You know the old saying "Don't count your chickens before they hatch"? Good idea to heed that warning... Well, it's a good idea to keep them separated too. Just sayin...
Yesterday (Wednesday) was stressful. It didn't start off that way though. It actually started off pretty good...until I checked my bank account around 7:00 a.m. I am SO GLAD that I didn't follow my normal routine this one time. God certainly spoke to me because I can't explain why I chose to get on the computer and look at my account. Glad he talked to me though...
Around 7:00 yesterday morning, I looked at my bank account to find out that all my money was g...o...n...e... What the heck??? I had just been paid a couple days earlier and we don't normally even use that account other than to pay bills with my check. I knew we hadn't used that money. Bills hadn't been paid yet.
After "investigating" the charges, it quickly became clear that somebody had hacked into my account and had themselves a party. They did a balance inquiry in my savings account to see what was there, and transferred it to my checking account. With four swipes of a "clone card" (neither of us had lost our cards) our money was gone by the end of the day Monday. HOLY CRAP!!!
I called the 1-800 number on the back of my card to report my findings. Victor, the guy that helped me was very nice. He said the charges originated out of Atlanta, GA. He was very helpful getting the charges disputed and let me know that their would be a "provisional" credit to my account in 1-10 business days. It has to be investigated first. He faxed the papers that needed to be filled out and signed to my bank. I left school to get them signed so they could be notarized and faxed back immediately. That wasn't as easy as it sounds though.
Since the fraud happened using Mike's card, he was the one that had to fill out the paperwork and and sign it. I had to drive all the way across town to his work to get the papers taken care of. Then, back to the bank. This whole process took about 45 minutes. Once I got back, it was time to fax it. Just my luck, the fax was having trouble connecting. So, I sat and talked with Mike's cousin Amy, who works at the bank. (She was doing the faxing for me.) It was nice to chat with her. :) Finally, the papers went through. YIPPEE!!!!!
Now, it's just time to sit and wait...and hope they catch the guy (or girl) that did this. Crossing my fingers that the investigation the bank does turns up some information that lets them prosecute the freakin' thieves...
So, are you wondering about the chicken comment I made at the beginning of this blog post? Well, it's the first thing I thought of after this happened. You can NEVER count on things (or chickens) to always be there. Kinda like my money. I knew it was there, but look what happened. And, one thing I have learned from this is that it is ALWAYS a good idea to NOT keep all your money (or your chickens) in just one place. Lesson learned...
To the creep(s) that violated me and my family I just have one thing to say to you...
May the fleas of 1000 camels infest your crotch and may your arms be too short to scratch...
To everybody else, I hope you have a good weekend. I know we will. :)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Word of the Week... INSPIRED...
Each week when I go to work I know that I have lots of hats to wear. I don't want to get into how I have to be the kids' mom, nurse, counselor, etc. I just want to talk to you about the teacher part. Sort of....
Each week I give my kiddos a vocabulary list. It typically goes with the story of the week. This past week we read the story "Weslandia". It is about a boy named Wesley that is a bit of an outcast in his town and school. He invents his own civilization and calls it Weslandia. It's a pretty fun story that teaches the kids to respect each other's differences and to really be creative in their thinking. One of the vocabulary words was INSPIRED. I told the kids that I absolutely love that word. It is a powerful word that basically means motivated by something or somebody else to do something GOOD.
While trying to help the kids understand the meaning of the word, I kept giving them examples of things that inspire me - art, colors, writing, people, etc. I also tried to explain what I do when I am inspired by one of the things I told them about. It is a hard word to really truly understand. You have to feel it in your soul when you are truly inspired. It is something that pushes you from the inside. It is an amazing feeling. And it got me to thinking...Who inspires me right now?
This is my Aunt Peggy. She has been inspiring me lately. She is a teacher that absolutely LOVES what she does and has a "pay it forward" attitude that I want to adopt. See the pretty pink splint on her arm? She recently began wearing that splint after spending nearly 7 weeks in a cast as a result of a bicycle accident that severely injured her wrist and arm. Well, it should be the reason for her to be down in the dumps and crabby. Now, I know that she gets down. I know that she gets frustrated. That's human nature. But, she doesn't let that emotion take over. She has an amazing way of getting past the "stuff" that brings us down and get to the "stuff" that makes us see the bright side of life.
In addition to writing about her injury and the progress she is making in her recovery, she also writes about her Bucket List on her blog. Through her I have learned that I need to be grateful for each day and to live life to the fullest. Don't take the "little things" in life for granted. I need to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to me. It's all about perspective. My prayer for her is that she continues to heal and gain use of her arm and wrist again and that she continues to live her life to the fullest. I also pray that she continues to inspire others, at school, through her blog, and in her life in general.
Aunt Peggy, you inspire me and remind me each time I read your blog just how lucky I am to have you as an inspiration in my life. Not only are you good school teacher, but you are also a great life teacher. I thank you and love you bunches!
Each week I give my kiddos a vocabulary list. It typically goes with the story of the week. This past week we read the story "Weslandia". It is about a boy named Wesley that is a bit of an outcast in his town and school. He invents his own civilization and calls it Weslandia. It's a pretty fun story that teaches the kids to respect each other's differences and to really be creative in their thinking. One of the vocabulary words was INSPIRED. I told the kids that I absolutely love that word. It is a powerful word that basically means motivated by something or somebody else to do something GOOD.
While trying to help the kids understand the meaning of the word, I kept giving them examples of things that inspire me - art, colors, writing, people, etc. I also tried to explain what I do when I am inspired by one of the things I told them about. It is a hard word to really truly understand. You have to feel it in your soul when you are truly inspired. It is something that pushes you from the inside. It is an amazing feeling. And it got me to thinking...Who inspires me right now?
In addition to writing about her injury and the progress she is making in her recovery, she also writes about her Bucket List on her blog. Through her I have learned that I need to be grateful for each day and to live life to the fullest. Don't take the "little things" in life for granted. I need to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to me. It's all about perspective. My prayer for her is that she continues to heal and gain use of her arm and wrist again and that she continues to live her life to the fullest. I also pray that she continues to inspire others, at school, through her blog, and in her life in general.
Aunt Peggy, you inspire me and remind me each time I read your blog just how lucky I am to have you as an inspiration in my life. Not only are you good school teacher, but you are also a great life teacher. I thank you and love you bunches!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
What dog pee will cost you...
It has been approximately 4 months since I slipped in dog pee and hurt my ankle. (That still cracks me up... It could only happen to me... If you haven't heard the story, check it out. It's titled Stoking the Fire or Getting the Boot. It's quite amusing...)
Since I learned my falling trick I have been back and forth to the foot doc. I spent the majority of my summer wearing the ortho boot. It was quite miserable in 100 degree heat and not exactly the most comfortable thing to wear. On July 26th, I got the wonderful news that I didn't have to wear it any longer, but since it still wasn't completely healed, I needed to get an MRI to see if there was damage that was a little more severe than originally thought. There wasn't... So, off to do some physical therapy to strengthen my foot and ankle.
This has been the most interesting of journeys. Physical therapy actually wasn't completely bad. Sort of... The therapists decided that I was a prime candidate for dry needling. Basically, they use acupuncture type needles in the areas of my muscle (that is connected to the injured tendon) to relieve some of my pressure points to help with the pain. I had NO IDEA that the muscle connected to my injured tendon was so tender, but it really was. Dry needling is the WEIRDEST thing I have ever had done medically. The therapist, David, finds the pressure point and works the needle up and down in one spot in my muscle. Like he sticks the needle in and moves it up and down without taking it out. One side effect of this is that my muscles twitch involuntarily - kinda like when you go to the chiropractor and they use those electrodes on your muscles. Not only do your muscles twitch, but they kinda burn too. Weird thing about it is that it works. It makes my muscle WAY LESS tense and tender. That was cool.
I also did something called Graston. They rub a cream on your affected area and use metal tools to basically give you a deep tissue massage. It is supposed to help the fibers in your muscles realign themselves so that the pressure points don't form. Neat idea. Hurts like HELL when they do it and for at least a day or two afterwards. The last time they did it I ended up with a few bruises. Looked like I had been in a fight.
After the dry needling and Graston, I had gym time. As out of shape as I am, I still enjoy working out once I get started. I think I kinda surprised a couple of them with how strong this big girl is. I did some weight lifting and they very quickly realized that this big girl needed bigger weights. Sister don't play. (haha! I have always had super strong legs. Still do even though I haven't worked them out like I should in a long time.) In addition to the weight lifting, I did some lunges, squats, balancing exercises, toe lifts, calf stretches, etc. You get the picture.
I worked on this from August 10 until August 31. I went twice a week and honestly saw improvement. At my Aug. 31 reevaluation appointment, my therapist saw a big improvement with my pain. I could tell it was working too. Not 100% yet, but getting there. Yay!!!
On Sept. 1st, my insurance deductible started over at $0. (School insurance kinda follows the school calender.) Yesterday was my first PT appointment since it started over. I already knew going into it that I was responsible for 100% of the charges up to $750. I also knew that they wanted me to continue coming twice a week for the next 3 weeks. We all felt that would be best. EVEN ME... Well, long story short, I asked when I got to PT what my charges would be for the day. All I was going to do was exercise in the gym with a therapist assistant telling what my next "thing" would be. After looking at the fee schedule the receptionist informs me that each session will only be $260. WHAT!!!! My response was, "Are you talking about for all of them or just one." Her reply was "Just one." HOLY COW!!! I quickly informed her that wouldn't work. Not even one time. She was really nice about it. We decided to just e-mail the therapist and have her put together a home plan for me to follow. Made complete sense to me. Everything I had been doing in the gym, with the exception of about 2-3 exercises were things I could do at home. I haven't heard back what my home plan will be. Hopefully tomorrow or Monday I'll have an answer.
So, I am writing this all to say, that while I have a great funny story on how I learned a new trick with dog pee, I did learn a lot about insurance. I pay a lot for it each month and it absolutely STINKS!!! It doesn't cover a whole heck of a lot. It's really a shame... I can say this though. I am still improving. While I'm frustrated that I kinda have a setback on the therapy I feel pretty confident that if I can keep exercising it then it will get better. Cross your fingers peeps! (And stay away from the dog pee!)
Since I learned my falling trick I have been back and forth to the foot doc. I spent the majority of my summer wearing the ortho boot. It was quite miserable in 100 degree heat and not exactly the most comfortable thing to wear. On July 26th, I got the wonderful news that I didn't have to wear it any longer, but since it still wasn't completely healed, I needed to get an MRI to see if there was damage that was a little more severe than originally thought. There wasn't... So, off to do some physical therapy to strengthen my foot and ankle.
This has been the most interesting of journeys. Physical therapy actually wasn't completely bad. Sort of... The therapists decided that I was a prime candidate for dry needling. Basically, they use acupuncture type needles in the areas of my muscle (that is connected to the injured tendon) to relieve some of my pressure points to help with the pain. I had NO IDEA that the muscle connected to my injured tendon was so tender, but it really was. Dry needling is the WEIRDEST thing I have ever had done medically. The therapist, David, finds the pressure point and works the needle up and down in one spot in my muscle. Like he sticks the needle in and moves it up and down without taking it out. One side effect of this is that my muscles twitch involuntarily - kinda like when you go to the chiropractor and they use those electrodes on your muscles. Not only do your muscles twitch, but they kinda burn too. Weird thing about it is that it works. It makes my muscle WAY LESS tense and tender. That was cool.
I also did something called Graston. They rub a cream on your affected area and use metal tools to basically give you a deep tissue massage. It is supposed to help the fibers in your muscles realign themselves so that the pressure points don't form. Neat idea. Hurts like HELL when they do it and for at least a day or two afterwards. The last time they did it I ended up with a few bruises. Looked like I had been in a fight.
After the dry needling and Graston, I had gym time. As out of shape as I am, I still enjoy working out once I get started. I think I kinda surprised a couple of them with how strong this big girl is. I did some weight lifting and they very quickly realized that this big girl needed bigger weights. Sister don't play. (haha! I have always had super strong legs. Still do even though I haven't worked them out like I should in a long time.) In addition to the weight lifting, I did some lunges, squats, balancing exercises, toe lifts, calf stretches, etc. You get the picture.
I worked on this from August 10 until August 31. I went twice a week and honestly saw improvement. At my Aug. 31 reevaluation appointment, my therapist saw a big improvement with my pain. I could tell it was working too. Not 100% yet, but getting there. Yay!!!
On Sept. 1st, my insurance deductible started over at $0. (School insurance kinda follows the school calender.) Yesterday was my first PT appointment since it started over. I already knew going into it that I was responsible for 100% of the charges up to $750. I also knew that they wanted me to continue coming twice a week for the next 3 weeks. We all felt that would be best. EVEN ME... Well, long story short, I asked when I got to PT what my charges would be for the day. All I was going to do was exercise in the gym with a therapist assistant telling what my next "thing" would be. After looking at the fee schedule the receptionist informs me that each session will only be $260. WHAT!!!! My response was, "Are you talking about for all of them or just one." Her reply was "Just one." HOLY COW!!! I quickly informed her that wouldn't work. Not even one time. She was really nice about it. We decided to just e-mail the therapist and have her put together a home plan for me to follow. Made complete sense to me. Everything I had been doing in the gym, with the exception of about 2-3 exercises were things I could do at home. I haven't heard back what my home plan will be. Hopefully tomorrow or Monday I'll have an answer.
So, I am writing this all to say, that while I have a great funny story on how I learned a new trick with dog pee, I did learn a lot about insurance. I pay a lot for it each month and it absolutely STINKS!!! It doesn't cover a whole heck of a lot. It's really a shame... I can say this though. I am still improving. While I'm frustrated that I kinda have a setback on the therapy I feel pretty confident that if I can keep exercising it then it will get better. Cross your fingers peeps! (And stay away from the dog pee!)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Struggle's Over...
And I'm back! This has been a good week. Although it is not over I can honestly say that I have learned a lot. God has been busy working on me this week!
I have learned not to "sweat the small stuff". Let's look at the big picture here. Because, really, is the "little stuff" all that important in the big scheme of things? Not really. So, I just decided to get over the dress code issue. I can't change it so why stew about it? Once I decided that, I had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. :)
Ssshhhhh.... Don't tell Mike I said this, but it has felt good going to bed early. Like actually not crashing on the couch, but going and crawling into bed. I have formed a bad habit of falling asleep on the couch and not actually going to bed until I wake up between 11:00-1:00. The past couple nights I have had really good sleep. So thankful!
I am very thankful for the students I have been given this year. So far, knock on wood, they are a pretty good bunch of kids. Some are chatty, some don't listen, and some demand our attention, but I really think I already love this bunch. I know that the Lord knows my heart and he must know that while some are trying my patience a bit, I needed a group of kids like these to rejuvenate my love of teaching. I am excited to be with them. That is a good feeling. :)
I was also reminded just how important it is to pray for others. It is POWERFUL! My friend Karessa began a blog called The Prayer Project. (Click on the name to check it out!) Each day she chooses somebody specific to pray for. What an amazing thing to do! Today, she chose to pray for ME. Wow! She texted me that today she was praying specifically for me. I couldn't wait to get home from school to read her prayer for me. It made my day before I had even read the blog. Somebody was thinking about me and blessing me. Karessa, I can honestly say that you know me girl! I feel lucky to have her as a friend and even luckier to know that she met the prayer needs that I did not even realize I needed.
Our God has been working on my girls as well. For that I am most thankful. I am blessed that this week he has helped both of them get enough rest so that we are not fussing at each other in the mornings. I pray that this continues for us! The two of them have been amazing in the mornings this week! Girls, I love you both so very much!
I am sure that God has been working in my husband's life as well. He has seen that I have been tired and has picked up my slack for me this week. It has been much appreciated. When I told my coworker about it, she said, "You know you are one lucky girl. He's a good guy." You know what? She is right. :)
Tomorrow is Friday and while I look forward to spending time with my school kiddos, I am looking forward to 3:30 pm. I am still human and I am ready for the weekend! Not sure what we will be doing, but I look forward to whatever it may be!
I have learned not to "sweat the small stuff". Let's look at the big picture here. Because, really, is the "little stuff" all that important in the big scheme of things? Not really. So, I just decided to get over the dress code issue. I can't change it so why stew about it? Once I decided that, I had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. :)
Ssshhhhh.... Don't tell Mike I said this, but it has felt good going to bed early. Like actually not crashing on the couch, but going and crawling into bed. I have formed a bad habit of falling asleep on the couch and not actually going to bed until I wake up between 11:00-1:00. The past couple nights I have had really good sleep. So thankful!
I am very thankful for the students I have been given this year. So far, knock on wood, they are a pretty good bunch of kids. Some are chatty, some don't listen, and some demand our attention, but I really think I already love this bunch. I know that the Lord knows my heart and he must know that while some are trying my patience a bit, I needed a group of kids like these to rejuvenate my love of teaching. I am excited to be with them. That is a good feeling. :)
I was also reminded just how important it is to pray for others. It is POWERFUL! My friend Karessa began a blog called The Prayer Project. (Click on the name to check it out!) Each day she chooses somebody specific to pray for. What an amazing thing to do! Today, she chose to pray for ME. Wow! She texted me that today she was praying specifically for me. I couldn't wait to get home from school to read her prayer for me. It made my day before I had even read the blog. Somebody was thinking about me and blessing me. Karessa, I can honestly say that you know me girl! I feel lucky to have her as a friend and even luckier to know that she met the prayer needs that I did not even realize I needed.
Our God has been working on my girls as well. For that I am most thankful. I am blessed that this week he has helped both of them get enough rest so that we are not fussing at each other in the mornings. I pray that this continues for us! The two of them have been amazing in the mornings this week! Girls, I love you both so very much!
I am sure that God has been working in my husband's life as well. He has seen that I have been tired and has picked up my slack for me this week. It has been much appreciated. When I told my coworker about it, she said, "You know you are one lucky girl. He's a good guy." You know what? She is right. :)
Tomorrow is Friday and while I look forward to spending time with my school kiddos, I am looking forward to 3:30 pm. I am still human and I am ready for the weekend! Not sure what we will be doing, but I look forward to whatever it may be!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Tomorrow's a New Day...
I have been struggling the past couple days. My attitude was completely out of whack over a situation I had absolutely NO control over. For whatever reason, I had my feathers COMPLETELY ruffled. That is really out of character for me, and I really do not like the way it makes me feel...
So, I have decided that tomorrow is a new day. A new attitude. I am determined not to let anyone or anything ruffle my feathers. I am going to be the "good ol' me" again. After all, I don't have it as bad as some people.
I am fortunate enough to have a loving caring family that understands that Mommy is indeed human. My husband is supportive and went with me to find new shoes. He actually shopped for shoes with me. He didn't just sit there and wait - he was looking too. For that I am thankful. Love you babe. :)
I am also fortunate enough to be able to afford to get my new shoes. There will be children who come to me this week that come from families that are financially unable to get many new things for them. I need to remember how God has blessed my family. Often, we take all we have for granted. I needed to step back and remember that today.
This weekend was busy and it was good. It reminded me how lucky I am each day. I enjoyed being with my family as we bustled around getting ready to go back to school. It is funny how close we can be when we are so busy. I pray that as we end the chapter that was summer 2011 we begin the next chapter in our lives with lots of love, laughter, and success.
So, I have decided that tomorrow is a new day. A new attitude. I am determined not to let anyone or anything ruffle my feathers. I am going to be the "good ol' me" again. After all, I don't have it as bad as some people.
I am fortunate enough to have a loving caring family that understands that Mommy is indeed human. My husband is supportive and went with me to find new shoes. He actually shopped for shoes with me. He didn't just sit there and wait - he was looking too. For that I am thankful. Love you babe. :)
I am also fortunate enough to be able to afford to get my new shoes. There will be children who come to me this week that come from families that are financially unable to get many new things for them. I need to remember how God has blessed my family. Often, we take all we have for granted. I needed to step back and remember that today.
This weekend was busy and it was good. It reminded me how lucky I am each day. I enjoyed being with my family as we bustled around getting ready to go back to school. It is funny how close we can be when we are so busy. I pray that as we end the chapter that was summer 2011 we begin the next chapter in our lives with lots of love, laughter, and success.
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