Category Archives: Paroxysm of Giggles

If the Church Hadn’t Been Locked…

April 5, 2013Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Paroxysm of GigglesCadyLy

Irony. Sometimes it smacks you in the face. At least it does to me. Just after leaving Gallup Park, I texted a friend and asked (to her and to myself) what other adventure I might run into on my way home.

Well, ask and ye shall receive, right?

So, apparently the virus that I caught wasn’t some simple cold virus, but Ebola or some other hemorrhagic, because as I was driving on the expressway, I started bleeding everywhere. Of course, I didn’t have any Kleenex or napkins in the car. Of course not. Soon all of me is covered in blood and I look like Carrie after the prom.

I figure that I will stop by OLGC and clean up there. I’m not certain that they are open, though, because it’s Easter Week, and they usually take this week off. When I get there, tons of cars are in the parking lot and a lacrosse game is being played on the field. Surely, the church building would be open, right?

I get out of the car and, taking only my keys, walk to the door. I’m trying to be inconspicuous, because all these kids are here and my face, hand, arm — all covered in blood. They don’t need to see that. But the church is locked. Great. Now what?

I try to think of some place on the property that is relatively secluded, so that I can clean up without drawing notice. As I was driving back to the front of the property, I choose behind the garden of Gethsemane, where there’s a bunch of trees and brush on this big island in the parking lot.

Luckily, I had brought my water bottle with me from work and it was nearly full. I had anticipated walking around Gallup Park for a while and being thirsty.

Which brings me to kneeling behind the garden of Gethsemane, using water from my water bottle to try and frantically scrub all the blood off me. So I can look normal again and not like someone from either Rescue-911 or America’s Most Wanted. [Okay, what is it with me and all the pop culture references today?]

And then, I noticed something.

If the church hadn’t been locked, and I hadn’t been kneeling behind the garden of Gethsemane, I might have missed these:

Cute purple spring crocuses! How pretty!

7 Quick Takes: Sizzurp Edition

April 5, 20137 Quick Takes Friday, Paroxysm of GigglesCadyLy

— 1 —

First off… I haven’t actually taken any authentic “sizzurp.” If you don’t know what sizzurp is, don’t bother looking it up. You don’t need to know. 🙂 It’s some sort of random stuff including cough syrup that people throw together in order to get high. The reason that this is the Sizzurp Edition, is because I got a cold and bought some Nyquil yesterday. Typically, Nyquil does not make me sleepy or anything, so I take it during the daytime, too.

I took my cough syrup as I was heading out the door to work, hoping that it’s “6 hour” time frame would last for the majority of the work day. Then, I stopped at Caribou for a bit of espresso-based goodness. Shortly after getting to work, I started to feel … odd. Dizzy, lightheaded, couldn’t think too well. I had been listening to “Like a G6” in the car on the drive in, so I couldn’t help but thinking that the combination of my espresso and my cough syrup in my tummy had some sort of weird effect.

— 2 —

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and I am starting to feel normal again. It is Payday Friday, so our group at work has decided to order out from Applebee’s today. I *did* bring my lunch, but appetizers sounded better to me, so I will be munching on Chicken Wonton Tacos and such. Be jealous. 🙂

— 3 —

My best friend is on an airplane *as I type* heading to Hawaii for about 10 days. I remain here in Michigan. That’s all I have to say about that. 🙂

— 4 —

Okay, here is a picture of me when I was in Hawaii… So I guess I can’t be *that* jealous…. 🙂

— 5 —

This is one of the most ironic illnesses that I’ve had in a while. Why, you ask? Well, because I woke up Monday morning and felt great. I mean, amazingly well. I had energy and actually bounced out of bed. I felt so good that I texted my priest/friend about it (because I thought he deserved some good news after years of praying for me and my health). And then… by that evening… I got a sore throat and knew that a full-on cold was just a morning away.

I refuse to let this get me down, though! As much as I hate (and whine and complain about) colds! I will cling to the memory of that brief, perfect morning and hope that I may have another sometime in the future!

Enjoy your blessings, friends! For whatever duration God decides to bestow them upon you.

— 6 —

It is still cold outside, but it’s bright and sunny here today. So, I have hope that spring and warmth will eventually make it to my part of the world. And I cannot be happier about that! 🙂 I really want to go out and do some outdoorsy stuff. So, if you happen to have any plans of that nature, please invite me along! 🙂

— 7 —

I have only got a few hours left… Until the official start of the weekend. And I realize that I don’t have any plans. Okay. I *did* have plans to spend tomorrow with some friends, but the plague that I have caught seems to have scared them off. I don’t get it. Who wouldn’t want to have themselves and all of their 5 children infected with a cold virus? Alas, I am back to the drawing board. Suggestions welcome. And since a friend has posted that “resting” isn’t actually in a sick person’s best interest, I will try to avoid that as best as I can!

A joyous weekend to all!

God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at Conversion Diary!

April and Jack Night!

April 4, 2013Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Paroxysm of GigglesApril, Jack, lasagna, stories, trampolineCadyLy

Ok, so I was too busy enjoying the company of my friends to take any photos. Sorry! You’ll just have to use your imagination here. 🙂

Last night, April and Jack came over with a surprise dinner. All I had to do was pre-heat the oven as they were leaving their house. We had a delightful lasagna, which was stuffed with all kinds of veggies. It was quite possibly the best veggie lasagna that I’ve had! 🙂 And a simple salad with yummy bread.

I regaled them with some of the many, many stories that I have, but some of the best times were between dinner and dessert, where we ventured into the backyard…

… and they discovered the trampoline!

We all took turns bouncing the others and as a grand finale, April jumped off the trampoline into Jack’s waiting arms! 🙂 Because we have the mad skillz and are wicked awesome like that.

Even though Spring has not yet fully arrived (or so it seems), we already are dreaming of Summer, where we can have sleepovers on the trampoline, play in the sprinkler and have bonfires in the backyard! It will be lovely!

We finished the night with April’s dessert: chocolate pudding, graham cracker and marshmallow-y goodness!

Jack was getting tired by the end of the night and ended up sprawled out on the futon at one point. Which just shows me that we are going to be excellent friends. 🙂

Alas, it was a work night and we had to say goodbye far, far too soon!

Come back, come back! As soon as you can! 🙂 Many more adventures to be had! 🙂

Cutest Little Pies Ever!

March 15, 2013Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Food, Paroxysm of Gigglesfood, hot cross bun, pieCadyLy

Forgive me. I am eating as I type this. YUMMM!

A friend of mine posted on Facebook the March Menu for Sister Pie, which is run by Lisa. She makes breads, cookies and pies. I’ll show you what I saw:

The honey buttermilk lemon pie and the leafy greens and goat cheese pies sounded great, so I ordered a 6-inch of each. We set a day and she even delivered them right to my work! How awesome is that! 🙂 She even gave me a hot cross bun to try! 🙂

I’m giving you big pictures so it will seem like it is closer to your tummy! 🙂

Next, the pies! They arrived in cute, little boxes:

And were even cuter on the inside!

Leafy Greens and Goat Cheese

Honey Buttermilk Lemon

[Sorry for the crappy cell phone pictures, I have been leaving my camera at home lately!]

These little pies are quite substantial! I had the bun and about 1/4 of the leafy green pie for lunch and am stuffed! 🙂

If you want to get some deliciousness for yourself, contact:
Lisa Ludwinski
lisa.ludwinski at the Gmail
646-469-7539

And I’ll leave you with an image of the inside of my pie!

Quick Quick Takes: SickieMonkey Edition

March 8, 20137 Quick Takes Friday, Paroxysm of GigglesCadyLy

— 1 —

This has been the slowest. week. ever. I have been feeling particularly bad throughout the week and have been barely hanging on minute to minute.

— 2 —

On the plus side, I have been able to go to work, which is a blessing because I need the Benjamins to pay the bills.

— 3 —

And… I have had tons of suffering to use redemptively for the good of others. Which has also meant that I have been praying A LOT!!! 🙂

— 4 —

Although I feel miserable most of the time… God is with me through this, so I still have joy. I am still blessed and I still love my life. These things will not change. I am grateful for all that God has done for me.

— 5 —

I think I’ve been driving my priest crazy with all of my prayer requests. But really, he’s one of my best friends and gets the distinct honor of knowing these kinds of things. 🙂 Plus, I comfort myself by picturing a man-shaped depression being worn into the tiles in front of the tabernacle from the hours and hours per day that he spends laying prone in prayer on my behalf. This is what happens, right???

— 6 —

One last sickie-take… If you happen to have any intentions, feel free to send them my way! I will be sure to pray for them, especially when I am feeling crummy when, I am told, they are most efficacious. 🙂

— 7 —

And now for something fun!! I got the great (stolen) idea to do a podcast on various things/topics around the church, hosted by our young adult group: Firestarters. I roped Fr. Eric to do this for the first session, and I have to tell you… I am SO looking forward to the creation of the “gag reel”! Here’s a little taste, “These are votive candles. They are called votive candles because that’s what they are.” I can’t make this kind of stuff up, people!

In keeping with the theme of the week, I will leave you with a pouty-face picture. Keep the faith, peeps! 🙂

God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at Conversion Diary!

The Embarrassing Truth

February 2, 2013Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Paroxysm of GigglesBedroom MakeoverCadyLy

Here is the embarrassing truth:

My master bedroom is a disaster.

My myopathy means that I get tired super quick. Okay, not “tired”, but exhausted to the point that I can only lay supine on some flat surface. I also get short of breath a lot. And have cardiac arrhythmias. And build up lactic acid like a fiend.

So simple household chores are really difficult for me to stay on top of. Especially considering that I still work full-time and have other obligations that take me outside of the house. The general rule is that I don’t get home until about 9:30 pm or so. And then, I’m lucky if I have enough energy left to make dinner.

Forget about doing the dishes.

And laundry? It’s exhausting just to bring the hamper to the laundry room and then move the clothes from the washer to the dryer. Usually the dryer is running while I sleep. Then, in the morning, I grab the clothes onto the bed and find whatever I need to wear for work that day. I don’t have time then to put them away or fold them. When I get home, I’m too tired to deal with them. So, I shove them to one side of the bed and sleep on the other side. Eventually, they fall off onto the far side of the bed and lay there in a heap of clean laundry.

I also don’t have a good organization system for things. And I’m terrible with flat surfaces. It’s just so easy to plop something down on the nearest available surface and forget about it. Things pile up with alarming frequency. I need real help in this area.

I recently took a Project Management course where we had to come up with a project charter and plan. I did mine on a bedroom make-over.

See, for about a year now, I have wanted to replace my dressers (which I don’t really use for clothes) with a shelving system from IKEA that I can use to organize books and pictures and things.

And I also wanted to repaint my bedroom a more exciting color. Like aquamarine. It’ll be like a beach theme.

Eventually, I also want to buy a chair for the one corner so I can read by the window, replace the light with a light/ceiling fan combo, and finish upgrading the outlet to 3-prong receptacles.

My goal is to get all of this done by this fall. (Hopefully, much sooner, but I’m giving myself time.)

I’ll be creating a new tag for this project, so that you can follow along as I go (and find the thread of post among all the other stuff I put up here).

Thanks for your support! 🙂

Waking Up

January 26, 2013Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Health & Medicine, Paroxysm of GigglesCadyLy

Wake up. Arrhythmia. Hard to breathe.

Exhausted.

Check phone which is lying next to me. Read text; pray for friend.

Thirsty, but exhausted. Don’t want to get out of bed, but there’s no one else to grab me something to drink.

Lay there for a few minutes… Finally, get out of bed and get some juice. Starting to think in longer phrases.

Then.

Dizziness. Nausea.

Drink 3 ounces. Go back to bed. Flop down.

Get back up.

After all, this is my life. Usually, I have to go in to work or have something else planned for my day. This morning, I don’t have anything pressing. So, I’ll blog about it. Not to get sympathy, but because this is my experience right now. I don’t feel sorry for myself; it’s true that I have difficult times, but everyone has difficulties, right? It’s important to remember other people, particularly when you are not doing well yourself.

This is usually the time when I pray for others the most. Frequently, I’ll ask my priest for names of people who are in particular need of prayer, whom I’ve never met and probably never will. They say that offering your suffering for others is redemptive for them in some way, and I cling to that. Also, just the fact of focusing on someone else, instead of myself, distracts me from what I’m going through and helps my to learn to love others better.

Later today, I’m going to surprise a friend with a gift. Because she’s not feeling well. 🙂 It involves a bit of shopping, so hopefully I’ll feel just a little bit better and be able to drag myself out of the house.

Until then, do you think it’s okay to wish for minions who can run errands for you? 🙂

[My mom says this photo is the only one she’s ever seen of me in which I don’t look good. And that’s why she kept it. Thanks, Mom!]

Sometimes It’s the Small Things

January 21, 2013Neat Things I Didn't Author, Paroxysm of GigglesCadyLy

I can study the Catechism or Scripture, but sometimes it’s just a phrase or sentence in random places that I reflect upon the most. A friend regularly sends out different reflections throughout the week and, to be honest, I don’t read through them all. Today, however, I did read (skim) through it and this stood out for me:

God the Son, in your eyes, I am like a poor, helpless sheep whom you gently pick up and carry when I’m worn out from my sins…. I am completely unworthy of your love, but so grateful to find rest and a true home in you. Lord, grant me a generous heart.

Yes. Please.

Words

January 10, 2013Jennspeak, Paroxysm of GigglesCadyLy

Have you ever stopped to reflect on how you’ve learned words? Certainly, a lot of our knowledge is from our parents and from school, but what about those words that we learned on our own, by reading in context and things like this?

Do we *really* know what they mean? Precisely?

Maybe not. I know there are quite a few words that I only know the meaning of in a general sense. There are probably a lot of words that I’ve only read and never heard, so I’m not certain of the correct way to pronounce them.

Like “banal”. I always thought the emphasis was on the first syllable, which had a long A sound. But, I have heard many people on the radio pronounce it with a short A, and emphasis on the second syllable. And what exactly does it mean?

Merriam-Webster says it means, “lacking originality, freshness,” where I always thought it meant something like, “boring” or “meaningless”.

Maybe I should work harder to look up these words I don’t really know. Instead of tending to skip past them and remaining ignorant. 🙂

Here’s another one: Ineffable = “incapable of being expressed in words; unspeakable; not to be uttered”

Perhaps some day, I’ll master the English language…. Some day a long time from now…. 🙂

Detroit Pistons Game!

January 4, 2013Paroxysm of Giggles, Sporting EventsDetroit, Dr. Greg Elliott, Palace of Auburn Hills, Pistons, Sandra, Star Wars, stormtroopersCadyLy

I impulsively jumped on a contest sponsored by my friend and dentist, Dr. Greg Elliott and won tickets to a basketball game on Friday, Jan. 4th. The Detroit Pistons were playing the Atlanta Hawks.

I invited along my friend, Sandra, and we headed to the Palace after work from Ann Arbor. We got pretty good parking and the door that we entered was *right by* our section! We couldn’t have asked for anything better! Our seats were right on the aisle, too! 4th row in the second tier. 🙂 We could see everything.

Even more impressive, to Sandra, was the fact that it was Star Wars night, and we got to see Storm Troopers everywhere! 🙂 She even had her picture taken with one:

I don’t like the way this guy is pointing his gun at me…

We arrived in time to get snacks: popcorn, pretzels and soda. The popcorn and soda were bottomless, but, alas, we did not make it past the first serving.

R2D2 looks on as one of the Hawks stretches out in the middle of the court:

When our guys were announced, they got the cool lighting! 🙂

On the back of the program, there were different things that you could text in to try and win things throughout the game — to make it a little more interactive. The first one was to predict who would win the tip off:

I didn’t get an entry in this one. The wrong team got the ball.

I was pretty surprised with how many times the game was interrupted when it was not a time-out or break in the game. Perhaps they were for commercial breaks…? The plus side, was that we got to see a lot of side acts and dance routines.

At one point, they showed a video of one of the players light-saber dueling with Hooper in the locker room:

At one end of the court, there was a board displaying tweets sent to @detroitpistons. I tried all night to get my tweet up there. FAILED. Not sure why; I used all the right hashtags and stuff.