Blog

  • Loving Yoga

    I have been doing yoga since about the time we got back from our cruise.  On January 1, we celebrated my 50th class and celebrated doing their 60 day challenge – doing 5 classes a week for 60 days.

    I missed a few days last week, between a dog agiity trial and doctor’s appointments, it just didn’t happen.

    It seems to be helping my overall pain level and its definately helping the mood. 

  • Got to love @ExpressScripts

    Got my prescriptions cards precisely on the 2nd of January.  Will need new medications shipped on the January 14th.  I’ve already got everything to @PillPack and I have full confidence they’ll get the ducks lined up.  So much nicer than dealing with it on my own.

    Don’t know if I can afford using them forever, but I can’t wait to be back with them.

    On the good side, @ExpressScripts doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for Neupro – hmmm, that makes me wonder if they have a coupon.

    And they do, and @PillPack should have it.  If not, I’ll get it on Monday.

  • Express Scripts has a Windows Phone App!

    I might have to change my mind about Express Scripts.  They made me absolutely nuts when I had to use them before – between how they shipped insulin, to how they manage some medications.

    There are advantages to Express Scripts over UHC Optum RX – they charge by the month, not the dose.

    They allow PillPack though I have to pay the monthly cost, not the 90 day.  The nice thing about Pill Pack is that they help manage my medications that take pre-certification.

    We’ll see how it goes, but I am going to let PillPack handle things for awhile.

  • Thank you for Birthday Wishes

    I am enjoying the birthday wishes, and have good plans today – an exercise workshop with @sunstonefit and dinner later with my husband.

    This is an important birthday for me as I am eligible now for Texas Teacher Retirement benefits.  In fact, I have all the medical information and am now chasing down pre-certification for prescriptions, etc.

    I’m letting PillPack do the heavy lifting on that as I know that dealing with Express Scripts makes me crazy.

    I’m also getting my head wrapped around the semi-retirement thing.  I know that people laugh when I say that retiring is hard.  BUT, first, this came as a surprise – I didn’t think it would happen as soon as it did – I got a bit lucky because I teach tech and could buy retirement years.  I could have gone back to the classroom, I had a job offer from a local school, but all signs pointed that it wasn’t the right thing for me any more.

    I’ve always been very active, especially mentally, and I hate wasting all that education I have.  So there you go.

    The best thing that has happened to me in the past two years is Johns Hopkins.  I have to thank a Syster for refering me to that job.   I teach computer science and web design for them and typically have over 10 students.  I typically put in 15 minutes to 2 hours a day.  I can do it anywhere I have good internet access – I did have to leave an agility trial recently because I didn’t.

    I have also just started working on an Open Source project – for the software I am using now.  I always blog best when I am using LiveWriter and I am working on @OpenLiveWriter doing what I do best – supporting developers so that they can concentrate on code.   I would do a full time job doing that as a gig if there was the right project and developers but that doesn’t seem to be happening.  Softcard was the right project, but man were they the wrong people.  Individually okay, but sure didn’t know how to play together.

    I am also doing my version of Extreme Weight Loss.  Meaning mostly that it it isn’t extreme.  I’m working out at Planet Fitness, our local aquatics center and SunStone Fit.  I don’t make it to all three each day, though I have once. 

    I’m even doing more dog training and am looking forward to getting a puppy (beagle) in the near future.

  • Why am I selling stuff? (Hair accessories)

    Why not?

    No seriously.  I love these items.   I have been wearing them for over two years now and everytime someone sees them up close they want them.

     

    FX-2571_Large_Web

    This is several sizes of the same design.  They come in one piece, and are easy to use.

    FX-2571_M_Web_02

    Just slide the pin in place and you are good to go.

    I’ve been using these in yoga:

    UP-LUX_Large_Web

     

    UP-2647-L_ALT_Large_Web

    Super simple.  Twist hair up, stick one in vertical and one horizontal and you are good to go.

    It’s at http://www.lillarose.com/kweaver.

  • New Business–Hair Jewelry

    See http://www.lillarose.biz/kweaver  Gorgeous hair jewerly.  Found these at an agility trial – and have loved them ever since.  They are made out flexible wire, look gorgeous, and are easy to use.

    My favorite right now is the You-Pins, wrap up your hair, stick two pins in them and you are good to go.  They also have really cute badge clips.  So there is something there for everyone.

    More later, but I love these!

  • Awesome Nordstrom Experience

    Posting here because @Nordstrom has ads here.

    In the midst of an awecome @Nordstrom exerience which all mistakes were my fault.

    My sister and I share a birthday and I foud the perfect present for her on clearance and since I’ve gone through the checkout process with them only to find out that someone else bought the same item before I did, and didn’t get it, I didn’t check the address until after tracking showed it was delivered and she didn’t get it.

    I sent it to her old address with her new name.  <sigh>

    They opened it without seeing who it was to, but that’s okay.  She got ahold of them and they put it out for UPS to pick up again.

    I called Nordstrom customer service to see it if had arrived and told the customer service rep the story. It took us some looking but the reason it was on clearance is that the manufacturer had come out with a new version that was cuter.

    Since they hadn’t processed the new one (if it has even arrived), they still went ahead and shipped the new version for the sale price AND upgraded the shipping for free for her to get it in time, since UPS is playing crazy games.

    All very awesome.

     

    Though when we were talking about this, Karen decided to get me a Nordstrom gift card because “they take care of you”, to the point of carrying exercise wear in my size. 

    Typing this while at Nordstrom buying exercise wear and taking advantage of my personal 10 points day.

  • Loving the Minimed Connect

    It’s quite cool to be able to go out to the web anytime and see my data:

     

    image

     

    And I’ve actually been much better at managing my diabetes lately because of that.  Which the dog really loves.

    I’ve also been going through the insurance paperwork – both the medical insurance and the prescription medication – a lot of the work I’ve done lately.  Looks like we still need to jump through hoops for the generic Celebrex and for the Invokana, but the rest looks good.

    Also have appointments set up for all my doctors in January since we need to do the new script thing.

  • Medtronics Connect

    I took advantage of a couple of CyberMonday opportunities and the Medtronics Connect device was one of them.

    Since I’m an avowed Windows girl, it is a big awkward but works. I do have a iPod Touch, and am using it to upload my data. I can keep it in my bag, attached to a portable charger and use the hotspot on my phone.

    I really wish they would create a Windows Phone app – or let me.

    I wish they also had more than CGMS data uploading. I’d like to be able to see everything on the Connect app and website that you can see on the pump.

    Not bad though, for a release 1.0

    Oh, and the diabetes dog still works better – if she is relaxed, my blood sugar is just fine.

  • Interesting Issue Came Up

    As I blogged a few days ago, I've made a major change in my exercise and my life — I'm doing yoga — hot yoga.   And Dulce has been accompanying me.

    One thing everyone needs to know about me, is that my feelings are easily hurt, especially when it comes to the dogs.  And, yes, I've questioning the whole hot yoga thing. 

    Dulce is in a plastic crate when I go to class, which doesn't absorb the heat like a metal one.  It's also well ventilated and I keep a bowl of cold water in it.  I also keep an eye on her — partly for her sake and partly so I don't miss an alert.

    So, Tuesday I go to class, and the manager of the place stops me and wants a letter from the vet that it was okay.  Apparently people have asked them, but neither the questioner or the manager bothered to say anything to me in person. Also I had just been at the vets office picking up meds and it was quite chaotic.  The vet that ended up answering the request has her hands full (Thanks!)

    I spent the next few hours questioning my own judgement and even asked a few people as reality checks.  They agreed that the heat shouldn't bother her and I was taking the correct precautions.  One person even pointed out that I should be offended — she thought it was very sweet of people to think of her.

    So on Wednesday, I was still very much upset and offended and cancelled my membership which I almost immediately regretted. 

    I got the letter AFTER I cancelled, but I sent the letter to the yoga studio and then sheepishly asked if I could come back.

    Here's what I am getting out of the yoga:

     

    a) body acceptance

    b) ability to stand for longer periods of time — the first half of the class is standing, and that's hard for me.  I did have to quit in the last 10 minutes of the standing portion recently, but that was just one class.

    c) it's helping me lose weight — I don't have the urge to stress eat as much and I overall just feel better.

     

    We're not at the pain relieving part yet <smile> but I think we'll get there.  I've been a member since the 9th and have made it to 12 classes.

    Once of the things I really like about this is that they using gaming.  The handout rewards and I got my first one on Thursday and they also have a point system so that the more classes you attend the cheaper it is for you.

    By the way, they also reward referrals, so if you would like to join, let me know!