PSST! Merry Christmas! (Yes, it really is me)

Merry Christmas & Happy Whatever-Else=You-Celebrate-At-This-Time-Of-Year!

Well, seeing how I got that out of the way...I really missed you all so much!
I know it's been almost 8 months since I last posted.  I don't have any major, cataclysmic, life-altering, or out-of-this-world reason why I just stopped posting.  Actually, life is pretty much the same here in good old Michigan.  Same old shit, almost different year.
I do feel really bad about how I just stopped writing without any reason.  If I made anyone worry, I truly apologize.  And if no one worried...Well damn, someone worried, right? ***crickets*** RIGHT? LOL!
Yes, I am STILL a smartass!  (better than being a dumbass, but I've been that, too, I suppose ;)  OK, you can all quit nodding your heads in agreement now ;)
I suppose one reason I stopped sharing all my infinite wisdom (snicker) was that I felt overwhelmed.  I was just so tired of everything at that point.  I thought summer break would find me wanting to write, but, unfortunately, it didn't.  I found myself almost dreading to be on the computer.  As much as I love writing & reading online, it began to feel like a burden.

I got back to doing something I love, but hadn't taken the time for it in quite a while.  READING.  Real, ink-filled, finger-slicing pages that almost stay open on their own from stretching it open too much.  I found myself engulfed in Anne Rice & Charlaine Harris.  From Anne Rice, it was "The Tale of the Body Thief" & "The Vampire Lestat".  Unfortunately, even though I have seen the movie, "Interview With the Vampire", I do not own the book.  Eventually, I will pick it up.  I could go to the library, but there is something special to me about owning my books.  I admit, I do have way too many books (as does Sarah), but can't seem to part with them.  Of course, there are quite a few that I could sell or donate without bothering me too much.  I'll have to make that a resolution for New Year's (although I am rather bad at keeping resolutions & that's another post anyway).
As for Charlaine Harris, I have read the first three books that the HBO series, "True Blood", was created from.  They are:  "Dead Until Dark", "Living Dead in Dallas", & "Club Dead".  I also have the next two books of what is formally known as "The Sookie Stackhouse Novels".  But, of course, I have not taken the time to sit down & peruse them yet.
I can't recall how I got into the "True Blood" series, but it's become one of my guilty pleasures.  I ended up watching the first two seasons online in about a week or so.  As season three started, I caught the first episode online.  The HBO/Cinemax package is the only movie group we didn't have in the Directv lineup.  My dear, sweet (?), loving hubby checked online for pricing & found out if we ordered the package with all the movie stations, it would be cheaper than to just add HBO to it.  So, VOILA!, I was able to enjoy the series from my tv instead of attempting to download & view it online.  Now, I have to wait until summer once again for the new season to start.  HMPH!
As for my guilty pleasures, I still love watching "Big Brother", "Survivor", & "Big Bang Theory".  I have also become "attached" to "Dexter" this season & have only seen this past season with Julia Stiles.  So, this means I will have to "catch up" by watching the series from the beginning.  Never enough time for "must see" tv...lol.  Another show I found highly interesting is the new series "The Walking Dead" on AMC.  Zombies are always so much fun!  A couple more shows I like are "Lie To Me", Monday nights on Fox & (no laughing, harrassing, or booing, please) "Glee", also on Fox.
I've also been on Twitter & Facebook quite a bit, so if you can't go another day, hour, minute or second without my fabulous wit, you can find me there.

Not much else to tell except an update about my grandma (babcia).  At 93 years old, she's still amazing me every day!  She's been in & out of the hospital quite a bit in the last eight months.  She's still having the same stomach problems, but since she changed doctors a few months ago, they think they have finally found the reason for her stomach problems.  There is an artery her digestive system that is blocked.  When she eats, the blood tries to force it's way through the artery (the docs said there are a few arteries that do this).  Since the blood speeds up for digestion, the pressure of it attempting to go through said artery causes her severe abdominal pain.  It doesn't happen every time she eats or with certain foods either.  They've tried to see if eliminating certain items would help, but it really had no bearing on the situation. The only option they said might possibly help would be to insert a stent in the artery, but that's not guaranteed & surgery at 93 y/o & with the rest of her health problems, would be too great a risk.  Pain meds, antacids, & stool softeners only help a little, if at all.  So, pretty much every day, she has stomach pain that gets intolerable at times.  With pain & discomfort being a consequence, she is reluctant to eat at times.  Babcia loves her food but the pain associated with eating anything makes her very leery.  I believe that the worrying contributes to the situation as well.  It just seems to be a no-win situation.  It adds to my stress levels as well.
I still visit her almost everyday.  She is, after all, only 4 blocks away.  My dad lives with her & takes care of many things around the house.  But, being the old-school, Polish woman she is, she still insists on doing all she possibly can without laying down until it is absolutely necessary.  She still does laundry, dishes, cooks, sews, gardens (with help from my dad & myself) & whatever else she can get away with...lol!  She gets so frustrated when she can't get things done because of pain or because her sight has gotten really bad.  You can't blame her.  She has always been very independent.
Now, you know I can't post without bringing up work.  Not too much to say about that except it's as stressful as ever & getting worse all the time.  I adore the kids.  They are not the problem.  Some of my co-workers, there lies the problem.  Truth be told, the problem lies more with the boss man, the "manager" & a couple of employees that would get away with murder if it happened.  And the bitch of it all is none of these individuals signs my check!  With this being Sarah's (my daughter) senior year of high school, I am hoping to be finished with working in the cafeteria at the end of this school year.  Unfortunately, money being a major factor, or lack thereof, I need to work.  Although my paychecks are barely enough to contribute to our financial situation, they do help.  I am still trying to find online work, such as data entry or something in that area where I wouldn't have to use transportation, therefore, saving money on the ever-rising price of gas.
I could probably write a lot more, but then who could keep reading?  (congrats to those who have made it this far ;)
It felt really good to be back here, sharing with my online "family", once again.  I won't commit to a certain date when I will post again, but I sure hope it will be soon because I may have a "little" more to share with you!
Thank you for being here!  Once again, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, Festivus, etc... God Bless & may we all have health, wealth & happiness each day in our lives! (((HUGS)))

Bringing Back the Babushka,
Collette