It's been a while...

So it's been a while since I've blogged. Sometimes when I have unintentionally gone on a break from blogging it was because I just didn't have anything to write about, but this time it's been just because I was busy or too tired to write.

I'll back up to wear I left off, which was me drooling over Chase Rice. Could he be any more perfect?? (The answer is actually yes, but we won't get into political views.)

The following week was Thanksgiving and the Ohio State/Michigan game. I went home for Thanksgiving and had a nice day at my grandma and grandpas.

The following day, one of my older sisters had surgery for cancer she is battling right now. It's not by story to share, but I will report that her surgery went well, she's more than half way through her chemo treatments and they are going well also, and that it was found early enough that it was stage 1, so the outlook is great! But, it's still scary, so check yo selves!

Friday evening Molly and I came back to Columbus, met up with some other alumni that were back in town, had a few drinks and called it a night. We had a big day coming up on Saturday, which was the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game! We met up with some peeps, did a lot of walking and texting and cursing at bad cell phone reception. We settled on watching the game at one place, then moved to another, then another, then another (I have a superstitious sister) and we ended up watching the last quarter and OT of the game outside of the stadium but watching on the big scoreboard screen. It was actually exciting to be watching it in real time and to run in the streets with other happy fans. THEN we ran into the stadium and celebrated by singing "Sweet Caroline" with 110,000 other fans. My favorite was the chorus line of "so good, so good, so good" showing sad Michigan fans. :)

Buckeye sisters.

Me and my girl Sam.

We've been cheering on the Bucks together for 13 years.

Another fun thing I did in early December was make my own chicken broth. I have always bought it to use when I make noodles, but I know they taste so much better when real broth is used. So, I tried it! It was actually really easy and I am going to do it more in the future for sure. I think i'll even make it and stash it for the future. I was inspired by my friend Cara, so thanks for the motivation girl.

Getting the chicken all ready to cook.

After I cooked the chicken, then cooked the broth and bagged it, I had 2.5 quarts. Not bad.

In early December I also had my first MRI. Thankfully Erin's hubs had talked me thru what it was going to be like and it was totally fine, with the exception of when they put the port in for the contrast dye and I went from talking 90mph to not talking at all and feeling a little warm/light headed. But I did not pass out! The lab tech (who was pretty cute), recognized my change and helped me out. I took a picture of me looking oh, so sexy in the size large hospital pants and "one size fits all" robe. (News flash, one size does not fit all!)

I had to have the MRI because following blood work in December as part of my annual physical, one of my hormones was a little higher than it should have been, which explains a number of symptoms I have been experience, including my ability to sleep anywhere and anytime, my laziness, my forgetfulness, and basically my sluggish life, among other things. Sure enough, I have a small, small tumor on my pituitary gland and it's causing this hormone to be a little high. I've seen a number of doctors and it's a "textbook" tumor (said the endocrinologist I met with in early January). No surgery needed, just medicine and follow-ups once a year. I'm so thankful it's not anything worse and treatable by a pill I take just a few times a week.

Another fun December adventure was randomly finding an estate sale in Upper Arlington. This house was amazing! It was built in 1930ish and only had two owners!! The most recent owner had lived there since 1952 and everything was pretty much the same as it had been then. The rooms had GORGEOUS wallpaper on all of the walls and the house just had so many cool features - like a breakfast nook, a dressing room in the master suite, a giant entertaining room and the "original man cave". I could just imagine gatherings of people b being entertained in that large room, or all of the men from the Scioto Country Club coving over after a round of golf and having a cigar in the "den". I would have loved to walk thru it when there weren't any people from the estate sales team there. If only... I didn't take many pictures, although I wish I had! I bought two things, a quilt top that I found for $5 and an Ohio State paper weight.

This was the entry way from the outdoor driveway into the house. 

Seriously, how lovely is this quilt! It's hand stitched and only $5!!!!

Because my top strength is Context, I love to know history of things and how they got to be. So following the estate sale, Cara and I went to lunch and researched this family. We knew a name from a few things we saw in the house and were able to put a few things together to find out that we actually "knew" this family. Well, "knew" is a stretch, but we found out this man was actually a big supporter of our college. And I was able to connect him to a coworker of mine! The quilt top was made by the wife's mother back in the early 1900's. My coworker knows the couples daughter, so after I get it completed she wants to see it. Eek! The pressure!

Also that weekend, my dear Bowie had her first UTI. It was pitiful. She had to go to the bathroom so bad, but she just kept trying and she just couldn't go. While trying to figure out what was wrong, I was told to take her temperature "there", which did NOT happen. And I dropped (and shattered) my iPhone on the way to get the thermometer. It was not my day. So we made an unplanned visit to the vet the following day and she got pain pills and an antibiotic that she LOVED (thank you Jesus!). 14 days later she was back to normal, but sad she wasn't getting her evening treat.

This is usually a very tiring activity.

My girl not feeling so good.

John Glenn, the first man to orbit the Earth, lived in downtown Columbus with his childhood sweetheart Annie. He passed away at age 95. I went to the capital to pay my respects and he laid in repose. He is one of only a few non-governors to lie in state in the rotunda. It was such a special thing to see (EXCEPT the child in front of me was out of control, ran under the ropes, almost knocked over the flowers I have  pictured below and screamed and kicked his mom when she tried to tell him to stop. If that had been me as a child, my mama would have whipped me right there in front of everyone. Rant over.) The next day I went over to high street to watch his procession from the capital to Mershon Auditorium on campus.

God Speed John Glenn.

Bye Johnny.

Christmas weekend I headed home for a few days. We went to Holly and Eric's on Christmas Eve and visited the girls. Instead of gifts, I've got them an experience. Originally we were going to see the Little Mermaid on Broadway when it came to Cincy (but we ended up going to see School House Rock, Jr. Live at their middle school).

Christmas Day was spent at Mam and Papaw's. We didn't do breakfast this year, but instead did a lunch/appetizer thing. I forgot my Christmas gift in Piketon, so Tyler and I ran home and then we did our gift exchange. I got a coffee mug with coffee, and Mam got my gift - an Ohio dish towel and a mug with high profile democrats on it. (Both were really cute, I got both for myself.) We played a millennial vs. baby boomer game, which was fun because we (the millennial's actually knew a lot of the baby boomer facts (and if we didn't, Papaw would accidentally blurt the correct answer!). I don't think I took any pictures that day, but I wish I would have.

A few days after Christmas, I took Molly back to Charleston. The whole driving down to get her and then driving her back, which ridiculous, but Papaw wasn't feeling great, so I took one for the team and took her back while Mom stayed back in Ohio. Papaw did end up going into the hospital to get more fluid removed from his stomach area, so it was good that Mom was back in Ohio.

I stayed in Charleston through January 1 with Molly. While she was at work on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I went to the beach, walked around downtown Charleston, toured Ft. Moultrie, went to antique stores, cleaned Molly's apartment, etc.

Sharing a bed/couch/table.

At Fort Moultrie.

Sunset over the Charleston Harbor.

The most ginormous slice of pizza.

On NYE day, we were so pumped for the CFB playoff games. We walked around downtown and saw so many Ohio State fans. They were everywhere. We ended up watching half of the Washington/Alabama game while we ate dinner, then the second half and the Ohio State game at this other bar/pub place closer to Molly's house.

Well, needless to say, it did not work out in our favor. We made friends with a Washington fan in the bar (Hey Kellan, you out there?) in a sea of obnoxious Alabama fans (seriously, the worst!). So our game vs. Clemson got off to a rocky start and with Kellan off to his NYE wedding, and Molly and I being the only Ohio State fans in a bar full of Alabama and Clemson fans, we snuck out at half-time saying we were "going to get ice cream". Disclaimer, I did get ice cream on the way back to Molly's. I was hoping "Buckeye State" ice cream, would be helpful. So we watched the final half of the game at her place, with Molly in bed complaining the whole time.

The next day I got up and headed back to Ohio. It was a LONG drive. But I did make a few pit stops in Asheville, NC (no desire to go back) and at antique shops along the way and got home pretty late. I made my way back to Columbus the next day. I visited Mam and Randy on my drive home, but didn't stop into Bristol to see Papaw (he'd been moved into 'bootcamp' again).

I had to do it.

Someone was happy to see me home!

So this got me to the beginning of 2017. There's a lot that's happened since then, so I'll be back with another post about everything that's happened in the last two months! :)