Biggest.Train.Display.Ever. -- Miniatur Wunderland

I love trains and I love miniature stuff... and with these two powers combine, makes for the most awesomest Train display evvvveeerrrrrrrr.....

If I ever travel to Germany. I am going to HAVE to stop here.... for like a full day... then return the next day... cause it's that extensive.

enjoy.

- LO

Star Trek: Tik Tok

Sorry... already posted to twitter... but I couldn't help myself.

Twitterfeed test...

I've been having a problem with twitterfeed posting to my twitter account. I'm hoping that changing the frequency update to every 30 minutes will do the trick. I don't post very often, so I don't know why i'm getting the: "Feed checked OK but stopped processing due to update frequency" error message.

The guys at Twitterfeed have "fixed" the problem when I reported it on their site, but each time I write a new post it gets hung up.

Hoping the problem is fixed...


Caio.

Let the Butt Kicking Begin

I'm tired of how I'm letting my body turn in to mush and just becoming so sedentary. It's driving me crazy. I've always had an athletic build, but I've never been "skinny." But as of late, the pounds have been stacking. I'm tired of looking at pictures of me and crying. I love taking pictures with family and friends, but I've been dreading how they might turn out these days...

My dear friend (from elementary school through high school and beyond), Michelle, has invited my honey and I to work out with her and her personal trainer. I'm so proud of her. She's worked her tail off for the past 8 months and it shows. 

This isn't my quest to be "skinny." Yes, it would be nice, but I just want to get back into the range that I know my body should be at and to be more toned. My desired goal is 20 lbs (I'd even take 15). I've seen myself 20 lbs lighter, and I had more energy, felt better, and hopefully my numbers will become more level too. Having to use less insulin is also a perk. 

Some may think it's a lot, or some may think that 15-20 lbs is hardly anything at all. Because my is pretty much against change, 15 lbs will be a *huge* feat for me. There are plenty of active type 1 diabetics out there, I know I can be one too. 

Something needs to change. And tonight is that first step. 

Here's to moving...off the couch and let's be honest - less stuffing my face.

Peace,

LO

Google Reader and the D-OC

The Diabetic Online Community rocks. I am so blessed to have a multitude of people sharing their thoughts, advise, and rants about their day to day life living as a diabetic.

I just finished reading through my "Diabetes Blogs" folder, and I thought, "wow, diabetes is 24/7. No breaks, no vacations, can be frustrating as heck, and painful as heck too!" And then the other side of my brain was like "yeah, doi, you go through the sameish type of stuff, and you know what... others go through it too." There are times where I want to play the blame game and yell at Diabetes "YOU SUCK!" but then 1 Corinthians 10:13 pops into my head - "No temptation [read: test, trial, problem] has overtaken you except such as common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [read: tested, problems] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." It doesn't say that God will take alllll your issues - sometimes He does. I would reeealllly like it if He took diabetes away forever, but that hasn't happened yet... so what does He do instead? He gives us a way of escape - a way to deal with it.

Through the support of family and friends, He's also given me the Diabetic Online Community (DOC).

Thanks you guys for sharing your thoughts, fears, blessings, small victories (like a 104 reading on the meter! Or a levelish line on the CGM! woot!), and everything else in between. You guys ROCK!!! Here's to you guys!

Blessings to you all and thanks for listening,

Lindsey O.


- I'm a finger poking, insulin givin', carb countin', softball lovin', newbie garden growin', Irish-Italian.
booyah.

If you're on twitter and you're looking for some awesome people to relate with, do a hashtag search diabetes (#diabetes).

OC Fair - very fun until I felt like I was going to pass out.

Weirdest thing happened at the fair tonight... I was standing at a
demo table and this wave of dizziness came over me. I pardoned myself
from the lady giving the lotion demo, dropped down, and test my blood
glucose - not low at all. Stood back up she finished and a second wave
of dizziness/diminishing vision came over me... I found a spot and sat
down, retested, a little higher reading (tested on my other hand and
with alcohol wipe), waited a little bit and walked out of the
auditorium and I was fine... Very weird. As fast as it came it left.
Besides the freak dizziness onset, we had a blast and Johnny went on
his first fair ride! The kiddie Farris Wheel. Which was not kiddie at
all! It was so fast and kinda had a crackle noise as the buckets
settled when the wheel stopped. Johnny covered his eyes most of the
time. It was super cute. As we first took off I wrapped my leg around
his, cause I was certain he would have fallen out if I didn't do that.
Yay for mommy reflexes!
Oh and I think one of the Italian food booths was playing the CD, Mob
Hits (one of my all time fav CDs).
Anyways, until next year OC Fair...
Caio Caio!
Lindsey O.

Happy Birthday to my 3yr old!

Happy Birthday to you little boy! Oh how you've grown so quickly.
I just went through my calendar all the way back to before you were born to 2004 (a la Palm m500), to our wedding day 2005, Finding out that we were pregnant 2006, and when you were born perfect and healthy 2007. It's all that we wanted - a healthy baby.
I am beyond thankful that you don't have any symptoms of diabetes. I pray, with fervent tears, that you will never have to deal with this disease.

Thank you for being the little boy that you are - even on the rough days, when it seems like i want to run away from responsibility.
I joke that it doesn't feel real that I'm a mommy and will say, "sometimes there are days when I ask 'when are your parents coming to pick you up?'".

I am so in love with you. You are my precious little boy, that I will love forever.

Here is to year 3, and many many many more. I love you, Johnny, my baby bear.

Love,

Your Mommy

Tiny Whiteish Bugs in my Soil

I just about freaked out when I saw a TON... like 100's of tiny white looking bugs in my tomato plant soil. The only thing that put me to ease that it wasn't on any of the plants, just in the soil. I noticed them when I aggitated the soil and then it looked like the soil was moving! It reminded me of the scene from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy and Sallah open the Well of Souls and the snakes were EVERYWHERE...
Here's some pics of the bugs:

I've put egg shells and also the leaves that I've plucked off the Tomato plant into the soil. The only reason they are on the rim of the pot is cause I stirred the heck out of the soil...

I'm hoping that they are Hypoaspis Miles. 

Ugh, as I'm looking up on google on what these guys might be, I've been getting goose-bumps like mad, and getting the occasional itchy feeling all over.... I don't mind bugs, only when they give me the whillies.

Caio and happy gardening,

Lindsey O.

File that Under: When I get a House

I usually don't have the "::gasp::! I want it!", but once again I had a gotta-have-it (when I get a home) moment.

Last time it was a Potting Bench from Gardener's Supply Company, but hello, it was $189. A fine piece, but my (got on sale for $20) Ikea wire shelving thingy will do just fine on our apartment patio.

 

Isn't it dreamy??

Anyways, so this time it was a Weber BBQ from Williams-Sonoma. I'm sure I can find it elsewhere, but for now, it's at WS.

Quick touch start, but it's charcoal and the ashes collect at the bottom for easy disposal. I'm still trying to figure out what the caddy is on the right hand side, maybe it's to hold cookware? hmm. I dunno, I think it's amazing. :o)

Yup. One Day. :o)

caio,

Lindsey O.

Do you treat your cell phone like your Bible?

Update: for the Smart Masses (::cough:: M. O'R ::cough::) out there who's Bible is on their smartphones/ipad/kindle/whatevers - just go with it... ;o) But for those who are still stuck in the 20th century and have a Bible Made of paper.

I just finished reading Greg Laurie's Daily Devotion for today and it really got me thinking... so much so, that I didn't go to my next email, but decided to share about it.

I'm trying to think of what I kept close to me as much as my cell phone is to me today. I don't think there was anything maybe my watch (?).

Think about your cell phone... where is it right now? I know my phone is usually within an arm's reach. I'm always on it. Either checking facebook, twitter, email, texting, playing games, making my grocery list, etc. It's such an important tool in my every day living.

Now, ask yourself, "What if you treated your Bible like you do your cell phone." I wish I could say that I do. But I don't. Can you imagine your walk if you did? How much stronger and more knowledgeable you'd be? It'd be with me wherever I'd go. If I have a moment, I'd crack it open and just read a little... skim through old notes that I've jotted on the margins, refreshing my soul, being open to new insights, etc...

I just looked at my old iphone... it is beat up. Granted it's the cover that's beat up, but still... It's been everywhere - dropped (water/coffee, earth, and concrete), kept in my pocket for i don't know how many hours, in my backpack (read: purse), talked on, typed on, and handled by my almost-3 year old.


With all that being said - I need to crack open my Bible more often.


I love the quote at the end of the devotion: "As it has been said, a Bible that is falling apart is usually a good indication of a life that isn't."

(side note: my little guy LOVES playing PocketGod on both iPhone and iPad)

I totally recommend Greg's Devotion that's emailed daily. It's short, to the point, and full of spiritual growth goodies.

Ciao!

SuperFunk

I don't know what's going on or what. But I'm hitting that super funk mood again.
Like the just-want-to-cry AND jump out the window mood.

My bloodsugars have been "normal"... can't blame it on that...



::stares... with nothing else to say::

Double Rainbow - For those who need a laugh...

UPDATE: The remix version is available on iTunes! Double Rainbow Song.

Continue on...

I saw this youtube of the double rainbow and this guy is trippin' out on how awesome it is. Then someone remixed his rainbow awesomeness trippage... Here are the two videos...

After the first 30 seconds you kinda get the idea for the remainder of the video. 

Then, the remixed version....

May you laugh and be as stoked out on beautiful things as this fellow (minus the being high part...)

ciao bella.

5:01am... Not a fan, especially when it's for a low.

So yesterday morning I woke up just before 5 with a low. Grabbed some skittles from my night stand, and laid there eating. I then went down stairs to test my blood sugar. I've never recorded myself while I had a low, but here it is.

p.s. after getting back to bed, there was a little curmudgeon on my side of the bed... and after 15 minutes of lying there, he thinks it's time to wake up cause the sun is up. ugh. so basically no sleep after 5am. I was not a happy camper that morning...zzzz.....



As the day went on, things got better and the BG's behaved.

Made myself a yummoliscious salad for lunch. Yes, those are chips in my salad. Actually, there's sour cream and chedder chips, tomatoes, pepperoncini, pickles, cottage cheese, pine nuts, salsa, and just a little bit of Ranch and Italian restaurant dressing.

Then after dinner I sat on our porch around twilight time. I lit my tea candles (pictured in lower right hand corner), drank my half-caf coffee, and curled up with my VU Sweatshirt blanket and iPad. So peaceful.

p.s. the giant plant in the way is Mr. Tomato plant. :o) Hoping to have some ripe Johnny tomatoes soon! :o)

Here's to a crummy start to a relaxing finish.

Thanks for listening, (and watching!)

Lindsey O.

oh and there was some really cute squirrels that visited us...

Good to know - Egg Freshness

How do you know if your eggs in the fridge or are still good? I got this tip from the RealSimple Magazine e-newletter thingy :


Test eggs’ freshness. Unsure how long that carton has been sitting in the back of the refrigerator? Simply drop each egg into a bowl of water. If it lies on its side on the bottom, it’s fresh. If it stands on end, use it within a couple of days. Eggs that float to the top should be tossed on the spot.

Good to know...

These Aren't The Droids You Are Looking For...

I wrote this post about a day after the Russian bombings at the end of March, but apparently never published it on my blog...

"So this is a little odd... who would have thought that "O'Rourke" was a popular name... I've been asked twice in the last 3 weeks if I was related to an O'Rourke and more specifically asked if I was the "Lindsey O'Rourke" who published an article in the NY Times in August of last year about women and terrorism. I kindly replied on facebook to the gal who asked me and told her no and good luck finding her. Then 3 weeks later - boom. literally. In Moscow. In case you haven't heard, but they are linking the bombings in Russia to terrorism and it was women who deployed the bombs in their busy Metro. Here is an article from BBC on the bombings and The Other Lindsey O'Rourke's post back in August 2008."

And right after the bombings happened I got a direct message from a BBC news Twitter account asking my thoughts on the attack. Which I replied that I'm not the same Lindsey O'Rourke that wrote about women and terrorism. At the time Lindsey O'Rourke did not have a twitter account, nor people with similar twitter account names.

Well, needless to say, my popularity is over. ;o)

Have a splendid day. :o)

Lindsey O.

In House IT email.

Email to my mom about her 2 Microsoft Bluetooth Wireless Mice:

K, so this is what I think what’s going on with the mouses…mices…mooses(?). Mice. Whatever.

1)     1) The one with the broken battery lid – the mouse itself is broken. When the battery is put in, the optical light doesn’t turn on.

2)     2) The one with gray right and left click buttons is the one that works. When the battery is put in, the light turns on.

3)     3) However, the Bluetooth USB guy belongs to the one that the light doesn’t work.

Final comments:

I think the gray button mouse will work once you find the Bluetooth that it belongs to. J Happy mousing.

Thank you,

Your 'In House' IT. :o)

Working...but without the USB Bluetooth friend

Not working...but has his bluetooth partner.

So many lows! What The Face?

I was thinking back to the last time that I went on bike ride or had any type of extended aerobic activity. Apparently it was before Johnny was born - before I was diagnosed with Type1.

I play softball at least once a week and during this past softball season I was coaching, but as coaches out there know, you have light to moderate activity. So even though I was active this season coaching softball I haven't worked out like this in a long time.

With all that to say... Since Tuesday, I have been having some crrraazzyyyy lows!!! Like below 40's 2+ times a day! And they have come up on me without notice! I usually am like a rubber bouncing ball with my BG's after a low, but they have been staying low.

Is this what usually happens after intense workouts?? My cousin who also is a T1 said that the lows can last up to 24-36 hours... Seriously????

I have been feeling under the weather since yesterday, but I don't think that would be the culprit.

This is so frustrating because I try to work hard to stay in shape, but I've been consuming carbs to bring my sugars back. :-( almost completely negating all that I just worked out for. Ugh!! If I were to eat sugar tabs i would have to eat like 3 bottles - which would be *gross*. I wish there were a higher carb tab brand out there like "Uber-Carb Tabs" or something. A tab that would be worth 20g or 40g carbs and not just 4g. Seriously folks, 4g? I need more for a low than that.

Oi. And then I hear about Cynthia passing away.... Soooo sad. I don't know if it's because information is traveling faster with social media or what, but I've been hearing about so many more T1's dying in this past year and a half. I'm glad that we are able to connect and be there for each other through the tough times.

Thanks for listening,

Lindsey O.

Bike Ride!! I.Survived.

So, I attempted to ride my bike today. Today was more of a recon mission rather than a full fledged attack. I survived. ha!
Here's screen shots of where I rode from and to. It wasn't that far, but as we would like to call it "Mr. Wind" was in full force on the way riding towards the bike trail/Santa Ana River Bed. just.kill.me.

However, after being done - It was fun and my body has been way out of shape for too long and it's ready to get it's hiney kicked.

Some photos of the trip.

Johnny is ready to ride.

So we rode from the house to the bike trail - taking the scenic route. If you notice between number 1 and 2 there is a pointy portion of our ride... yeah that would be a dead end. We soon found our way after that.

Then on the way home we rode the bike trail as long as we could. Now I know where the trail is... I am not going to take the scenic route until a later date. ha!
I don't know about you, but as much as the bunnies, lizards, birds and squirrels were cute running across the trail... I don't mind not seeing them again. I am a fan of asphalt; unless it gives me road rash. So here's our on our way home map. tahdah! :o)

I had a lot of fun, and hope this continues. :o) Total about 6 miles, up hills, through sand, river bed trail, and wetlands.

Oh, and lesson learned... don't correct BG's before riding... and if I do, drink gatorade or juice along the ride. hello low. ugh.

Thanks for listening!

~*Lindsey*~

H2O Update

Ok, so I've drank at least 36oz of water every day. Today we ran out of water. We need to go to the waterstore - ASAP.
Super big high five for me. Seriously - it's the most amount of water that I've read in I don't know how long. Consistently without being in some type of sport.
I for sure thought that I would being going to the bathroom waaaayyyy more, I have been, but it hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be. Yay for clear pee!!

So yeah, just wanted to give you guys an update on how things have been going.

Now, I'm waiting for my lab results to come back.
I hope to get it by monday. We shall see....

Until then Happy Superbowl Sunday to you all!!

More H2O and Less Bad Habits

So in the morning I'm going to Quest Diagnostics for some blood work, urine sample etc etc. You might be thinking - yeah, so? been there, done that, got the t-shirt. However, since I'm suppose to drink and ample amount of water today, I have decided it'll be a good day to start a good habit - DRINK WATER! Something I hardly do. I don't drink much liquids at all. My lips are always dry and pickable. Yes, pickable.
I have a bad habit of picking/biting my lip, and I've been doing it for years now. You might think - ewwww. that's disgusting. Yeah it is, but when you've been doing it for so long that you don't notice too much. I know it's not as hard as quitting smoking, but it kind of is and not. Now, I don't have the nicotine withdrawl or anything, but I for sure have the hand to mouth repetition down. I pick my lip so often when my hands are not doing something - like typing on a keyboard, doing dishes, etc - that I don't even notice that I've started to pick and bite my lip. You can stop from physically buying and smoking cigaretts, but my hands will always be apart of my body (or so I pray). So, all day I've been catching myself picking my lip and I didn't even notice that I started. Since my hands have been more idle than normal, I've been having the muchies! even though I'm not hungry and *just* ate. ugh.
Well, so far today I drank a little over 48oz of water. Which is HUGE for me. I hope to finish off my water bottle to complete 64 oz.
I don't want the good habit of drinking water to stop here, but I want to continue to drink more and more water daily. I know that my body needs it and especially needs it as a diabetic so I can flush all the nastiness out of my kidneys etc.
Here's to drinking more water, becoming hydrated, stop picking my lip, and feeling healthier.

Thanks for listening,

LO

P.S. Quest Diagnostics is great! I was able to make my appt online and when it was submitted there was a button "would you like to add this event to your google calendar?" Oh, why yes, yes I would. Thank you!
Once again, the more and more I use google goodies, the more and more I like it - {a lot}.

Postin' a Low at Church

We get to church on Wednesday night, a few weeks ago, sign johnny in to his class, get into the sanctuary at Calvary Chapel Living Word, find a seat, we have a few songs of worship... and then I'm feeling a low come on. After worship we stand up and Pastor Terry says hi, welcome etc and then tells us to greet some people around us. Now I know I'm low and I need to get some sugar quick. I didn't want to test right before shaking anyones hands, so I waited until we said our hello's and sat down. I tested. 3...2...1... -43- awesome. not.
I dig into my purse looking for my Halloween pumpkin candy corns (those suckers have like 30 carbs for like 5 pieces), can't find them. I know they are there. Finally I find them, trying not to make noise when the service started. Shoved 3 pieces in my mouth. I was glad that tonight's service wasn't packed as a Sunday morning service would be. That's always fun, rooting around in your purse making noise to find -candy-. Joy. So I stuffed the piece of candy in my mouth and I make a quick glance and my head slightly down so I don't draw attention that I'm eating. No people, I'm not 8 and I can control my candy cravings - I have to eat something.
::sigh:: So throughout the rest of the service I'm feeling the sugar go through my system, relaxing my shaking hands, feeling strength come back to my core, and the weird feeling of my tongue coming un-numb. And now, not paying attention/being sidetracked and having wandering thoughts - I tried to focus as much as I could at what Pastor Terry was talking about, but nonetheless, feels like I wasted a night of church. :(
I didn't feel normal until close to the later end of service. :( Praise the Lord I was able to take some notes, or I wouldn't remember most of the message. Anyways...

Thanks for listening.

LO

OneTouch New Meter Study

Last year I participated in a meter study by OneTouch through my Endocrinologist's office.
The meter is the VirioPro. It was nice. I liked the options it had as far as tagging and calculating carbs-insulin. That was a fun - being able to set your carb to insulin ratio, along with your corrective dose. I would be for sure be interested in getting one when it comes out, obviously as long as it doesn't break the bank.
Here's a few snapshots of the meter (taken with iphone 3G camera)

Current Meter for Insulin Study: Precision Xtra

 OneTouch VirioPro (left) and my current Precision next to each other.
Note: The OT holds it's test strips in the bottle and the Precision

What would make this even more fantastic is that it would be able to sync/talk to my iphone. :-)

Late Night Post

Good Evening Night dwellers.... or if you are reading this during the day - Happy Daytime to you,

Ok, so I'm trying to be more Google-ly. I'm using google reader (a lot), google docs, calendar (alllll the time), etc etc etc...
How ever my techie (trekkie - whathaveyou) hubby said, "whoah, we had 3837829190 visits to this one document that's on KWVE's website." I blinked and replied..."saywwwhhhaaaa?? You can track individual documents??" I looked at him more... as my 2 year old would say, "I want it."

So after mulling around in google docs and google analytics and spending wayyyy too much time on the computer when I should be reading New Moon - I published/shared my Blood Glucose Test Results Sample page. This is the form that I fill out in Numbers and then print it out at when I go visit my endocrinologist. Side note: I shared with my doctor that I can email him my BG results and since I'd put it in a PDF format that he'd be able to attach my PDF document to my ePatient file on their new paperless system. His response, "You can do that?" yeah. way stoaked. Ok, so back to my story, I shared my BG test results doc, went to settings in google docs, clicked editing, and "Use Google Analytics to track the number of visits to your published documents," got a new google analytics tracking code just for docs, and so when I want to post a document I get the link from "Share/get link to share" and make it a link. Tah-dah.

So to test my theory. If you could be so kind as to click on my sample BG Test Results link and leave any comments like "wow, that's cool." or "yeah, didn't work for me." or "wait, what was I suppose to do." So I can have some kind of feed back and TRACKING (woot) of how many page views the document gets.

I started to type "Oh, and" then I went to another tab to look at something... and forgot what I was going to say. I think the tall mocha frappuccino light with a *ton* of whip cream is wearing off....

Without further ado:
BG TEST RESULTS SAMPLE DOCUMENT

Thanks for listening,

LO
@lindseyorourke

p.s. remember - feed back. If you want to "download" the document - click print, open the downloaded document and then print from there.
Google you rock.