A Perfect Storm for Blog Absence

What do you get when you combine crazy busyness, the Olympics, and over a week of an unidentified stomach ailment?

A week or more without a substantial blog piece, that's what.

Last week was "uncharacteristically" busy for me. I usually don't have much more going on outside of the house than the occasional grocery trip, but last week was nuts. I had two doctor's appointments in a town forty-five minutes away--one was a check-up for me and the other was Livers' belated 18-month appointment--and when you go to this town, which has the most decent mall for quite some way, you try to make the most of the gas money and get all of your shopping needs taken care of. I love to shop every once in awhile, but it really can take it out of a girl!

It was also my birthday week, which was great but exhausting when all was said and done. My mom watched Livers so I could go to a local jewelry-making store to make some jewelry. It was glorious and has inspired me to start making some myself, especially when I realized just how easy it is. I'm sure that the shop owner thought I was a big weirdo, because being the huge rainbow lover that I am I just HAD to make some rainbow jewelry. I thought it was pretty :)

In addition to this I got to go birthday shopping after the aforementioned doctor's appointment. I am a HUGE purse person. Before Livers and when I worked, I bought them every chance I got. I was looking for the Holy Grail of purses--the perfect purse--which meant I had to go through a whole lot of purses in my search. (I've still yet to find it.) Now that I don't work I only buy purses twice a year--for Christmas and for my birthday--so in the spirit of my birthday I went shopping for another one. I might try my hand at making my own soon, because I will have a better chance of getting the style I like.

(For you, Tiaras and Tantrums: This is my newest. I am a HUGE fan of Fossil purses, particularly black leather ones. Almost all of my purses are black leather.)

The last part of my birthday celebration was getting to go out to an adult dinner on Friday. My parents agreed to watch Livers, which was a delightful surprise (and if you're reading this, Mom, a thousand times thanks!). We ate at our local Beef O'Brady's, which was OK, but slow. I ended up filling up on appetizers and not having enough room for dinner. Someone in the group must have told them it was my birthday, because they gave me a piece of free cake (very yummy and rich). We then went downtown for drinks. I must be getting old or something, because the usual party girl that likes to come out when given the chance was asleep. I could have happily gone home at ten when the other couples with children had to leave. I tried to hold out and liven up, but I never did. I also started to lose my voice (my throat had been hurting for awhile), which made it more difficult. It's probably for the better that I had a tame birthday, because I did not want to spend the rest of the weekend suffering.

Now for the other two things that have been preventing me from being a good blogger. Next up, the Olympics. I have been DIGGING it hardcore. I don't even think I watched the Athens and Sydney Olympics, but I have more than made up for it this time. I've really enjoyed gymnastics and Phelps race for 8 golds, and I think I'm going to go through some sort of withdrawal once it is all said and done.

Finally the most annoying thing keeping me from blogging (and quite frankly from doing anything other than the bare minimum for the day): my stomach. I don't know WHAT the deal is, but something is going on in my stomach. Every single time I've eaten (with few exceptions) for the past week I have gotten sick at my stomach. Not nausea, not intestinal, just a deep-in-the-pit-of-my-stomach pain. Tums, Pepto, and Pepcid don't do a think to take the edge off, and it is becoming very frustrating. Even as we speak my meager breakfast of a single Pop Tart and a glass of Ovaltine milk are making me ill. I have the unfortunate feeling that I might have an ulcer, but otherwise I have no clue what's up (or rather down). I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon to hopefully diagnose the problem, so I pray I get some answers because it's getting ridiculous.

I hope this makes up for some of my absence. Maybe I'll start feeling better soon and will be able to return to substantial blogging. Crossing my fingers here!

Edited to add: The doctor believes I have an ulcer as well. She prescribed a round of Nexium. She said it should do the trick, but if it does not or gets worse we'll have to do a round of tests, which might include a giant flexible tube down my throat. Endoscopes. Joy. Keep crossing those fingers!