipping and since I was able to use my points from my AMEX card on Amazon, and got it for less than $100, I will suck it up and deal with it.

BTW….Suck it up and Deal With it, is a motto here at My Hotel Yorba. I love it when I hear My Man complain about something and The Boy say’s ” Well Dad do what mom tells me to do. Suck it up and deal with it.”   Nice. :)

A Year?!?!?!

Morning Reader’s!

I hope you have been having a good weekend so far. Mine is just really beginning. I had a rare Saturday appointment that went on for about three hours and then we all went out to lunch. It was really nice to see my clients and catch up on what all gads been going on with them. When I got back home around 2:30pm I got on my laptop and did more work. Things have been busy since I am back to working full-time. I am trying to play catch up. Not fun but it has to be done. My Man took care of dinner and then he and I watch the first episode of the last season of Breaking Bad. So good! It was fun being able to watch it with him. Maybe we will tackle another episode later today.

Friday

Carried with me in my pocket. Thanks Heidi!

Carried with me in my pocket. Thanks Heidi!

On Friday morning I woke up super early and got myself all ready. My Man and I headed down to Emory Hospital after dropping off The Boy to school. I went in for a chest, pelvic and abdomen CT scan, blood work and a vista with Dr. Read. I am happy to say the my scan looked great. He said you couldn’t even tell where the tumor was. I have a little burn on my lung from the radiation but it should clear up soon.

He did ask that I find a place to participate in Pulmonary Rehabilitation therapy. He wants to be proactive and do everything that can be done to get my lungs back into tip-top shape. Since…well, who knows if this is my last time at the rodeo. When we got back home I did some searching and was able to find a place near where I live. I go in for a consultation on Wednesday and my first “workout” on Friday, right after my workout with SK! I will be wiped out by the end of the day.

My Man then asked Dr. Read when my port would be taken out. His reply “I like to keep them in for at least a year.”

A YEAR????? —- That was my reply. He said he doesn’t like to test fate. Oh Pickles. Looks like me and porty will be spending more quality time with each other.

Later that night My Man and I put on some music and did some cooking. Don’t you love the my initials in onions? He is so sweet to me!

It must be love.

It must be love.

I hadn’t slept well the night before (nervous about my appointment) and I ended up passing out before Grimm even started. I was beat! This coming week is another busy one.Tomorrow I will be heading up to Northern Georgia for three appointments with longtime clients. It should be a good day.

Shout Out!

Jerry (Uncle Roone to me) G.- My uncle was recently diagnosed with the crappy c-word. At this point he is not sure what his course of action will be but I just want him to know that everyone her at My Hotel Yorba is thinking of him. Stay strong and positive Uncle Roone! It will suck. It will scare the shit out of you. It will be painful. It IS beatable.

Reader’s the sun is out here and it should get up into the 70’s today! Hope it is as beautiful wherever you are! Be Good! Be Safe!