The Yellow Brick Road

I started saving my photos from AOL's FTP space.  I haven't used it in a while...I use photobucket now.  I was laughing last night at some of the photos I had stored there and just enjoying my trip down memory lane...sharing them with you now.

Ahhhhh so much time has passed since I first started writing here and sharing our lives with you.  Many of you (Carol) have been right here with me from the start.  You have watched my little Gabby grow, watched us grow as a family, seen the moving trucks pull up, load  up and pull away.  Watched the scenery go by as we traveled from  one home to the next.  Been there with each military promotion, new pets, loved ones passing, vacations, holidays and who can forget the BIGGEST pizza in the world picture.

You were here to see me thru MANY sizes and hair styles and never once did you poke fun at me or like me any less because I gained weight or chose a bad hair color. And boy...some of those sidebar pics were yucky now that I look back at them!   I've taken you to home to Arizona for Christmas and Thanksgiving...let you giggle at the funny expressions and things my Dad does...stood tall with me while Michael has been deployed and when I thought I might crumble you gave me strength and support.

It's been an amazing ride for me...I hope it has for you too.  This may be my last entry here but you know where to find me as I continue to tell our story.  Thank you for the memories and for allowing me into your home and hearts so many times...

robinngabster at 10:45:36 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 10 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

I hope you will continue to follow me at a new spot...I am less than thrilled about having to move but don't want to lose contact with you all...

 

http://yellowbrickroadtwo.blogspot.com/

robinngabster at 7:39:15 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 4 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

 

OH YES THEY DO!!!   My dad loves to go fishing, he has several fishing buddies a real nice boat and enough fishing equipment to be a pro.  The last few trips his friend was able to snap some cool photos.  The last batch of pictures I saw were of a bald eagle swooping down for a fish, flying off to a rock and preparing to eat it.  They were COOL!

 

This time he sent me photos of a rattlesnake in the water!  I had no idea they could swim...I think of all the days I spent in Arizona lakes swiming and having a good time and all a long there were snakes?!!!  I won't ever get in again!!!

making his way to the rocks...

up he goes...

you can still see his tail and rattler...ick!

robinngabster at 10:41:42 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 15 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

 

Okay, I have a confession to make.  It's pretty bad...I have never been one of those "save the earth" kind of people  I figure I will be long gone before the earth goes real bad...I don't like the idea of recycled toilet paper or using paper instead of plastic.  I like my plastic bags cause they have handles. 

I don't even recycle at home.  Oh I tried once...and the damn trash man only took half of what I put out.  What the heck...if they are gonna be picky then I am tossing it all in the trash.  Going green....hmmmph!

I've been getting lots of pressure from Gabby to go green.  Everything she says these days is "Mom we should go green"  "Mom we need to buy this instead of that cause it is better for the environment"  and my all time favorite...

"MOM DON'T YOU WANT MY KIDS TO SEE POLAR BEARS ONE DAY?!"

FINE!  Between Gabby and Martha (Lifes2Odd)   I have been guilted into going green.  Martha has a fantastic journal "Going Green" and she even took pictures of her "green" garden where she used old beer bottles in it!   So I took a green baby step today and bought reusable grocery sacks and...I sorta like them.  They do smell funny though...hope that will go away.  Now the only problem will be if I don't have them with me when I go shopping.

robinngabster at 6:44:08 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 19 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Happy Fall Ya'll!!!  Every morning and thru out the day I get local weather updates sent to my cell phone.  This morning's text said "Official first day of fall!"  Well...it doesn't feel like fall here in Florida but I will take their word for it.  lol...I have a feeling when winter comes it won't feel much like winter here either.  lol

My little church sign today wasn't that great so I am going to post one from a few weeks ago that I thought was cute!

"Beat the Christmas rush... and come to church this Sunday."

I liked that one a lot!  We had a great afternoon shower today...haven't had one in a while.  I was getting so used to those rain storms each afternoon and then we sorta dried up.  It was a nice change...however, I must not have paid much attention to the weather report I got this morning cause I went and washed the truck...wouldn't you know 2 hours later it is pouring rain!

My Michael is due home any day now!!!  He's been in Spain and Greece and from what I hear he is bringing home some goodies for me and Gabby!!!  He sent me a text message from Greece when he first got there and said it had to be one of the most beautiful places he has ever seen and all he could think about was how badly he wished I was there with him.  Can I get an awwwwwwwww?   Damn that man is a keeper!

*Thanks Donna for the adorable tag!

robinngabster at 4:52:13 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 17 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

The 5 List

5 things you collect = refrigerator magnets from our travels, antiques, designer handbags, watches, and old cookbooks.

5 things about your hair = short, very blonde, stylish, easy, and loves the wind.

5 things about your pets = loving, cuddly, sissy, fragile, my best buddy.

5 things in your junk drawer = gum, hard candy, hammer, greeting cards from friends, and nail file.

5 things you love to eat in summer = homemade ice cream, anything off the grill, fresh fish, salads, and corn

5 things you couldn't live without = Michael &Gabby, computer, family, books, and music.

5 things you would like to see before you die = Woman president, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Gabby get married.

5 things you hate = rude people, bad drivers, dirty bathrooms, being lied to, and broken promises.

5 vehicles you would gladly drive = convertible bug, Mercedes, Cadillac, RV, and a Oscar Meyer weenie mobile.  LOL

Okay I added a few of my own...now it is your turn.  What are your five things like?

 

robinngabster at 11:26:37 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 11 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

 

Every week I pass by a church on my way to Gabby's school.  They have a big sign out front that always has a cute message on it.  I've giggled so many times over their messages that I have decided to share them with you.  I don't think it matters what your religion is or if you claim no religion at all...they are still fun and I believe worth sharing.

This week's message reads...

"Our congregation is a lot like fudge...mostly sweet with a few nuts!"

I think that could be said for a lot of things...families, people you work with, etc...

robinngabster at 5:08:04 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 18 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

 

So I went by the radiology center today and got copies of my ultra sound report and they had transferred all my ultra sound scans onto a CD for me to take with as well.  After that I drove over to my other surgeon's office...I had an appointment set up with her and since she did my last surgery I was gonna hit her up for yanking out my gall bladder.

The appointment with her was like night and day compared to the one I had yesterday!!!  She drew out diagrams, explained why we get gallstones, what happens when I feel the pain, etc, etc, etc! 

She read my report and said she would take out the gall bladder for me no problem.  We discussed where she would make her incisions, recovery time and the fact that I was such a weenie last time...she assured me lots of pain meds.  LOL.  She didn't call me a weenie but I reminded her of my discomfort level last time and the problem I had getting a nurse to my room with pain meds...she said she will make sure that doesn't happen again AND this surgery is even at a different hospital so I won't have a chance in hell of getting nurse Nellie again!  I still curse her name!

I feel soooooooo much better after talking to this doctor.  I am  scared to death to have it done...unlike last time I went in thinking it would be no biggie and came out crying for my Mommy.  This time I am scared and I know it is gonna hurt.  But I know I can get thru it and this doc knows what she is doing.

Right now I am looking at either September 25 or October 2nd.  September 25th will be cutting it close to Michael's return...he darn well better not get side tracked in Greece!  I will know tomorrow for sure what date I am having it done.

Oh and when I got home I popped the CD into my lap top and looked at my organs!  It was coooooool!  I saw my liver, kidney's, pancreas. spleen, and my gall bladder.  It was by the way, FULL of stones!  I saw it and had an AH HA moment...there are those little buggers!  If I could figure out how to get a pic of my gall bladder off that CD you would be looking at it right now...lucky for you I guess I can't do it.

robinngabster at 6:07:47 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 20 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Okay I gotta get this off my chest!  I really think it is really really important for doctor's to be able to speak "good" English!   Nothing is more frustrating than discussing having your gall bladder removed when you can't understand what the doc is saying...one can only say "excuse me?"  so many times and then you just have to assume she did not say "TALL LADDER" she said gall bladder. (No wonder I am in so much pain...I have a TALL LADDER inside me!)  Federal Seam means MEDICAL TEAM and so on...the only thing I did hear loud and clearly...are you ready for this? 

The surgeon was asking me if maybe my other surgeon (the one who cut me back in June) might want to take out my "tall ladder" ...I said I don't know but she isn't military so it would have to go thru the proper channels to get it approved and paid.  She said oh that's no problem if I tell them to pay it they will pay it.  Then she says this....

"I'M A TIRED DOCTOR...I WORK 12 HOURS A DAY AND I AM TIRED, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANT ME TO OPERATE ON YOU AFTER WORKING 12 HOURS."

 Au contraire, mon frère I would love for you to cut me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  NOT!  Needless to say it was a completely wasted appointment.  At one point she said she could take my "tall ladder" out October 20th but she didn't think it would wait that long...I said oh really?  Nobody has ever gone over the results of my ultra sounds...do I have one stone?  Five stones?  What?

She went to pull out my scans and guess what?  She didn't have them, in fact she has never seen my "tall ladder!"   How does she know it won't wait til October if she hasn't looked at my insides?    Are they handing out medical licenses at Walmart these days or what?

robinngabster at 7:35:56 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 19 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

We spent Sunday afternoon at John's Pass...a really neat boardwalk with a beach, pier, shops...all kinds of good stuff!

The thing that got us there was our favorite restaurant...Bubba Gumps!  We used to eat there every time we went to San Francisco and then we found out there are a couple here in Florida!  It is good!

After we ate we spent the afternoon walking the boardwalk, shopping, watching fishermen come in with their haul.  Boy they caught some big fish and it was so fun to watch them showing off their catch.

There was another man who was doing some net fishing...he was fun to watch as well.  It was a perfect afternoon.  We all got a little (more like huge) ice cream before leaving and no sooner did we walk out of the shop a bird swooped down and tried to get mine!  He even hit me in the head with his wings...the stinker!

Enjoy the pictures...I can't wait to go back to John's Pass!

robinngabster at 9:48:29 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 18 comments: Show Recent | Add your own