Need A Boost?

I will admit, I've had a 5 hour energy before. I've even had a Red Bull a couple of times. Usually if I'm driving long distances and just can't seem to keep my focus. As a general rule, though, I get my artificial stimulants from coffee any soda. Call me a traditionalist. ;)
Years ago I became a Bzz Agent. This means that I get sample or discounts on products to kind of give them a test run and let people know about them. Recently a product I've tried out is from Green Mountain Coffee and its called Focus Blend. It's a part of their Wellness Collection. Now, you do have to make this as a 6oz cup if coffee or its too weak, but it DOES give you hours of focus with no jitters and no crash. I also tried the Antioxidant Blend. I've just got to rave about that Focus Blend, though!! That stuff is da bomb!!

<img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/greenMountainWellness.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=7167868471&Campaign=2041194021&Uid=262790&token=9b8af58b118fbf0a7225973d9d000191" alt=""/>

Gizmo

In the early morning hours of the fourth of July our Gizmo was hit by a car and killed instantly in the road in front of our home when he got loose and ran.  The driver did not stop; we did not see it happen.  A friend of my son's found him when everybody went looking for Giz.  He was 2.5 years old, 7.5lbs, and the best dog I've ever had.  I miss him so much it hurts, still, and I keep crying about him at random times.  Like now.  Kyle mentioned my birthday, which will be in a couple of days, and the only thing I really want for my birthday is my Gizmo back.  

To help fill the emptiness, though there could never be a replacement, we've adopted a minpin who was being fostered in the Ogdensburg area.  He is six years old and we've named him Jake.  He's very fearful and has obviously been mistreated somewhere along the lines.  The only problem we're having with him is that he's not housebroken....or he's forgotten how to be.  So earlier I brought Max's pet taxi up and cleaned it well and made Jake a nice nest in it.  We'll have to crate train him, I guess.  We hate to do it to him because he's been through so much, but I'm getting damned frustrated cleaning up all his piddle spots.  

The Dark Monk Bzz Campaign

<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/darkMonk.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5946912393&Campaign=0683860518&Uid=262790&token=e106591bf6b1c0969b2e99eae8f19a99" alt=""/>

Bah!  I was really excited about joining this Bzz Campaign!  I was hoping to read The Dark Monk and The Hangman's Daughter.  They didn't tell us until after the campaign started that Kindle Fire and iPhone Kindle apps wouldn't be able to access the books.  Very disappointing.  I would really have liked to have had that information before joining the campaign.  The books look so good!!!  I've got to say, it's the first time that I've been disappointed in the coordination of a Bzz Campaign.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, I'm a Bzz Agent.  A Bzz Agent is somebody who gets to learn about products before they're released or as they're released and share what we've learned about them.  I've been in some pretty terrific Bzz Campaigns over the years.  You can learn more at www.BzzAgent.com.

If you're looking for something good to read, I've heard many really good reviews on these books!  Hopefully I'll be able to read them soon.

The Dark Monk

The Hangman's Daughter

Well It Figures

Death of the Well

The last couple of days we've had intermittent problems with the water.  It'll be flowing just fine, then it stops.  It comes back within minutes, but it's bothersome....and foreboding.  This morning Colin had to end his shower early as the water quit on him twice.  It quit during my shower, too....after I'd rinsed my hair thankfully!!  Then by 11am it quit entirely.  I got Kyle up, he called his friend Bruce over, and they determined that the well was dry.  So Jeff Vice came with the pumper from Station 2 and a few other firemen showed up and ran water into the well.  So that's how we know the well wasn't dry because they didn't get 50 gallons in and the water came shooting out of the top.  So it looks as if the pump isn't working.  There's a switch in the basement that could be the problem or it could be the pump itself.....at the bottom of our 375ft drilled well.  Brian Jenack is coming by in the morning with a friend who knows these things and can test that switch.  So now here's hoping that that switch in the basement is kaput and we can replace that and be done with it.
Meanwhile, I had Kyle bring in a bucket of water from the creek to use to make the toilet flush and told the boys they can go outside.  He and Colin have run in to Peggy's for now to use the facilities there....I have no desire to run the risk of clogging a toilet when we've got no water.  I think I'd have a screaming breakdown and run howling madly out of the house.
Pretty pretty please let it be that switch!

Migraines

Colin has another one.  Poor kid.  All this gorgeous weather and the bright white sky makes his head scream.
I think I had a migraine once.  I remember as a teenager having this one headache and the silence hurt but any noise hurt, the darkness helped a little but if anybody even cracked open the door I'd sob.  But it was a one time thing and was over in the same day.  These ones Colin gets last for days.  The last one was a four day event from day one until the recovery day where the headache part is gone but there's hypersensitivity to stimuli still.  I guess my cousin Josh used to get them, and a second cousin Reilly gets them, too, so there's some family history there.  It's also common in the puberty years.  His seem to come on with dramatic weather changes.  I guess I should just watch the barometer and start dosing him with meds when it jumps around a bit!  Gah.  I hope he grows out of it, and quickly.  If we catch it right at the beginning we can head it off at the pass....but this time we chalked those early symptoms up to the cold he's had.  And then it was too late.  Any advice on tips and tricks to avoid them or alleviate them are always welcome!  We may have tried it already, but hey -- any help is appreciated!  Or even shared stories!

Fukitol Day

So this morning I declared today to be Fukitol Day here at our house.  Colin gets to blow off school and catch up on some sleep, and nobody is going to be given any chores....no expectations.  Kyle and I both have the day off.  Right now it's sunny and waaaarm out there...it's supposed to rain this afternoon.  Hopefully that will wash away the last of the ice and snow.  The back yard is a pocked skating rink in the shade of the trees and buildings.  I took the doggies out front this morning and realized that the neighbor's dog has used our front lawn as her personal potty for the season....that will have to be picked up.  But not on Fukitol Day!!  I changed the litter and put the trash out because there's no choice in that, and I'll do some laundry because it's easy.  But really....today is Fukitol Day and I have no plans, no chores, no projects...nada.

We're going to have a Saint Patrick's Day party on Saturday.  Nothing big, nothing fancy, just getting our friends together, eating good food, drinking like we can handle it, and enjoying the early days of spring weather.   Anybody is welcome to come, but I'm not going to advertise it.  I'll have fun this week planning the menu!

I'll be heading down to Syracuse at some point to pick up my mother.  Glen's house and affairs are just about settled, and she'll be going into a home to spend her last days.  I guess they're at a doctor's this morning where they'll learn more about how much time she'll have left now that she's foregoing further treatment.  There's a lot of madness down there.  I'll miss Glen, when she's gone.  I'm glad that we all got back in touch and had a few years to spend together.

Alright -- off to surf Pinterest!!  lol  If you haven't found it yet you're missing the revolution!!!

Happy Fukitol Day!!