Life is short

As Devin and I were honeymooning in Hawaii, I would frequently send updates via facebook on what we were doing or whatnot. On our way out the door one afternoon, I got on to see what all was going on back home. I was surprised to see a "RIP Michael Jackson" as someones status update...and honestly thought it was a joke. So we flipped on the t.v. real quick, knowing that if it were true, it would be plastered all over non-stop. Sadly, it wasn't a joke. I was so shocked! I'm sure many of you were as well. It's an odd feeling...I didn't really KNOW the guy but it feels like someone I know passed away. But really, I only know the Michael Jackson that the media wanted me to know. None the less, I'm still sad that he passed away.

With that being said, I am so annoyed with this whole (for lack of a better word) situation. What is annoying me you ask? His so called "fans" and their behavior. They are all gathering around now, supporting one another through their grief. They are telling the family how sorry they are and how they are praying for them. They are talking about how great MJ was and all the good things he did for the world. That's all fine and dandy, I'm sure the family appreciates that. What I want to know is...where were they one month ago? 6 months ago? a year ago? Were they the same people buying the trashy tabloids and magazines? Were they the same people forwarding YouTube videos of his latest slip up? Were they the same people chasing him trying to catch a glimpse of him without his mask on...so they could sell it to one of the tabloids? While I was watching the media go on and on about him this last week, they showed a clip where MJ was being booed at a performance where he was trying to promote a comeback. What?! I can't remember where it was, but what was that all about? Are they the same people claiming to be huge fans? And anytime the media talked about him over the last several years, it seemed they were only trying to tear him down. But now that he is gone, they are flashing all his greatest achievements (along with some of the not so great moments still...they are relentless).

Why does it always seem to take a death to get people to realize that life is short? I see it happen all the time. I'm from a small town, several of them really since my family moved around a lot. In each of those towns I lived in there would always be a case or two of a young person passing away too soon. The town would all grieve, they forward e-mails of positive encouragement, and tell one another to appreciate those you love right now because you might not have the chance tomorrow. I could go to countless Myspace accounts and pull quotes of remembrance for those people they loved and advice to other people out there. I could show where they have proclaimed to never drink again because that's what caused their loved one to pass away. Or maybe they are going to wear their seatbelt all the time now because it could have saved their loved one. Yet, the pain dulls after awhile. People move on with their life and though they still remember their loved one or whoever they were to them...they seem to forget the lesson. Soon they are gossiping about one another again, they aren't taking the time to enjoy each other's company, and they aren't sharing their love for one another. Until someone else dies...then it starts all over again.

I use the word "they" as a general term. I'm not pointing fingers...you know where you stand. I'm also not saying any of this is wrong, it's natural. It has been something that has been bothering me for awhile now and seeing how people have reacted with Michael Jackson motivated me to finally write about it. Just a rant on my personal blog ;) It's so hard for me to understand why people can be like that when I am not. I tell people I love them. I send cards. I write letters. I try to spend time with those I love. I hug you when I see you because I am happy you're my friend, and I hug you before I leave because I don't know when I will see you again if at all. I never want to be that person who says, "I never got to say goodbye" or "I never told them how much they meant to me". I will tell you :) I know it makes me mushy and I know sometimes there are people who think I'm silly, but it's who I am and it makes me happy. I try my best to let the bad roll off my shoulders because, as I have said before, life is too short to hold a grudge. Life is too short to be angry and to hold pain inside. It makes my life happier and better to be happy, I'm a better person when I'm happy.

I have been watching MJ's memorial as I typed this...what a great memorial! It was heartfelt and sweet. How nice would it have been for Michael to have seen that kind of support (from the public who said they were fans) these past few years?! I bet it would have made him feel a lot better than that crowd booing him.

If you haven't already tonight, kiss your loved ones goodnight. Call that someone you haven't talked to in forever. And tell those who mean something to you how you feel, it just might brighten their day :) Just like the cliches say...Don't wait until it's too late. With that being said, I'm going to go cuddle with my honey.

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

P.S. I'm a Michael Jackson fan...then and now :)

Flip Flop...continued

On Valentine's Day 2005 my present was a baby ferret and I couldn't have been more excited! I am such an animal lover and ever since I was little I have wanted one. So Devin and I went to Petco and picked out a cuddly boy and took him home. We chose the one we did because he was more calm than the others and seemed to have a sweet personality. Now we had to come up with a name!

*This is my all time fave pic of him...shortly after we bought him*

Our stories for how we chose the name are different but in the end it was the same name...Flip-Flop. I came to that name because of how clumsy he was, he would run into everything...kinda "flip-flop" around. Dev said he liked it for some electronic reason...a component or something. (I like my story better ;) )

*One of his many fave sleeping positions*

Since I never had a ferret before and had only been around a few for a short period of time...I had no idea what to expect. I was worried about how much he slept and felt like I wasn't giving him enough attention (found out later that they sleep a lot and it's normal!) I bought the Ferrets for Dummies Book and read it cover to cover that night. I'm really impressed with the information on it and it also helped me confirm that Flip was deaf. (Which explains his clumsiness when he was a baby) I had noticed that he wouldn't react to the sound of me walking into the room but would react to the light change. He also didn't show any interest in the toys that had all the bells and whatnot on them like the others in the store had. According to the book, it was the type of ferret that he was. Apparently the "Blaze", named for the markings on their head, was prone to deafness. Not a problem though, just meant I had to work harder at keeping him entertained.

*Christmas 2009...he lightened up a lot over the years*

Over the years, I learned a lot about ferrets and about him in particular. I was kind of surprised about how much of a personality these little animals could have! He was so different from the ferret we got a little while later. He was such a little lover while she on the other hand was all fighter!! and still is! haha Most nights, I would leave his cage door opened and, while she would stay in the cage and sleep, Flip would often crawl up in bed with me and sleep. I would expect that from a dog or cat but was surprised a ferret would develop that kind of attachment. When he wanted my attention or wanted to be held, he would scratch my foot. I think that's the thing I miss about him the most actually.

*catching some zzzzz's*

When I tell people I have a ferret I always think it's funny how the first thing they say is, "Don't they stink?" That is definitely NOT the main thing I remember about him haha. No, not all ferrets stink. Flip smelled a little musky around his neck but that's it and his litter box never smelled until we bought the other ferret. In my opinion, they do not smell any more than a dog or cat do...if anything...they smell less. It really just comes down to how well you take care of them as with any animal.

*They always yawn a lot when they wake up*

The toys in the above picture never attracted his attention. Until the day I placed them in this pot and put water in it!! He loved dipping his head in the water and retrieving them. I would keep the balls in the pot even when there wasn't any water in it and when I heard them jingling one day I figured it was our other ferret playing with them. I went in there to get a picture and here was my baby boy having a ball! He was so cute to watch. His favorite toy was a tennis ball! It was the only toy that he would hide in his cage. All the others he took under the bed. I would randomly hide it to give him something to do. One day I noticed that if I went and played with him right after handling the tennis ball...he would immediately run to his cage to look for it. If it wasn't there he would go on the hunt until he found it and brought it back to the cage. He smelled the ball on my hands and would immediately know something was wrong in his world! haha

*He really slept like that...no posing necessary! Okay, I put him up there but he stayed long after!*


*The last pic I have with him*

So, if you haven't noticed already, our little Flipper didn't make it from the story in the last blog. I stayed up all night that Sunday night and stayed with him Monday morning while Devin went to work. I tried to keep him hydrated and still tried to get some kind of nutrition in his system. Devin came home at noon and stayed with him while I tried to go see some of my patients. I called shortly after to tell Devin that it was time to try and give him more fluids. He said he would try and hung up. Soon after though, he called to say that Flip didn't fight him when he tried to give him water...not a good sign. He had been fighting it the whole time so now it seemed like he had given up. Devin called the ER vet at his daytime clinic and got an appt. Sadly, Devin called me right after he got there and told me the vet said it was time to let him go. So I drive to the clinic and kissed my baby goodbye. He had been my best friend and companion while I lived alone over the last 4 years. Seemed like a short time to get attached to an animal...be he was special :)

The Vet called awhile later after we had left and said that in the end...it was a hairball that had caused all this. My poor little baby died from a preventable hairball that could have been removed with a $1,000 surgery. Of course, we don't just have an extra grand sitting around but I wish we would have. I had even called the OSU Vet school and asked if they had any kind of discounted surgery prices if a student did the surgery (like with hair stylists haha) but I was told that they do not. :( I wasn't all that impressed with our Vet even though he had been one of the better ones we had been to. But what sealed the deal (on me not liking him as much) was how he told me (after the fact) a mixture I could make in the future that would help eat at a hairball and yet still be safe on the ferret's tummy. hmmmm a lot of good that does me now.

It's all said and done now though. I didn't think it would be all that hard since I didn't have him very long and because he was "just a ferret" but it was really hard coming home and not getting to play with him. That was my daily routine before. Of course, I still get Back Spin out but she doesn't like to play like he did haha. He was the first animal that I have had from begining to end, I can't imagine how I will be with an animal I've owned 10 years! haha I'm happy that we picked him out of all the others he made me so happy and was great company. In a way, I think it's ironic that he passed away when he did. He had been my companion for all those years that I lived alone and he passed away just a few short weeks before Devin became my life long companion. Yeah, kinda cheesy I know ;) And with that I will say.... goodnight!!

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

Flip Flop

Wow! It's been forever since my last post!! A lot has been going on and so I'm so far behind my editing and posting! :)

Currently, we are going through a semi-rough time. I say "semi" because it's about an animal and I know there are people out there going through worse...but this is MY animal...so it's still rough ;) Anyway, Flip has been going through his shedding season the last few weeks. Which means that I have to chase him down with a brush and lint roller everyday! (the lint roller is for me because when I am done I am COVERED in hair! haha) I also take a lint roller to their hammock once a day and change the whole thing out at least every two weeks. On top of that, they are fed ferret lax to help pass any hair balls starting to form. That doesn't always keep it from happening, but usually I can catch the signs in time and just give him extra ferret lax.

Unfortunately, hairballs aren't the only things that can obstruct these little guys up and we have also been through that. About three years ago, he became very sick. Devin and I knew he wasn't feeling good when we left for Kansas, but we told his mom what to do and figured he would be okay. Well, he just got worse. So we rushed home to Olustee, made an appt with a ferret vet in the city, and left early the next morning to take him. He was so pitiful looking. I had a friend who had to put her ferret to sleep because the surgery was too expensive and we were in the same boat as her. I couldn't make the decision to end a life...even an animal's (ummm not counting fishing haha) so that night...I prayed that my little guy would either pass away in his sleep or would pass whatever was in his tummy.

I checked his litter box first thing in the morning and was never so happy to see poop in my life! haha I could tell that it definitely had something in it as well so I scooped it up and put it in a baggie for the vet. (That's what the Ferrets for Dummies book said to do)

I was happy to find that the Vet was an OSU grad because I had read that they have a little more training on ferrets...and I was even more happy to learn that he was also a ferret owner!! So...long story short...he examined what I brought him and found that it contained the rubber piece that covers the earpiece on headphones!! A few weeks later, when I was cleaning behind the bed, I found the rest of headphones. Evidently, Flip had eaten more of it but it passed through without much problem. The rubber piece sat in his stomach for awhile and then once it finally decided to make an exit...it became stuck in the intestines and stayed there for awhile. We didn't notice anything wrong for several weeks until it became stuck in the intestines. When he recovered from all that...he was like a brand new ferret. He was more lively that he had been since we first got him. We never had a clue that a time bomb was inside him :( But, that story ended happily.

Fast forward several years. Friday, Devin and I were once again packing to leave for Kansas. Once again, I could tell something was up. But he ate his ferret lax just fine, had a healthy sized accident on the floor, and was playing some....so we continued with our trip. We were only going to be gone for a day anyway. Well, why we were up there we heard that he was looking worse. Sigh.

As soon as we got home we knew it was happening all over again. Only this time we knew better and we had been so careful!! We haven't lived in this house long so we don't have anything out for him to be able to get into! He only has free roam in the living room, kitchen, and office so we felt pretty sure he had a hairball gone wrong. By now he wasn't eating or drinking and since we had both ferrets in the same cage, we couldn't tell if he was using the bathroom. Ferrets have a short digestive tract...approximately 2-3 hours long...so it's important for them to eat and drink often. Unfortunately, being "backed up" was also contributing to him being dehydrated. Just like with humans, the longer your BM stays inside you, the harder it gets. The intestines soak up the fluid which makes it hard for the BM to pass...no fun. So after giving him fluids with a syringe, we left to find an emergency clinic that had some experience with ferrets.

Luckily, we found one! The COVE, here in Norman, has a Vet who is also a ferret owner! Score! So after some x-rays, he confirmed our thoughts. Flip had an obstruction. However, the Vet wasn't sure it was just a hairball. Which means bad news because...a hairball would likely pass given time and ferret lax/pumpkin pie filling. An obstruction has less of a chance of passing and if it does there is most likely damage done inside. Lucky for us, the first time he had an obstruction it was soft and round. We couldn't tell what it was in the x-ray, or even if it was anything at all. So he gave us some medicine for his gas and gave him fluids. He instructed us to continue giving him fluids throughout the night and try the pie filling in the morning.

When we got home, Flip and I made ourselves comfy on the couch and put in a season 2 Grey's Anatomy DVD. It was the only way I'd stay awake! You can't fall asleep while watching Grey's ;) Every hour or so, I'd give him water or powerade...much to his dislike. But him putting up a fight was a good sign to me. He had a few messy BM's throughout the night that didn't contain much and by this afternoon he had stopped going again. Plus his gas wasn't going away.

So this evening, we went off to the Vets again. Only this time a little less hopeful. We both don't want him to suffer but we don't want to give up on him too soon. So we had no idea what to tell the Vet. We decided that we would ask for another x-ray (another $50) and see if the possible obstruction had moved any. This time, the Vet couldn't see it. Flip definitely had more gas, but all he could see was the BM stuck inside. We didn't know if that was good or bad. I asked him what he would do if it were his ferret. (surgery vs conservative methods) He answered by saying that it wasn't a fair question for him since the surgery would be free for him. Sigh. He told us to continue with what we had been doing and see if he made any improvements by the morning. The fact that he was holding down everything I gave him was a good sign.

I'm on baby sitting duty right now while Devin sleeps and unfortunately, I'm finished with my Grey's Anatomy. So I'm going through pictures and ran across these. One day I noticed him moving around a lot while he slept so I grabbed my point and shoot camera for some pics.






He is such a sweet boy and I really hope he gets better!! Sorry for the long post, hope it makes up for the weeks I went without posting haha.

xoxo
Brandi Sue

Up Close and Personal

Mmmmm it's been a long time since my last post! I actually haven't been on the computer much over the last two weeks. Unusual for me! Anyway, so here's a quick update on the last two weeks!!

Last weekend Devin and I went riding around the Olustee area to see what we would run across. Well...there wasn't much besides fields and telephone poles! So I decided to make things more interesting by getting "up close and personal" hence the name of this post!

*This one is Devin's favorite...he likes the photoshop edit*


*I tried to get the sun shining through the bullet holes. I could have probably added it with photoshop but I don't know how haha*


*Perfect object for this editing!*





*fire hydrant out in the middle of no where!*


*I think this is my favorite one!*


*Diggin the way the clouds look like they are moving*

It was nice getting out...I think we are going to be the little old couple that take Sunday afternoon drives after church! I'm looking forward to it :)

In other news: My Great Grandmother was admitted to the hospital, where they got her feeling better until the nurse aids "threw her in bed" and chipped a part off her hip. Yuck! I didn't see it happen but there was family in the room. It's weird being on the other side of the medical field. She's back home now but it's been hard on my Grandmother and Dad because she can't walk around like she used to. So keep them in your prayers please!

Devin and I went to church in Tipton on Easter Sunday. (My fave holiday!!!) It's been so long since I have been back that I was nervous about going! It was nice seeing all the familiar faces and even better that they all seemed genuinely happy to see me! It's only been about 3 years but some of those little kids have grown up so much! Funny how time flies huh?

Well, I'll try to not let it fly by too fast before my next post! But for now I'm off to edit more pictures! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Love,

Brandi Sue

Wedding...THE dress!!!!

With four months to go until the wedding...I decided I better find something to wear!! Devin and I spent part of a weekend in Mead, OK (near Durant) with his parents at the cabin they own down there. Most of the towns down there are pretty small but she and I had found out about a year ago that there was a huge place to go to about an hour away. That place...Frisco, TX!!! I can't believe this whole time we never knew it was there or that close! We actually found it because we were looking for a JoAnn's superstore. We didn't find out that there was a huge mall there (someone said it was one of the biggest ones in TX) until our shopping was done for that day! So we vowed to go back when we had a moment!

Well, that moment came the first of March! They boys went fishing and she and I went on a mission to find a wedding dress! I made an appt for David's Bridal and we spent about 2 hours in there checking out about 10 dresses or so. Some of these pics are from that day (from a cell phone so I apologize ahead of time for the low quality!)

A few weekends later, we invited Daniel and Brandi to come down for the weekend! Again, the boys went fishing, and the girls went....shopping of course!!! I tried on my favorites (3) for Brandi and Darinda and decided on THE dress. Of course, I didn't include it in this post...just in case Devin gets bored and reads this! (and again apologize for the low quality of the pics! my pocket cam isn't any better than my phone sometimes)

*Here's Darinda and I discussing the tiara's*

Going into all this...I didn't have an idea what I wanted! In terms of the dress and the accessories! There were soooo many options.... poofy?? slim?? mermaid?? long train?? short train?? in between train?? big tiara?? small tiara?? hair pins??......

*I liked everything from the waist down...but not really the halter top. Pretty dress though!*



*This one was actually my 2nd fave and Darinda's 1st fave. She later changed her mind to my top dress when we went the second time. I just couldn't get past the fish gills under the chest haha and I didn't like how you couldn't see all the pretty bead work very well. Really pretty dress though! It bustled up nice too.*



*If I were having a smaller wedding I might have gotten this dress! I liked the sheer layer it had. I didn't realize I could detach the straps until I was taking it off so it kinda ruins the image in this picture! haha It didn't make me feel like a princess ;) but it's pretty! *



*This one was given to me by a fluke but I tried it on for fun anyway. I really did like everything except the three layered look in the front. It fit really well though and made me look like I had a figure! haha *

I absolutely love my dress and I'm glad I finally have it! (shopping for it and getting measured was exhausting!) I also bought the tiara, petticoat, bra thing, and veil! So I just lack the smaller things...and an awesome pair of shoes!! haha

Thanks goes to Brandi and Darinda for sticking it out with me and offering advice! Oh and for picture taking, zipping, tying, tucking, hanging, holding, and whatever else I forgot! :) Darinda and I were actually complimented for getting along so well despite her being my future Mother-in-Law and me "stealing" her son away who is also her only child!! I thought that was funny. The lady was even more impressed when I informed her that I had been living on and off again with Darinda (and her husband) over the last 5 years!! So, we were proud of ourselves ;)

I HAVE to get some sleep now!! More updates later!

xoxo,

Brandi Sue

P.S. I tried to post some of these pics side by side to save room and make this post seem shorter but it didn't post that way!! It looked like it in the preview though! If anyone knows what I am doing wrong, please let me know! And is there a way to make the pics bigger in the post and not just when you click on them?? Thanks!!

Stormy weather

I absolutley LOVE spring!! Okay...well since reading this blog...I guess I should say that I LIKE spring! haha I really really LIKE it! :) But with every good thing comes the downside....for spring it's the storms!! Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good storm! However, I don't enjoy the damage they bring to those around me! Last year my car received hail and paint damage. This year I narrowly escape by being parked in the garage, so it was safe! The rain had just stopped and I was about to run some dinner down to Devin's grandparents before the hail came. Luckily, I hadn't left yet! This picture is from my cell phone.


After the rain and hail let up, I went outside with my Canon to see if I could capture any cool clouds in the distance with my new stalker lens. But I didn't see any low hanging clouds in the distance, just this pretty one! I didn't think I had time to run inside and switch my lens so I just took it zoomed all the way out. The picture doesn't do it justice. It really was beautiful!


I photoshopped this next one some but I really like it! Even with the pole in the way! Devin's Dad was stuck in Lawton for like 2 hours waiting on the storms over there to pass! He made it home safely finally! He always teases me that I don't cook for him when Darinda is gone (and that he is afraid Devin will starve when we get married) so I came home from work with chicken and some yummy fixings including a cake mix! Then the storm happend! haha He didn't get home until 9ish but he still enjoyed it and is begining to think Devin will make it after all ;)


The upside to the storms tonight were that the farmers around here got the rain they have been praying for. I think they were still wanting it anyway. I was informed awhile back that there is a time when they don't want it...or maybe it was too much...I can't remember! I just wish it would have rained over in Davidson...my patient over there was really hoping it would! I called her and she said they didn't get a drop! But my patient in Snyder had a lot of rain and no power from the storm! So it was hit and miss I guess. It began to rain again after this picture so I had to go back inside, didn't want to ruin my camera!!


Wedding planning is finally begining to come along. I got the dress and all the fixin's (minus the garter and shoes), ordered some DIY invitations, found a hair stylist, and booked the engagement session! Yay!! I hope it keeps up!!! It's time for bed, happy Spring everyone!!

xoxo,
Brandi Sue

My dream wedding...

So I have been thinking about this whole dream wedding thing. At first, I felt like I had missed out on some big part of being a little girl since I didn't have this memory. Then I realized that it's a memory that tv and movies mainly created. After all, my best friend/Matron of Honor didn't have those memories either...so I'm not alone ;)


Then I thought...who says it's too late to think about your dream wedding? I mean, just because it's only about 3 months away, doesn't mean I can't still fantasize about it right? So, in a nutshell...here's how my dream wedding would go.....(Oh and I would add pics but I don't know if I would get in trouble for copyright or something so better be safe than sorry!)


I'll start off by saying that even dreaming up a fantasy wedding is hard because I still couldn't decide if I wanted a fancy or formal affair. I mean, I'm not high maintenance, but a wedding is a perfect excuse for some flair! But, after some thinking, I decided that I would stick to my country roots :)


The ceremony would be in a big, catholic type church. Those are always so gorgeous and would make for some awesome pictures! Who cares that you have to be catholic...this is a fantasy remember?! haha I picture beautiful stained class windows with lots of yummy sunshine streaming though. When I walked into the church the first thing I would do is follow Jenna's advice. I would breathe and take it all in. I would see the people who took time out to come to our wedding, to celebrate our commitment to each other, to wish us luck in our future, and to have a good time! Then, I don't really have much else to add to the ceremony. Short and sweet is fine with me...and hopefully not too many tears because I don't want mascara streaks haha.


The reception is the fun part. I would love to have it in a big rustic yet charming barn! I think a roasted a pig, some bbq, and all the fixings that go with that would be fun! Oh and some sweet tea! A live band would be a lot of fun too. They can play the classics and throw in a few new hits as well. I would hope that it would be a perfect chance for everyone to just relax and have a good time. Now days everyone just seems to want to rush out of the days events. I always hear this famous line, "I'll just send a gift to make up for our absence." Well, I'll tell you right now, that won't work for me haha. I understand some people have commitments that keep them from coming. Totally okay with that. But don't think we rather have a croc pot or toaster instead of your company!! :) Besides, we already have those items and are only regeristing for new ones because we have had them forever haha. K anyways, everyone would stay out late and dance the night away!


I don't really have any thoughts on the cake, dress, and whatnot haha So it's mainly a dream reception?! Works for me! Well, actually, I have thought about the bridemaids dresses and stuff. I have decided that I'm not like the bridezillas on tv who won't allow them to look cute on the chance they might "upstage" me. I want them to look way cute and be comfortable. I'm not all set on a certain dress, hairstyle, shoes yadda yadda. It would be fun to all have our hair and makeup done...and have pretty colorful shoes to go with our dresses!


Then to top it off, a breakfast/brunch thing the next day would be a great way to end the festivites. It would probably be small, just the family and some out of town guests. It would be a nice oppotunity to get to visit more with some guests. Then off to the honeymoon!!!


Okay, so that was a nutshell version. It's almost easier to name the things I don't want than the things I do want haha. Tomorrow we are going to the cabin and then to Frisco on Saturday for more wedding dress shopping. I think I already know which one I want but I need another opinion and just another look without all the overwhelmingness from the first time.


Hope you all have a great weekend!


XOXO,
Brandi