Always looking for a good deal!

Grocery shopping is really not one of my favorite things to do. I actually dread it. However, I do like a good deal even if I have to work at it. Safeway isn't a cheap place to shop by any means, but I'm used to it since most of the time I've lived in Portland I've lived (or worked) right next to a Safeway. That said, I know their sales and usually their patterns.

Every other week and sometimes every third week in the "Food Day" section of the Oregonian they have a $10 off a $50 purchase at Safeway hidden in with the ads. Since I moved in March I've become more of a Fred Meyer shopper (or Winco if I'm willing to brave the crowds) only because the Safeway close by doesn't have a meat counter, bakery, or even the freshest produce. However I'll occasionally make a drive to a better Safeway, especially if I know what I need is on sale that week.

This week they had another deal, $15 off a $50 purchase by trying out their store delivery service AND free delivery. I logged on and their site isn't the easiest to use for online ordering so I kind of put it in the back of my mind.

Well when shopping day rolled around I had a bad cold and cough and having someone bring my groceries sounded awesome. I mustered up the energy and got everything we needed for the weeks dinners for $63, which came down to $48.

You pick a window of time and they do your grocery shopping and have someone bring it by. Not to shabby, especially when you are sick.

I highly doubt I'd use it again...unless they offer more deals like that. I'm certainly not paying $7-$12 for delivery but it is nice to know they have a service like that.

Wanna give it a shot? Use coupon code SHARE15 at checkout and let me know what you think.

Thankful on a Thursday

I'm shamelessly stealing this idea from my sister in law Shandell (www.breakingnewground.us) I love the idea of taking time out of the week to focus, on the positives in a busy week.

1. So thankful for a cheap commute to work. $44 to ride the bus in rather than $189 to park PLUS gas and wear and tear! AND I get to see the Pioneer Square Christmas tree twice a day! (much prettier when the winter ale festival tents aren't up ;)



2. Friends and family I can stay in contact with thanks to the Internet. Distance makes it hard, the Internet keeps us in touch so we don't lose track of what's going on in each others lives.

3. Two dogs that are nuts but give so much love. Cuddling puppies in your lap is hard to pass up!



4. My cat Lorelai who came and hung out with me while I got ready. She's not a huge dog fan, so having her to hang out with was fun.

5. Starting to decorate for the holidays! It helps get me in the Christmas spirit!! Still need to get that tree though :)

6. Being creative with Christmas instead of stressing over it. Finding presents that mean something :) even if only to me.

7. Plotting with family to plan out the BEST surprise ever for someone. (Don't worry...once it happens I will blog!)

What are you thankful for?

Comprehensive Medical Care

Something that we lack. I'm not going to get political about healthcare. I'm very thankful I am one of the people in the United States that has health insurance. And I work for a large corporation so the coverage is good. But still not going to get political, I'm going to get personal.

My issue is with the system as a whole. Not the benefits that my health plan covers or the price I have to pay, but the treatment from the system. I've seen more doctors than I care to count, which includes at least eight this year. EIGHT. I'm not even kidding. I saw five in April and May alone, when I was struggling from a double internal hernia and a gall bladder that needed to come out. Now why did I see five? Because each doctor doesn't offer comprehensive care. They only care about a PART of you.

I saw three gastroenterologists after my overnight stay in the ER for "pancreatitis." (note...I didn't have pancreatitis...that's just the diagnosis they chose to give me.) I was in excruciating pain and they put me on 30 mg of oxycontin twice a day. They ran many tests on me and found nothing, going so far as to say that I had an "abdominal migraine" and basically my pain was all in my head.

I had no doctor to provide any comprehensive care. I had to maneuver the medical system in Portland, finding my own referrals to surgeons and doctors in the area. I had to fight for myself, having no one in my corner (medically speaking) to fight for me. I ended up seeing two surgeons, the second one did surgery the next day. I could have died had they waited longer. Or had I not been persistent and just suffered through the pain.

I've had a migraine for four years. Scratch that, over four years. It started in August 2006. I've seen so many neurologists, tried so many medications, had so many tests that it's fair to say I don't believe there is anything that can help. Yet I'm still seeking, still hoping that some medical breakthrough will come through and my migraines will subside.

I saw a new neurologist yesterday. I had to wait over an hour after my appointment started because he had so much paperwork to go through. And once I saw him he had no new ideas. He had such old paperwork, my last neurologist hand wrote his medical notes so this doctor wouldn't take it as "legal" and wouldn't review them. Thankfully I had a list of my current medications and duration from my insurance company so he prescribed what I needed.

He did think of a "new" idea. He prescribed me a calcium blocker that also is used for high blood pressure, and sometimes used for migraines. Well...he obviously didn't review my records that well, I was on it in November of 2006. One of the side effects was dizziness and feeling faint. And the reason I stopped taking it was because I fell down a cement staircase where I lived.

The problem is and always will be, I am seen for each portion of my body. I have yet to find a doctor who can help treat all of me. I guess for now I have to be my own best advocate and hope that by the grace of God my medications don't overlap in a negative way.

I hope and pray that someday I will be pain free. But for now, I am my comprehensive medical care. And I'm not qualified.

Starting something new

Starting something new...

I've blogged before but kept it to myself or to a few people that were my "safe" zone at the time. I've never blogged to the public or at least so the public has the possibility of finding it. That thought honestly has me a little scared, I'm not sure how much of my life I really want to share.

Most of what I've blogged about in the past was sensitive in nature, at least to me. I've had gastric bypass surgery in April of 2008 and that has caused much joy but a decent amount of pain as well. When I started that journey I was very self conscious and didn't want the world to know what I was going through. I went on to lose 140 pounds and my physical appearance changed drastically. I'm sure more blog posts will contain more of my struggles with my surgery but I'm slowly learning to deal with my medical issues. I also have an ongoing migraine from August of 2006, so that is something I deal with on a daily basis.

Other than my medical issues, which don't define me, just help explain some of the last four years, I have many things going for me! I've worked for the same financial institution for the last eight years, and although that has it's struggles too, I'm very thankful to be employed! I have an amazing boyfriend, Nick who would do anything for me, and does daily! My crazy cat Lorelai who has survived eating string and Easter grass with two costly vet visits, the cow named Blaze (haha really a 100 lb black lab mix) and the new puppy named Jordan. He's 25ish lbs right now, and the humane society called him a border collie mix, but he looks just like a mini Blaze!

I have an amazing family, which includes an amazingly adorable intelligent nephew named Malakai! I so wish distance didn't have an influence on how often I got to see him!

Same with my godson Gabe. I miss seeing his major milestones like Malakai because I'm don't live in the same town. Thank goodness for the Internet, sometimes I can "be there" without physically being there, although it's not the same.

Well I could ramble on about my life, but then what would there be to blog about? As I get better at this I'm sure you will get more in depth stories on many of the above mentioned...as well as new stories! I love Blazer basketball (hence my dog's name Blaze!) so I'm sure those posts will pop in too. I hope to share my adventures in cooking and not to steal any ideas :) my best recipes at baking (love the idea and credit it to my sister in law Shandell (www.breakingnewground.us/) for inspiring me! I've wanted to blog for awhile, but a twitter conversation with her kinda pushed me to give it a try!

What do you want to hear more about?

Kristi