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An Update on 24

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Hi

I'm a friend of Suzanne's and I wanted to give you a quick update on her well being.

She had a severe allergic reaction to some medication.  The reaction was so severe it, in essence, created a burn effect on her skin and, unfortunately, also on the corneas of both eyes.

Think of it as a chemical burn.

She will be FINE, but obviously this has been very painful and scary.  She can't do much other than sleep and/or sit in a dark room until her eyes heal.  She is able to see a little bit now, but is unable to read.

If you have sent a text message or comment or email it is appreciated, but she is unable to respond right now.

She has been seen every day by a wonderful eye doctor and he expects a full recovery.  He thinks she will be doing much better in a few more days.  In the meantime, she has a ton of medications working to make her better.

Her eyes simply need time to heal.

I know you join me in wishing her a speedy and pain-free recovery.

LOVE YOU 24!!  xxxxxxxxxooooooooooooo

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My Apologies

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I'm continuing to have some medical issues this week.  I'll be back as soon as possible.

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© Twenty Four At Heart 

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Only Me?

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I'm a walking train wreck this week.  I thought I'd share my train wreck-ness with you in all its glory.

Yes, I'm slightly under the influence of narcotics as I'm writing this, but only slightly.  I might still make sense.  

Or I might not?

You be the judge.

So, it turns out I have an allergy (a BIG, BAD, allergy!) to a certain type of medication.  I didn't know I had any medication allergies.  I've been feeling pretty miserable for a couple days now.  I haven't been sleeping, I've been real itchy, blah, blah, blah.

Oh?

And because of no sleep?

I *might* have been real bitchy right along with real itchy.

Yesterday it all came together in a gigantic, "Why the hell am I feeling so incredibly shit-abulous?"  

Also?

Hives are really not an attractive accessory.

Finally, with the help of one of my doctor friends, a medication I recently began taking was pinpointed as the source of my problem(s).

There's never a shortage of problems in my life, right?

Thank you Universe, for that.

By the way, I sent a tweet out yesterday about having an allergic reaction.  Many of you sent messages back saying you hoped it wasn't my new Valentine's thong I was allergic to.  You think you're funny, don't you?  Well, I think you're funny also … but no, I haven't developed a thong allergy.

It would be really uncomfortable if I had, don't you think?

I'm told, in another day or two, I'll be feeling much better now that the cause of the allergy has been discovered and eliminated from my life.  I've, in fact, already stopped clawing my own skin off of my body.  Thank goodness, because omigawd.make.the.itching.stop!!

I had to drive on one of Orange County's finest freeways to visit the doc yesterday.  Along with what I now know were bad allergy symptoms, my bum arm was killing me.

Yes, I'm a TRAIN CAR WRECK, I know!

I started getting muscle spasms in my upper back as I drove.  This is what happens when I don't have The Torturer stretching my body in ways I can't stretch it by myself.  (Does that sound dirty?  I think it does, but then I tend to have a dirty mind.  Maybe it sounds fine?  It's hard to tell when I'm slightly influenced by drugs.)

So there I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic when I felt my back muscles start cramping up on me.  I knew I had to get the pain to stop immediately, before it got worse.  I arched my back against the driver's seat.  I pushed my upper back deep into the seat in an attempt to put pressure on those muscles.  I began to thrash against the seat trying to "work" my back muscles into relaxing.

It was helping, it really was.

All of a sudden, I felt someone staring.  You know that feeling, when you know even before you see them, someone is watching you.

I looked out my side window.  There was a man seated on the passenger side of a big red truck in the lane next to me.  He was looking down at me … mesmerized.  When our eyes met, he smiled lasciviously and then … he gave me a thumbs up sign.

Yes.He.Did!

Apparently he thought I was, ahem, enjoying myself while I was driving.

I blushed.  I sputtered.  I began talking to myself saying things like, "Oh wait, I'm not …!  I have a bad arm …."

Of course, he couldn't hear me.

For that matter, his lane had moved ahead of mine and he no longer could even see me.

I've been obsessed with a need to explain the situation to him ever since.  I have no idea who he was.  

I'm hoping maybe one of you knows the perverted man in the big red truck?

And if so, could you please clarify for him the reasons behind my behavior?

Thank you!  

I appreciate it so much!

© Twenty Four At Heart

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Money Town Child – All Grown Up

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Outside the gates of Money Town is a private high school.  A lot of the Money Town teens go to this high school, but not all of them.

If you were to drive on the streets surrounding the school while it was in session, you'd be floored to see the cars the "kids" are driving to school.

You'd see more than one Corvette, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, Escalade, etc.  The list goes on and on.  Sure, there are a few "normal" cars mixed in too, but you have to really look for them. 

One of these days I'm going to walk the streets along the perimeter of the school, snapping photos of all the student's luxury vehicles.  (Don't worry Money Town parents, I won't show license plates.)  I'll make a big collage of all the photos and share it with you.  I think it's the only way for you to really get a true feel for the superficiality of South Orange County.

In any case, last week I needed to drop some photos off for one of my girlfriends.  She was out and about town running errands.  We decided we'd just meet on one of the streets near the high school.   I'd hand her the photos and then we'd both, separately, go on with our days.

I arrived first.  I parked in a parking spot across from the high school.  I was waiting for my girlfriend.  Right then I saw a teen girl from the high school, in a Porsche, nearly backup into my car.  The frame around her license plate said, "Money Town."  She maybe missed hitting my car by two inches, if that.  She was so busy talking to the boy in the car with her, she didn't even know what she had just done.

As it became apparent she was backing up at a high speed, directly towards me, without looking behind her, I gave a little tap on my horn.  She was swerving all over the place, in reverse, and completely oblivious to the cars behind her.

I didn't blare my horn at her.  I just gave it a little tap with the hope it would make her realize someone was parked there.  (I was, after all,  parked in a legal, allotted, parking spot.)

It did.

She rolled down her window, pointed her middle finger upward for emphasis, and said, "Fuck off and get out of my way!"

Then she shifted out of reverse, and peeled out of the parking area with her tires screeching.

Sigh …

The Money Town kids are growing up  … 

To be just like their parents.

Mom and dad must be so proud.

© Twenty Four At Heart

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Things I’m Into Lately

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Like most people, I go through stages with things I like.  I thought I'd make a list today of things I'm into lately.  Then maybe you can add one or two things you're into in my comments section.  

We'll make it into one great big idea swap … 

Does that make us Idea Swingers? 

Ok, I'll shut up now and give you my list.  I've tried to provide as many links as possible in case you're interested in any of the items I mention.  (And no, this is not a sponsored post.)

24 Things 24 is Into This Week

 1.  The beach (always!)

 2.  Lush's Dream Cream

 3.  Boden's 2010 Spring Collection (warning: their website sucks!)

 4.  My Canon EOS 7D  (love!)

 5.  Lancome's Oscillation Mascara

 6.  National Geographic's Image Collection 

 7.  My beat-up slip on sandals

 8.  Enjoy Hair Mask (It was a gift and I love it)

 9.  My purple purse

10.  My MacBook

11.  Lynda.com

12.  Kings of Leon

13.  The red watch band Briefcase gave me on Valentine's for my new watch

14.  It's Complicated (chick-flick movie)

15.  Kenzo Amour (my signature perfume for the last several years)

16.  Chocolate (always!)

17.  Blue Diamond Raw Almonds

18.  The Zac Brown Band (I'm blaming my son)

19.  The Help by Kathryn Stockett

20.  My Kindle

21.  My elliptical (shocking even myself!)

22.  Weekend escapes

23.  Massages (to make-up for no Torturer in my life)

24.  Lancer skin products

Okay, your turn …

What are some of your favorite things lately?

© Twenty Four At Heart

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Breaking The Rules

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He's not allowed on the furniture and he knows it.  I found him on my favorite leather chair the other day.  He's ten years old.  I let him stay where he was … for just a little while.

© Twenty Four At Heart

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Smooth and Sexy Special

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Yesterday morning I went in for a Brazilian Bikini Wax.

I wanted to be waxed near Valentine's Day for obvious reasons, but also because of a "special" my waxing salon was having.  Every month I receive an email newsletter from my salon, but this month's newsletter really caught my attention.  Here is how it began:

Happy Love Day!

Can you believe February is already here?  We hope you're staying nice and cozy during these winter days!  As you know, Valentine's Day is close, so remember to book your waxing quickly as spots fill up for this special day!  Read on to check what's new at OC Waxing ….

Much Love,

Your Waxologists!

Free Valentine's Panties, Ladies!

Get any bikini wax between now and Valentine's Day to receive a free pair of sexy panties!  We love you and want you to be smooth AND lookin' sexy for your Valentine!  Book now, get waxed, and pick your pleasure from our Bikini Bins!

There was more to the newsletter, but you get the idea.

After my wax, I perused the Bikini Bins to pick out my free thong.

This sign was right by the panties:

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And this is the pair of free panties I picked out:

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There's nothing like animal prints to get things all wild-ish.

(Rawr!)

© Twenty Four At Heart

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Beach Day!

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I'm grabbing my camera and doing a little beach hopping today.  I've carved out a few free hours and I'm really looking forward to some time by the ocean. 

Can we all say hooray for no physical therapy appointments this week?!

It isn't going to be a real warm day, but we've got clear skies and that's good enough for me.  The beach is a great thing for my psyche and so is my camera … the combination is exactly what I need today.  (And, perhaps a sweatshirt too!)

Before I take off, I wanted to make a request.  If you're one of my local readers and you see me out in public, please say hi.  It really gives me the heebie-jeebies when someone across the way stares at me, and stares at me, and then stares at me some more without ever saying anything.  I'm nice, I won't be bothered … just say hi.  We'd both be more comfortable if you did.

And yes, woman with long dark hair from yesterday, I'm talking about YOU.

Also, I wanted to let you know I met with my shoulder doc yesterday.  He gave me a couple wonderful bear hugs.  He also spent a lot of time talking to me about next steps.  His words are like ping pong balls bouncing around inside my head right now.  I'll be digesting everything he said as I walk the beach today.  

Do you have Valentine's plans?  

Today is an early gift to myself …

Bchtr
© Twenty Four At Heart 

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A Touch of New Orleans in The OC

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Last weekend, like many of you, I went to a Super Bowl party.  

The party was a neighborhood block party and our friends, Keith and Kelly, were involved in hosting it.  There were at least 150 people at the party, probably more.  Keith and Kelly have a neighbor who moved to Orange County from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home.  He's converted their entire neighborhood into Saints fans.

It had rained all day on Saturday, but Super Bowl Sunday was a beautiful day.  I took a few snapshots with my handy point-and-shoot so I could share the day with you.

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There was a three hour New Orleans/Mardi Gras style party before the Super Bowl game even began.  We were running late and missed a lot of it, but we did arrive in time to hear Bennie and the Swamp Gators, an authentic cajun zydeco band, play.  They were great!

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There were ice chests all over the place filled with beer and other drinks.  There were also tables up and down the street covered with endless amounts of food.

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What kind of food?

Well, they had a shrimp boil, a few big pots of jambalaya, crawdads, and a lot more.

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We enjoyed a taste of New Orleans right here in Orange County.

They also had "bounce houses" set up for the young kids in the neighborhood.

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The funniest moment of the party occurred when we were all hanging out on the street at halftime.  A very drunk woman was talking to my friend's husband, Joe.  As we approached she realized my friend, Diane, was his wife.  She apologized to Diane for "flirting" with her husband.  Diane laughed it off and said, "Go right ahead, he probably loves it."  Joe made a quick exit, rolling his eyes, as the inebriated woman proceeded to gab (on and on) to us.

I thought the woman was not only out of her mind drunk, but also, very offensive and bigoted from the comments she was making.  I walked away from her very quickly.  A few minutes later Diane was giving me the "save me" signal, but I hesitated … contemplating whether I dare subject myself to the obnoxious woman again.  A moment later, I saw Diane practically run into a nearby home to escape the woman. 

It turns out the woman, who was married, had told Diane how attracted she was to Diane's husband Joe.  Then she commented on Diane's "beautiful blue eyes" and began coming on to her … including trying to touch her.  She made it clear she was interested in both sexes, and "everyone hooks up with everyone else at Super Bowl parties anyway, don't they?  So it doesn't really matter …."

There's just nothing like a drunk swinger at a neighborhood, family, block party.  And before all of you blame this incident on Orange County or California, I think it's important to let you know the Drunk Swinger Woman was from Wisconsin.

I suppose drunk swingers can be found almost anywhere?

A few of my (non-swinger) friends were nice ( perhaps drunk?) enough to agree to be photographed for Twenty Four At Heart.  Along the top row of the collage below, you will see from left to right:  Keith (our host), Shannon, and Ray.

Picnik collage
 

That might be me in the picture at the bottom of the collage.  I had a little to drink before I started posing with the blow up Saints player.   I don't want to hear any jokes about Roxxxy or blow up dolls, okay?  (Besides, at this point in the party I think the Saints blow-up guy was looking pretty good to me.)

© Twenty Four At Heart