I Am Not My Hair

Chrissy — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:17:19 +0000

Throughout the years, people have consistently told me that you start to care less about the way you look as you age. I never really believed it, but I’m starting to see evidence of it in my own life, and I’m still in my 30′s. Since elementary school, I’ve used mousse and hairspray in my hair almost everyday (it really just became a habit). Well, one day recently I decided I wasn’t going to do it anymore. Just like that! Maybe I should have made the change sooner. After I made the change, a lady I worked with said it always looked like I had grease in my hair before. Why didn’t she or someone else ever tell me that? I always thought the “grease” made my hair look better. I decided to stop wearing makeup too except for special occasions. I still wear lipstick and ChapStick. I don’t think I could ever go without my ChapStick! These changes have shaved so much time off my morning routine and made my life much easier. Though, I still take really long showers! I like to be clean! Maybe I’ll stop showering too, ha ha! Truthfully, that is how it seems to progress as you age. Eventually, many older people stop bathing or at least stop bathing as frequently. As they age, women often wash their hair only once a week since many of them also get their hair done once a week. I’m starting to see the good things about aging. It is so much more freeing to not care what others think about you. If this is what getting older is all about, sign me up!

You’re Gonna Name Your Baby What?!

Chrissy — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:35:18 +0000

So, I got my new debit card in the mail today and of course my first name was misspelled. Aside from my first name frequently being misspelled, my gender is often wrong too. I always get mail for “Mr. So and So” because of the way my first name is spelled. They think I’m a dude, which is equally awesome. Parents really need to think it through when selecting a name for their children. Many new parents spend hours searching for really unique spellings of names for their children, but they should be careful because this can cause heartache for their children down the road. Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal that your name is misspelled, but it can be. This is especially true, if you are trying to pay a bill online and it asks you to enter your name exactly as it’s listed on your debit card. If the account you are paying has your name spelled one way and your debit card has it spelled another way, it can turn into a big mess. Yes, you can call and get the spelling of your name corrected, but when it happens all the time, it gets old. What’s even funnier is when people try to argue with me about the correct spelling of my name. “Are you sure it’s not spelled this way?” Oh wait, you’re right. I don’t know how to spell my own name! People just don’t pay attention to detail these days. Though, just when I thought the name misspelling was bad, I ran into another problem. I went to the eye doctor and they had an incorrect address (somewhere I had never lived) listed for me, but before I realized it, my medical information had been transferred to another doctor’s office. Well, I got the information corrected at the eye doctor, but the other doctor’s office will not correct it. They’ve corrected it everywhere except on my prescriptions which always show the incorrect address. I’ve told them numerous times and in different ways to try and get the message across. I called the office to inform them of the incorrect address. I told the secretary. I told a nurse. I even wrote it correctly on a little sticky note for them, but alas I guess my prescriptions will always show this infamous address and my mail will always come to “Mr. So and So.”

At Your Best With MS

Chrissy — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:20:58 +0000

March is National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month. The theme for this years awareness month is “At Your Best with MS.” According the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, this theme was chosen to encourage people with MS to do everything they can to maintain the best quality of life possible with the disease. “Being “At Your Best with MS” means adhering to medication plans, eating healthy, keeping fit, finding hobbies and interests that bring pleasure, developing a support network, maintaining good emotional health, and continuing employment when possible,” according to the MSF.

What is multiple sclerosis? According to the National MS Society, “MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.”

Common symptoms of MS include fatigue (unlike normal fatigue and unique to MS), numbness, problems with gait (walking, balance, and coordination), bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, vision problems (double vision, eye pain, blurry vision which can cause blindness), dizziness and vertigo, sexual dysfunction, pain, cognitive dysfunction, emotional changes (mood swings, irritability, etc.), depression, and spasticity (muscle stiffness and spasms).

MS is diagnosed by results from an MRI scan (to detect lesions or scarring in the brain from MS), spinal tap (analysis of cerebrospinal fluid), Visual Evoked Potential Test (recordings of the nervous system’s electrical response to the stimulation of specific sensory pathways), and blood tests to rule out other conditions.

There is no cure for MS. There are several available treatments which can help reduce disease activity and progression for many individuals with relapsing forms of MS, most of which are medications that have to be injected.

This is just a brief summary of a very complex disease. For more information about MS, visit the National MS Society.

Let There Be Light!

Chrissy — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:05:43 +0000

It’s that time of year again where we spring forward! This morning, most Americans will move their clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time. This is also a good time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms to make sure they are working properly. Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 2:00 a.m. and ends on Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 2:00 a.m. Hawaii and Arizona are the only two states that do not participate in Daylight Saving Time. Though, outside the U.S., most of the world does not participate in Daylight Saving Time. South America, Asia, and Australia no longer participate, and most of Africa never participated in the practice. Personally, I would prefer the time to stay this way year round. I don’t see the point in changing our clocks twice a year. I love having more light in the afternoon! Then, when I get home from work, I can actually do things outside too! Don’t forget to change your clocks! Happy Spring!

Su Gato Es Mi Gato

Chrissy — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:59:54 +0000

My neighbors have these two kittens that they leave outside all the time, so I’ve gotten to know them pretty well. They were unplanned pregnancies. My neighbor thought that my indoor cat got his outdoor cat pregnant and even asked me about it once. I think he was looking for child support. Well, I have fallen in love with the two, little kittens. They are so precious! Sharon and I have given them names too, “Bo” and “Patty.” We have even brought the kittens inside our house a couple of times. The reason we are able to get by with this is because when the neighbors go out, they usually leave their kittens outside. They are clueless about what’s been going on. Though, one afternoon Sharon and I brought Patty inside. Then, not long afterwards, we noticed the neighbor lady pulling into her driveway, so Sharon casually and gently dropped Patty down outside and walked away like nothing ever happened. A similar occurrence happened when I was taking out the trash one afternoon. Patty was outside, but so were her parent’s. I just walked casually by and blew her off. I feel like I’m having an affair. I’m so afraid of getting caught and losing my relationship with those kittens! Though, the truth is this will probably always been an issue for me. When this situation ends, I’ll probably find myself in another situation just like it. I fall in love so easily with cats and animals in general, so it’s really hard to remain faithful to my own. “A home wrecker,” some would say. It’s really bad when I notice my own cats staring out the window at me. I feel so guilty, but I cant’ stop myself! I’ll probably turn into a crazy cat lady someday, or maybe I already am? Su gato es mi gato!

Happy President’s Day!

Chrissy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:47:06 +0000

What is President’s Day, anyway? If you’re like most Americans (myself included), you have no clue. So, I thought I’d give us a little history lesson this President’s Day. President’s Day is a federal holiday. You may have already figured that out, if you checked your mailbox today and realized it was empty. Though, I still check for mail even on holidays. Maybe it’s an OCD thing? I just have to check! The reason today is designated as President’s Day is because two of the most important of our past president’s were born during the month of February. George Washington was born on February 22nd, and Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th. Until 1971, both February 12th and February 22nd were observed as federal holidays to honor the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington. In 1971, President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal holiday as Presidents’ Day to be observed on the 3rd Monday of each February to honor all the past presidents of the United States. Though, most of us just know it as another day off work! Happy President’s Day!

We’ll Always Love You, Whitney!

Chrissy — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:34:59 +0000

Whitney Houston passed away on February 11, 2012 at the young age of 48. The cause of her death is still unknown. I grew up listening to Whitney Houston, and I absolutely loved her music! Despite the controversies, I remained a big fan. Whitney not only had a beautiful voice, but she was a beautiful woman and a great actress too. Whitney got her start in the black church and perhaps that’s why I was always drawn to her music because of my love for gospel music. My favorite Whitney song was “All the Man that I Need.” I always pretended to be her when I sang that song growing up and sometimes I still do! “The Bodyguard” soundtrack was probably one of the first cassette tapes I ever owned. I remember watching “The Bodyguard” on television and taping it on VHS. I didn’t watch a lot of movies growing up so the fact that I taped “The Bodyguard” shows my love for Whitney (Oprah shows were the only other shows I ever taped). I’ll always remember singing “Exhale” (shoop, shoop) when the movie “Waiting to Exhale” came out. There’s not a singer alive that will ever hit the notes the way Whitney did in “I Will Always Love You.” She sang the best rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” that I ever heard in 1991 during Super Bowl XXV. I look forward to Christmas every year just so I can hear Whitney sing “The Little Drummer Boy” (best Christmas song hands down)! Whitney’s going to be in a new movie called “Sparkle” that’s set to be released this August. It’s really bizarre that Sharon and I were just discussing our love for Whitney with our friends recently at our friend, Sarah’s birthday party, but we never anticipated Whitney’s death. I’ll always remember the good things about Whitney. I still get chills listening to her sing, and I probably always will. In Memory of Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963-February 11, 2012).

Super Bowl 2012

Chrissy — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:48:47 +0000

The New York Giants and the New England Patriots will play tonight in Super Bowl 2012. Who do you think will win? I always have a hard time choosing a team to root for in the Super Bowl because I pay absolutely no attention to football during football season or any other time for that matter. I usually pick the team with the cutest quarterback which is what I did this year, so I’m cheering for the Patriots. I’ve never been a big football fan and have always had a hard time understanding how people could spend an entire day watching football on television! Sounds pretty boring to me! It’s easier for me to understand people spending the day at a live game. I can enjoy almost any type of event, if it’s live. Though, people can get pretty out of control at live sporting events. Sports fanatics are just that, fanatics! People take their sports seriously and they can get mean, even violent, if their team loses. I don’t understand all that, but what I do understand about football, especially the Super Bowl is the unity it brings among the American people. It’s truly an American tradition. Friends and families gather together. I understand the food thing too. It’s always fun to eat lots of yummy foods and the Super Bowl kind of inspires that type of behavior. And, the commercials? I love the commercials and the half time show too! Maybe I do like football, after all?

What You Talkin’ ‘Bout, Willis?

Chrissy — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:38:21 +0000

Our words are powerful. If you don’t believe this, just post something outrageous as your Facebook status. You may not always get a response when you speak out, but rest assured that people do hear you. Facebook is a good example of this because people see everything you post, even though they may not comment on it. I realized this because of the number of people that have said to me, “Yeah, I knew you were doing such and such. I saw it on your Facebook page,” even though I had no idea because they had never interacted with me on Facebook. Our words have the power to encourage or discourage others. We can build people up by the words we say, or we can tear them down with our words. Words are used by politicians to help their campaigns grow and gain influence. Words are used on television and in music. Those words are particularly powerful, which is why shows are often cancelled or words bleeped out because they are not suitable for all audiences. Radio stations often take songs off the air when they receive too many complaints about them. Words are used to summon rallies of people for good and bad causes. The news media uses words and they probably have more influence on the general population than any other medium. People base their life decisions based on what they hear or read in the news. People decide what to wear based on what they hear or read from the weather man (woman). People become fans of things they hear about on television, or they start to dislike things or people based on what they hear on television. If you are still not convinced, the next time you get into a disagreement with someone, mumble something disrespectful and you’ll see just how powerful your words truly are!

Embrace Difference

Chrissy — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:45:18 +0000

Perhaps one of the greatest things you can do to enrich your life is to be friends with people who are different from you. By stepping outside of your comfort zone and reaching out to those who are different from you, you help enlighten both parties. So many people pigeonhole themselves into one category or another. Nothing is more frustrating to me than someone who can only see their side and refuses to consider the perspectives of those with whom they disagree. There is nothing more alienating. When you only see things one way, you stop growing and learning. You become discriminatory and hate filled. If you can’t stop and consider where other people are coming from or you just don’t care, your existence will be a miserable one and your friends will steadily disappear. I like being friends with people who are different from me. I like hanging out with the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor because I feel like it gives me a greater perspective in life. This is probably why I enjoy my job in social work so much because I never see the same situation twice. So, get outside of your box and consider someone else’s perspective. It just might change your life!