Shopping Therapy

glitter-graphics.com

This may not be the best thing to admit (in the current economic times), but I currently have an excess of money in my spending account. ... or I did until last night. It's been a rough couple of weeks (months) at our house and I needed some retail therapy.

So yesterday afternoon, after our gym time, Kim and I dumped Mac on the doorstep of the house and we drove off to the mall to indulge in some therapy. Kim made a big score at HOT TOPIC, picking up some really nice jewelry (not my taste, but totally hers!). Then we spent some time looking for new shoes (flats).. unlike Beth (over at Nutwood Junction), we were not successful in that particular quest. Flats that are cute enough and fit are elusive. So we placed that on the back burner and headed over to Bath and Bodyworks.

I found a new scent that I loved. It's in their aroma therapy section. It's called Black Cherry Vanilla. YUM! I bought a candle and the body wash in this new (to me) scent.

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Then off to JCPenney's. We found a few choice pieces of clothing and felt like we'd really scored big. After that, it was time to hit the bookstore.

The bookstore didn't get quite as much of my money as it normally does. I did pick up a couple of magazines and a puzzle book. And one new title, a Dean Koontz book whose title escapes me at the moment.

It really was a great shopping trip. I didn't spend too much, but I found some really great things.

Happy St. Patrick's Day !

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We're Moving!! (AGAIN)

I was contacted a few weeks back while Paul was out of town by our housing office. Seems that our street is next on the renovation/rebuilding project list. They are trying to relocate all of us into some of the new housing on the other side of post.

Tuesday I got the call that they now have a house ready for us. Paul is gone for the next four weeks. Anyone else see the problem? LOL.

I'm not exactly sure yet how we are going to handle this. The housing office is having a meeting today to map out the future availability of four bedrooms. If they can have something else available for us in late April/early May, we will pass on this particular house and take the next one. But if this is the only one in the foreseeable future (keeping their construction schedule in mind), then they will hold this house until Paul returns. The one thing they won't make us do is move without him here.

Which means that the kids and I have three weeks to make this house "move ready". OY! I've mentioned my procrastination issues, right? Poor Paul.

Okay.. so anyway... Kim and I went to see the house yesterday afternoon. The bedrooms are huge. The rest of the house is kind of chopped up into smaller areas. Its a two story. On the first floor is a formal living room, formal dining room, 1/2 bath, kitchen, breakfast nook and family room. Lots of square footage, but not all together in a way that makes sense. I'm not quite sure how we are going to work this all out, but I'm sure we will.

I guess in the next day or two I'll get a definitive plan from the housing office Re: our move date. But the writing is on the wall, and we are moving.

Mood Swings in the aftermath

It's been a very long and trying week. In fact, it's hard to believe everything that has "gone down" has happened in just a five day span!

On Monday Paul and I had to dash up to Troy to pull all of Kendra's personal belongings from her car (police had the cars quarantined while they took pictures, etc.). When we arrived at the lot, we took a bit of time to take pictures of her car as well as the car that hit her. Just in case we decide to bring a civil suit against the man.

After the pictures were taken, I opened up the driver door. I was not prepared for how it all would look. I was not prepared to see my daughter's blood dried up in pools here and there on the seats and in the tray between the seats. I wasn't prepared to see how much damage occured within the car. I cried. I was so shocked.. all I could do was cry. I am grateful that Paul can be here during all this. He keeps me grounded.. without him I would have been a rampaging, insane mama bear. Still, I'm glad we don't have to see that car again. It did what it was supposed to do (protect our daughter), and I am glad for that.. but I don't want to see it again.

On Tuesday, we had to take a car up to Kendra for her use (foolish us for not doing it on Monday, but at the same time.. I'm not sure I was ready to face Kendra after seeing her car). We took Kim up with us so she could visit with her sister during dinner.

Wednesday I had a luncheon I no longer wanted to attend, but Paul insisted since we missed last months we needed to be at this one. On a side note, it did end up being a very nice , if a bit long, lunch.

Yesterday Kendra and I saw her doctor again because Kendra has begun to experience dizzy spells and is having a lot of pain and numbness in her left knee. Too early to tell, but the numbness could indicate permanent nerve damage. She still has a lot of fluid in her knees, which may be pressing on the nerve bundle... so there is hope that once the swelling goes down further, her feeling will return. OH.. and on a side note, I noticed that Kendra has lost 7 lbs since the accident.

Paul flew up to Huntsville with one aircraft and then drove back in a rental car. We had to pick him up in Dothan (a 45 min drive). No problem... we made an evening of it (the kids and I that is), and left early enough to have dinner and do a bit of shopping before meeting Paul at the airport. Of course, then we discovered that there was no Enterprise counter for the car, so Paul had to drive it all the way home.

Interwoven through all of that were countless calls between the various insurance companies.

I'm not proud of my behavior this week. Oh mind you, I've been nice to the outside world, but I have really been unfair and unkind to Paul. I am stressed. I am resenting his departure on Sunday when so much of this is still up in the air. The Army is not a hearing entity, so it's not like I can bitch at it. My venting is done at Paul..... although I've been careful NOT to use you messages, I know he is still kind of reeling from some of the things I've said.

Today we are running around returning rental cars to various locations, having lunch.. and trying to carve a little bit of couple time for ourselves before the kids get home this afternoon. All while he's trying to make sure he takes care of business at work before he leaves on Sunday (4 weeks to Yuma).

Worse before it gets better.

We saw Kendra's doctor yesterday, to follow up after the emergency room visit. She did a very thorough exam and then she sat and talked with us about the physiology of whiplash.

She told Kendra that she will feel worse (usually 72 hours after the accident) before she begins to feel better. Use the medications given to help with the soreness and pain. Warm soaking baths and/or showers. heating pads and eventually (once some of the bruising is gone) massage. She warned of relapses in muscle stiffness and muscles seizing up that could occur over the next year or so. And how to combat these things. It was a good visit and Kendra is now armed with ways to help herself through these injuries.

We found out a bit more about the perpetrator. He is 37 and this is his "first" offense. Here in Alabama, they have a law that prevents them from searching this sort of prior beyond five years back. So if you can keep yourself out of trouble for five years, you reset your misdemeanor clock (eye roll). He suffered a broken nose, arm and a "star" fracture of the ankle. He was taken to the hospital in Montgomery where he is under police watch. Once he is released from the hospital he will be arrested. His other passengers escaped injury.

My brother (a police officer in Phoenix) is urging us to pursue a civil claim against this guy. He says that the sentencing that will occur through the state's case will not be enough to deter this man from driving intoxicated again. I know that our insurance company is planning to sue this man and his insurance company (if he has one) for all costs associated with this accident as well as for an award for Kendra's "pain and suffering." Is that enough? Or should we pursue a private civil claim as well?

As a first time offender, his maximum sentencing could be up to 365 days in jail, loss of his license for 90 days, fines not to exceed $2100.00 and mandatory substance abuse program. Is that enough?

Shell shocked

We've settled her at Tyler's (her boyfriend) for now. Her apartment is on the third floor and she is in no condition to do the stairs for now. Tyler is in a single level home. She is able to walk on her own power, but because of where the bruising is, I'd just as soon she didn't have to tackle too many knee bending obstacles (stairs). She missed classes today while we took her around to see the officer handling the case and pick up prescriptions, as well as to collect the items from her apartment she'd need for a few days. But she wants to try and make as many classes tomorrow as she can.

Tomorrow we go back up there to take her to her doctor for another exam and to give her my van to use until we replace her car.

After we left her, Paul and I went by the wrecker lot that had her car. Although, technically we were not supposed to "see" the car, the lot attendant gave us directions so we could drive and see it on our way off the property. I am amazed that she is not more banged up. If she did not have her seatbelt on and/or if there had been no airbag I firmly believe that she would be fighting for her life in some hospital.

With just a flip of the coin

Kendra was hit head-on (in her car) by a drunk driver last night (Monday) at 11:45 pm. Through the Grace of God and the invention of airbags, Kendra escaped major injury. She was seen at the emergency room at Troy Medical Center. She will have some colossal bruises and will be very sore for some time, but we are praising God that her injuries are relatively minor. The police investigator says her car is a complete loss and without those airbags, she would have been, too.

Later this morning, Paul and I will be going back up to Troy to take Kendra by the police station so that she can give her statement and then take her home. The drunk driver was in an SUV, but it appears that his injuries are more severe than Kendra's. Blood Alcohol tests were drawn on everyone involved (he had passengers with him) at the ER.

I promise I will keep everyone posted, but as things stand right now.. Kendra is resting comfortably... some bruises on her hands and knees, a bloody nose,... but all the CT scans and x-rays show nothing broken.