...I have been waiting for my back to either finish me off or get better. For a while, I was fairly certain that disk was going to be the end of me. I shall seriously respect the amount of pain people with back problems have--it was *bad*!. The doctor on the island was planning on sending me to another doc to stick a needle in my spine with steroids in it. I had a long talk with my spine that evening. Regardless, it seems to be healing on its own (yay!).
Let's see...working (I use that term loosely) at the Chicago O'Hare office for one afternoon was weird. But in all honesty it was wonderful to see everyone. The pizza was awesome and everyone looked great. Sometimes I really miss my office. But, sometimes I get to go to the beach here...its a tradeoff. :)
On Saturday my husband flew in (yay!!!) so now I am sharing my apartment - (looks around warily) we shall see how that goes :). He has been a big help with the back pain--not letting me move stuff, icing it, etc. It is great to see him, but the sucky part of a long distance thing is that you have to re-learn how to live together every time.
It looks like I will be getting a new neighbor in the main apartment. My landlord rented it out. I also found out that the crazy neighbor--you know, the one in the middle?--yeah, his lease won't be renewed so he will be out of there soon (fingers crossed). He reintroduced himself to me the other day. In his mind (world?) he had never met me before. Also in his mind (world?) I had a roomate. According to him--she was lovely (?!?!?). Well, it's good that my invisible roomate is lovely. It must be her who makes all the mess....hey, I like this plan. :)
Speaking of neighbors, for those of you who don't know back in Chicagoland I had some lovely crackheads as neighbors. Now, crackheads they were, but, they did a lot of random work for us (mowing, gutters, etc.). Here is an email from my husband filling me in on the good/bad news in our 'hood:
"Bad news, good news. I've had to hire oak and jerrys landscaper. It'll cost 72 a month, and they will bill us. Good news, jerry told me that our crackhead neighbors is being foreclosed on b4 I gave john a pile of cash to mow our lawn for the summer. Jerry found the info on a website. The foreclose apers went thru over a month ago. An empty house is better than a crack den
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T"
btw: Oak and jerry are the neighbors attached to us. They do not appear to be insane (besides some harmless (to us) OCD issues) nor have any addiction problems. :)
I used to watch a soap opera in England during high school called Neighbors. I should totally write one based on the antics of my various neighbors. :) :) :)
*Hugs*
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Well, this is weird...
I'm currently lying in bed in Bellwood, IL. I flew in on what felt like the longest flight ever (but in fact we got in early). I ate chinese food on the couch, watched tv. It is all normal--but different.
If coming to my house is this trippy--I can't wait to see what monday in the office brings.
If coming to my house is this trippy--I can't wait to see what monday in the office brings.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The disk, the crash, the eyepatch and the bright red butt.
So, I have had 2 very close friends in town since last wednesday night. We have had fun bummin around and all sorts of stuff. Here is the long version of the story: The friday before I had washed the beasts in an attempt to save money-boy was that a mistake. Since I spent so much time bent over my lower back had a bit of a twang to it which by last tuesday had turned into a stabbing pain with a dull knife. Finally by wednesday I knew I had to get some help. I found a doctor who told me I had a slipped disk (oww) in my lower back. So, many hundreds of dollars later I had a diagnoses and the start of physical therapy.
Wednesday night my friends arrived, they were helpful with setting up their beds and getting stuff organized. We toured the island and I had physical therapy daily. Then monday came around; the girls were going to take a full day tour of buck island and I was going to work.
Monday morning we were zipping downtown and on a curve my truck started to slide. I slid into a pickup truck. It was horrible. Thankfully everyone is just fine. No injuries at all. But, it sucks. A lot. The adrenaline rush alone was insane. My friends hopped a cab downtown to go on their tour, my leased car was towed off, and the cop gave me a lift to work.
I rented a car after work (where, due to the rush and the stress I accomplished no work at all) and headed downtown to pick up my friends. Jenny's eye was swollen and itchy and Carol had missed one area with sunscreen. Her butt--which was the Brightest red I have ever seen.
So, between the crushed car, swollen eye, back pain and the ass with 2nd degree burns--we all went to bed at 8PM. It was a tough day.
The end.
Wednesday night my friends arrived, they were helpful with setting up their beds and getting stuff organized. We toured the island and I had physical therapy daily. Then monday came around; the girls were going to take a full day tour of buck island and I was going to work.
Monday morning we were zipping downtown and on a curve my truck started to slide. I slid into a pickup truck. It was horrible. Thankfully everyone is just fine. No injuries at all. But, it sucks. A lot. The adrenaline rush alone was insane. My friends hopped a cab downtown to go on their tour, my leased car was towed off, and the cop gave me a lift to work.
I rented a car after work (where, due to the rush and the stress I accomplished no work at all) and headed downtown to pick up my friends. Jenny's eye was swollen and itchy and Carol had missed one area with sunscreen. Her butt--which was the Brightest red I have ever seen.
So, between the crushed car, swollen eye, back pain and the ass with 2nd degree burns--we all went to bed at 8PM. It was a tough day.
The end.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
My Saturday by Heather Wilkes
I began my day at the Domino Club where Jewels made me my favorite breakfast (scrambled eggs with cheese, 2 strips bacon, 1/2 biscuit with sausage gravy, and 1 blueberry pancake). Then I went to the grocery store to buy beer and ice which I placed in that big red bucket in the picture. Stopped at Kmart to get some cash back (often more reliable than ATMs which tend to run out of money on the weekends) then drove home and stored all non-necessary items and put on a swimsuit before heading with the dogs down to a beach party for some friends who got married last thursday. I was hangin out with some work folks when I was asked to retrieve my little hibachi grill. Off I went to my house (5 minutes away) and picked up the grill and dropped off the dogs. Back to the beach and I set my co-worker (James) to lighting the grill. He is an eagle scout and seemed disheartened that I had not brought any form of lighter fluid (or grain alcohol). I said--"use some of the tortilla chips, there not as good as fritos for lighting fires, but they work okay." He looked at me shocked and said, "that works?". I replied, "you're and eagle scout and you don't know about the flammability of fritos?". He came back with, "no, eagle scouts always have white gas with them.". I said, "well, hippies always have crunchy corn-based snacks."
I think that was one of the funniest conversations ever--but then again, I find most things humorous.
Shortly after that I took off for another west end snorkel tour. This is a 2 hour tour which I happen to love. I have seen sea turtles, stingrays, tons of fish, coral, etc. Today the only large thing I saw (on the tour) was a stingray, but the fish and coral were awesome.
Then I swung back to the party before running home and grabbing the dogs and returning to the party for a 3rd time. Sitting with nice people watching the sunset, the dogs play, and for a very memorable 10 minutes--dolphins leap-- has got to be one of the most pleasurable things in the world.
I came home with the pups, happy, relaxed and tired. My car was a mess; stuffed with snorkeling equipment, bucket of leftover iced beer, used towels and sand--hence the picture which I thought was a good visual of my day. After emptying the car I made some dinner and now I'm heading up to bed after a little tv.
Today was a good day.
I hope everyone had a wonderful day.
Love,
Heather
Monday, May 18, 2009
Boom!
All of the comments about this are like "how could this happen!?". Well, since we are pushing refineries at capacity and further..., well, it happens. I am just glad no-one was hurt.
Explosion rocks Sunoco chemical refinery; evacuations averted
By Bob Fernandez and Kathleen Brady-Shea
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
A massive explosion rocked the Sunoco refinery in Claymont, Del. late last night, sending flames shooting into the sky and initially raising concerns about residents' safety in Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey.
Shortly before midnight, a company official said Sunoco and local fire officials were fighting the blaze and that no injuries had been reported.
Although there had been early talk of possible evacuations, none took place because any possible harmful ingredient of the chemical that was released into the air - ethylene - burned off, said Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh, a spokesman for Delaware State Police.
By 1:30 this morning, the fire was contained but still burning."
"We're very fortunate and grateful there were no injuries," said Thomas Golembeski, a spokesman for Sunoco, at what was a chaotic scene at the Claymont facility of Sunoco emergency response officials, local firefighters and harried residents.
Residents reported hearing one or two explosions that rattled car and house windows at about 10:15 p.m. Flames could be seen as far away as Philadelphia International Airport.
"All I know is that there are a million pipes down there and I did not want to wait for another explosion," said Debbie Collison, a resident of nearby Linwood who could see the flames from a window in her home. She fled that house in a car with her son, his girlfriend, a next-door neighbor, two cats and a dog. She described the explosion as a "ba-boom."
Collison and a union official said there had not been an explosion like this for a long time, perhaps decades, in the heavily industrialized area.
Police blocked off roads around the bi-state refinery, one of the largest in the Northeast in a heavily populated area just off I-95. It is major producer of gasoline and chemicals.
There was initial confusion about the origin of the explosion, but it appeared that it took place in a small part of the refinery in Claymont Del., just south of the main refinery in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. There were also mixed reports over what type of chemical was airborne.
TV initially reported the chemical in the explosion as ethylene oxide, a toxic material used in auto antifreeze. A Sunoco official later identified the chemical as ethylene, a byproduct of oil refining used to manufacture plastics.
Sunoco officials did not have an official cause of the fire.
The explosion came three days after Pennsylvania fined the Marcus Hook refinery $762,150 in civil penalties for air-quality permit violations.
"Sunoco emitted nearly twice the permitted limit of particulate matter and an average of four times the permitted level of ammonia from a unit at this facility for more than one year," Environmental Protection Southeast Regional Director Joseph A. Feola said in a statement. "We take these violations very seriously, and are working with Sunoco to correct the problems."
The problems were discovered in tests done by Sunoco in 2006.
Contact Bob Fernandez at 215-854-5897 or bob.fernandez@phillynews.com.
Inquirer Photographer David Swanson contributed to this report.
Explosion rocks Sunoco chemical refinery; evacuations averted
By Bob Fernandez and Kathleen Brady-Shea
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
A massive explosion rocked the Sunoco refinery in Claymont, Del. late last night, sending flames shooting into the sky and initially raising concerns about residents' safety in Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey.
Shortly before midnight, a company official said Sunoco and local fire officials were fighting the blaze and that no injuries had been reported.
Although there had been early talk of possible evacuations, none took place because any possible harmful ingredient of the chemical that was released into the air - ethylene - burned off, said Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh, a spokesman for Delaware State Police.
By 1:30 this morning, the fire was contained but still burning."
"We're very fortunate and grateful there were no injuries," said Thomas Golembeski, a spokesman for Sunoco, at what was a chaotic scene at the Claymont facility of Sunoco emergency response officials, local firefighters and harried residents.
Residents reported hearing one or two explosions that rattled car and house windows at about 10:15 p.m. Flames could be seen as far away as Philadelphia International Airport.
"All I know is that there are a million pipes down there and I did not want to wait for another explosion," said Debbie Collison, a resident of nearby Linwood who could see the flames from a window in her home. She fled that house in a car with her son, his girlfriend, a next-door neighbor, two cats and a dog. She described the explosion as a "ba-boom."
Collison and a union official said there had not been an explosion like this for a long time, perhaps decades, in the heavily industrialized area.
Police blocked off roads around the bi-state refinery, one of the largest in the Northeast in a heavily populated area just off I-95. It is major producer of gasoline and chemicals.
There was initial confusion about the origin of the explosion, but it appeared that it took place in a small part of the refinery in Claymont Del., just south of the main refinery in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. There were also mixed reports over what type of chemical was airborne.
TV initially reported the chemical in the explosion as ethylene oxide, a toxic material used in auto antifreeze. A Sunoco official later identified the chemical as ethylene, a byproduct of oil refining used to manufacture plastics.
Sunoco officials did not have an official cause of the fire.
The explosion came three days after Pennsylvania fined the Marcus Hook refinery $762,150 in civil penalties for air-quality permit violations.
"Sunoco emitted nearly twice the permitted limit of particulate matter and an average of four times the permitted level of ammonia from a unit at this facility for more than one year," Environmental Protection Southeast Regional Director Joseph A. Feola said in a statement. "We take these violations very seriously, and are working with Sunoco to correct the problems."
The problems were discovered in tests done by Sunoco in 2006.
Contact Bob Fernandez at 215-854-5897 or bob.fernandez@phillynews.com.
Inquirer Photographer David Swanson contributed to this report.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Ok. Seriously?
I'm am about 90% certain that my neighbor just got taken away by "men in white coats". Okay, so they weren't wearing white coats but it had that feel to it.
He was acting exceptionally weird today.
I will keep you informed.
He was acting exceptionally weird today.
I will keep you informed.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Snorkeling
Today (saturday) was an idyllic day. It started out with a delicious breakfast at the Domino Club (aka "Norma's" aka "Beer Drinking Pig"). Jewels is the breakfast chef--and it is so good I go back every saturday. Oddly Jewels lives just down the road from me, she has a sweet American Bulldog named Missy. Anyone who bakes and cooks like she does is someone I am happy to have as a neighbor.
Then I went snorkeling. I joined up with SCUBA's west end tour. I saw a sea turtle--I swam next to it. It is so freakin' cool. This west end tour was not as interesting as last time because we stayed in one place. But it was still darn spiffy.
Because there is a cruise ship in port we couldn't snorkel at the pier. But F'sted is a busy town when the ships are in. Steel drums, booths selling tourist stuff, and a party atmosphere. After snorkeling I came home and ate a quick lunch and then set up dinner in the crock pot. Now I am settling in for a nap.
I love days like today.
Then I went snorkeling. I joined up with SCUBA's west end tour. I saw a sea turtle--I swam next to it. It is so freakin' cool. This west end tour was not as interesting as last time because we stayed in one place. But it was still darn spiffy.
Because there is a cruise ship in port we couldn't snorkel at the pier. But F'sted is a busy town when the ships are in. Steel drums, booths selling tourist stuff, and a party atmosphere. After snorkeling I came home and ate a quick lunch and then set up dinner in the crock pot. Now I am settling in for a nap.
I love days like today.
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