Well, exciting stuff is just on the horizon! We are getting ready to head out for 2 months in our trailer…..eek!  If I’m going to be honest, I’m more than a little nervous about it. We are going to try our hand at being a snowbird.  For those who don’t know what a snowbird is, it is someone who flees to a warmer climate come winter.  Granted, where we live isn’t really cold, but it is rainy and dreary in the winter and my MS symptoms seem to be aggravated with the colder wetter weather and with my husband working away, he can fly to work from almost anywhere so we are going to give it a go, wish us luck! It’s going to be a long trip though because with my muscle spasticity, I need to be able to stretch, lay down, move around, etc, luckily my husband is a great travel companion and makes sure I’m looked after, I know I will be fine.  I will say that I am feeling bad about leaving my kids (who by the way, are not kids anymore, they are all married or in a stable relationship), I feel bad about leaving my mother in law (even though the kids and family members will check on her) nonetheless, I’m struggling with feeling bad for leaving – I mean what if they need me and I’m not here? I’m not feeling bad enough for me to cancel but I’m a bit anxious about it! Speaking of I Feel Bad – all women should watch the new comedy sitcom named I Feel Bad on NBC – it is hilarious and I know many of us can relate to Emet!

Anywho……there is a lot to do before going away.  This week was to be my week to get sh$& done.  I have now been on hold with the cable company for almost 2 hours……can you believe that?  Good thing I have my bluetooth headset and I’m able to move around while seething with annoyance patiently waiting for them and fuming that this is the kind of customer service you get for being a loyal customer.  All I want to do is put my services on hold for the two months that we will be away, is that too much to ask for?  Apparently it is.  Last week I tried doing this through their “live” chat.  After being # 86 in the que, I finally “live chatted” with someone only to be told that because we are on a 2 year agreement, we don’t qualify for a suspension.  Our agreement is up in April of 2019 – but, we are going to be away Jan and Feb. Why, I ask can’t they just add another 2 months on to the end of our agreement for the time of our suspension? Does that not make sense?  And how in the world is that a difficult thing to do?  I may never know because my headset is going to die before I
actually get a chance to talk to a living person.  But “did you know that Shaw offers many other options on their live chat?”  I say, BULLSH&$….don’t fall into that trap, because the chatters on chat, can’t actually do anything for you…….they don’t have the “authority” to make any changes.  Why are they even there then? And, I don’t even know that it is an actual person on the other end of the “live chat”. Stay tuned for this saga, because I’m about to lose my ever loving sh&$ on these guys.  I can guarantee you, I will be taking my $300 a month business to another internet and cable provider after my agreement is over. UPDATE! OMG……….after 2 hours, 47 minutes and 13 seconds MY CALL WAS DROPPED!  Are you kidding me?????  I am so ticked off I don’t even want to try again, but of course I will, because I have to.  I just need a cooling off period first though, maybe next week.

I have also been on the phone with our Extended health providers to be sure we are covered while we are in the states and what to do if we, heaven forbid, have an emergency.  Those were simple.  Then there was the little business of changing my husbands cell phone coverage so he can actually answer a call if we are seperated at any time. But the biggest issue I have been working through is for my monthly infusion of my DMT (Disease Modifying Therapy) for my Multiple Sclerosis.  Even after 9 years, I still need this medicine.  When I am nearing the end of my 4 week cycle, my body knows it is time.  I am dog tired, my body is stiff and my limbs are heavy, I am grumpy, and just out of sorts. This task is proving to be a big ole pain in the butt. Not only would I have to find a Neurologist who will take me on (at my own expense), I would have to pay for the medication ($5500) which I would get back from one of our plans, but only after we have been rejected from our provincial medical plan which could take months to get a rejection letter from them.  I am on the hook for the nurse to do the infusion and as it is looking right now, I think I will just come home to do it, it’s probably the cheaper option at this point. (It’s a good excuse to get some grandchildren hugs and kisses in!).  I am also going to ask my Neurologist if there is a possibility to extend the dosage time by 2 weeks )(so 6 weeks instead of 4).  Of course, I am very nervous about it because even at 4 weeks I struggle at the end of the cycle, but I will never know if I don’t try, right?

After the irritation of my cable company, I decided to get in the kitchen and whip up some banana bread from some bananas my son in law gave me (hint, hint, wink, wink) alright already, I got the hint! My husband and I have done really well at eating low carb but we he is missing breads so the deal was I would keep one loaf so that’s what I did! But, it is definitely NOT low carb, so if you want that you best move along!

I’d love to take credit for this recipe, but I can’t!  I have used this same recipe since I got married because this cookbook was a wedding gift.  The Book was Called WIN TASTE AND SHOW and I will tell you right not, you can’t buy it at a bookstore or online.  You won’t find it on Pinterest or anywhere else I know of.  This book is worth its weight in gold and if you are lucky, I will share a few other treasures out of it.  This book is a collection of Blue Ribbon Recipes from the 1979 and 1980 Salt Spring Island Fall Fairs and I have carried from Colorado to Salt Spring Island to Cassiar BC to Manitouwadge Ontario to Crofton BC to Campbell River BC and now to where we currently reside.  It is tattered and worn and has butter marks, withered pages and I will guard it with my life, that’s how good it is!  Thank you Heather M for this amazing recipe, I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but we have spent many hours in the kitchen together! Now you can have Heather M in your kitchen and I hope you enjoy her recipe as much as we do!

Until Next Time!

Raegan