The Michael Jackson Disease



on someone with dark skin



That is what it is called, and I absolutely hate it.

I mean John Hamm has it too and he is much more sexified, and I would love to have his disorder any day... that didn't come out sexy did it? No, I think it sounds more like I want the clap from Don Draper.

I have nothing to really write about today so I thought I would share a little something about me that I have never really talked about before.


I have dissorder called Vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. It happens when melonocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or unable to function.

or as I like to say, I am spotted albino.

For a long time I didn't know the name or what this was all I knew was that I had white spots.

I have had it for as long as I can remember, I have always embraced my spots because they were an oddity and unique to me. The spots I have had the longest are on my stomach right below my pant line. I have one spot about the size of a pickle and it shaped as such with a few little spots below it. They are super sensitive to sun and burn hella bad.



what it looks like on me



I think it was a life saver that my spots were in places that were covered all the time. I never got made fun of for it because people got to know me first and not my spots, it wasn't until I was in my 20's babysitting, when I took the kids to a neighborhood pool when C said (in typical 7 year old way) WHAT ARE THOSE!?!?!?! So I explained them to her and she wouldn't leave them alone. She kept swimming up to me and poking them, saying they felt different than my "normal" skin. I was a little uneasy because this was the first time I had been met with a reaction other than acceptance about my skin, but I took it as she is 7.

As I grew older I noticed I had 2 or 3 small spots on my ankle, no big deal, then when I got stitches in my knee I noticed the area around the scar lost pigmentation. This was bad news for a clutz like me.

It wasn't until my sophomore year in high school that I fully began to understand how far this could go. I was on vacation with my mom's side of the family and my Aunt and cousin have vitilgo as well, but because we are all so fair skinned you can't tell. Well, when you are on the beach for a week, the spots start to show more and more. My Aunt has it the worst I think, It is on her arms, legs, face, and even some patches of her hair are bright white due to no pigmentation. My cousin has an advanced case as well and I remember going home kind of in a state of shock because I didn't want that to happen to me. I talked to my mom and she didn't remember my Aunt having it as a child and she tried to reassure me that everything would be ok.  I asked my mom if she could speak to my Aunt and find out if she started like me and it progressed or did it just happen and if she knew what it was called.

She did have it like me when she was younger and it got the way it did when she had kids and after menopause.  Great.

When she started her change, that is when she talked to her doctor about her spots and he told her about vitiligo.

I did some research and found there is no cure for it but there are therapies out there that can help with the advancement. Food for though when I need it.

Then 2008 happened.

My bestie was getting married and asked me to be a bridesmaid and I decided I wanted to tan before, just to get some color. I am just going to put it out there that I tan naked..... judge me.

Anyway, it wasn't until I started getting some color that I realized that basically my whole bikni area is white and so are the underside of my ladies. Completely. albino.

I was socked, if you think about it that area is always covered in some way shape or form, even if you wear a bathing suit it is covered so I had no idea. I was still ok with this because I figured I wouldn't have tan boobs forever once I stopped tanning and then in that case I would tan in a bathing suit and it would be covered.

But I didn't stop tanning I had 3 weddings to gear up for, one of which was my own,  but the more I tanned the more white spots would show up. I think the most disappointing one to find was that my ring finger on my left hand had almost completely gone white. I thought about it looking weird in pictures and had already planned on covering it up if need be.

I know what you are probably thinking, why this post Mrs. G? When I was getting dressed this morning I noticed a new little white spot on my arm and I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad about it.

It also makes me wonder as well, if I were to hit the beds again, what would I find? I am so pale right now you can barely see the spots on my torso (that is the reason for lack of personal photo reference).  I am scared to get any sun for what it may reveal, but there is noting I love more than the look of my bronze skin.

I guess I really don't know where this post is going.

I know I just really wanted to get my thoughts together on the possibility that there maybe a lot more pigment loss than I am aware of and trying to prepare myself for treatment if I choose to.

I think I will peruse the National Vitiligo Foundation website, is it wrong that I want this shirt?

Pics from wikipedia and from nvfi.org

Look Ma! I can dress myself!!!

Or so I thought.

I got dressed at roughly 7:50am.

At approximately 2:00pm, I realized that My sweater was on backwards.

....

Getting dressed fail.

Its Mardi Gras over at My Ass is how big ?!?!?!?!!?

All I do is cry

Before I get to the subject at hand, have you checked out my weight loss blog? You haven't? Well, your in luck I just posted today so CHECK IT OUT!!!

ok self promoting over.



Crying.

That has been the theme of my Sundays since I discovered a new show on television.

Have you seen this?

Of course the jerks behind Extreme Makeover: Home Edition can only be behind this...

I say Jerks because THEY ALWAYS MAKE ME CRY!!!!!

Every Sunday after Army Wives, which by the way, this past episode had me painfully crying, snotting in to my shirt sleeve, it was so heart wrenching because I honestly thought it was going to be Chase who got killed.

Anyway, because I was already crying I decided to keep on emotionally cutting myself and watch Coming Home.

This show was different, it was about paying tribute to a fallen soldier, It is something that I am glad I watched. It makes you remember that there is a war going on and men and women, leave their families everyday to fight for our freedom, knowing they may have to give it all on battle field.

It makes you think of the kind of person you are, Or at least it did for me.

I don't think I could leave, voluntarily, I would if I had too, but to walk in to a recruitment office on my own accord I don't think I have that in me.

But, I am so greatly, and deeply thankful for the Men and Women that are. My Dad was one of them, My Mom was one of them, My Brother is one of them, and there are so many more soldiers that I know or know their family.

This is me, sending out the biggest Thank you I can.

Thank you.

I am alive.

Well ladies I did it.

I wrote my 3 papers and finished off the quater with an A and B respectively.

My in-laws have come and gone and I enjoyed their visit so much, but with that being said I was happy to have my house back. I didn't know this but I don't sleep well when there are other people in the house.

Who knew right?

Mr.G and uh, well Mr.G (John) got a ton done around the house. John is an interesting bloke, he hates just sitting around. He loves to tinker, and knowing this, I made a honey do list for he and Husband and they went above and beyond. They fixed 2 of the doors in the house that were sticking, they replaced the porch light which was creepy and ulgy, they moved my rose bush, hung some pictures that were still around, got some seedlings started and I know there is more, I just can't think of.

Speaking of seedlings, you guys I have SPRING FEVER!!!!!!!

We have been having much milder weather here in the midwest, granted we are in the 70's now and we are supposed to have snow this weekend... but whateves.

My spring fever is not of a cleaning kind but of the planting kind.

Mr. G and I cannot wait to get our hands dirty and make the front of our house pop!

Granted I may go to far and it may look a little crazy but who cares, I want some color dang it!!!!!

That's about it for now, oh wait I lied there is one more thing...
I wanted to let everyone know that I have re-launched my healthly living blog and would love for you to check it out!

There is so much to do:

Before the in-laws come there is so much to do and most of it doesn't even have to do with prep for them.

In the next 2 days I must complete:

3 papers and a review: don't judge me, my best work comes out of procrastination.
Study for my last final
Finish Laundry
Put all laundry away
Sweep and mop all tile and hardwood surfaces
Wipe down kitchen (for the 100th time)
Get the carpets cleaned
Vacuum carpeted areas
Take all trash out
Hang mirrors in dining room
Hang guest bedroom art
Pick up guest room bedding
Make a wreath for the front door
Go grocery shopping

Lord give me strength!

My sexy night.

Last night hubs and I went to Macy's to spend the very last wedding gift card we had.

What did we buy you might ask?

Sessy lingerie for me (but lets face it, its always for the man anyway), or some sensual Cologne to make me weak in the knees?

No.

We bought something much sexier.....

We bought sheets.

And, we got them for a steal. The Ad set people didn't take down a Clarence sign so we got $90.00 sheets for $20.00... we were so turned on we bought 2 sets.

it was so sexy I needed a cigarette afterwards.

I didn't think I could take much more sexiness.

But then we went home and watched Glee, while eating ice cream.

I was going to burst with excitement, it was to much.

Then it happened. I pulled out or new sheets....

and we talked about the quality of the sheets and we were both asleep by 9:30.

Listening to the Ocean on our sound machine.

Oh, yeah ladies, be jealous of how sexy of a life I lead.

Sore Subject.

When we went down to Alabama for Christmas, it was offered for us to bring our dog down. From the get go we were uneasy about it because our dog hasn't been around a lot of dogs, I mean she is ok with one but the total canine count at Christmas was going to be 3.

We decided to go ahead and take her because in all actuality it would be easier for my mom to not have to commute out of her way 3 times a day.

The first couple of  days were ok, the dogs were getting along, there was some awkwardness as to who the heck these other dogs were. Then it happened. One night my  FIL got a treat out of a box and Dot, use to being the only child, walked right on up to get it.

The sound she made was horrible, I have never heard her cry and yelp like that before. Now I know it was mostly fear and only a little bit of pain, but in that second you would have thought my dog was being ripped to shreds.The attacker Gus, was always the low key dog, but he went after her growling and snarling.

I have never moved so fast in my life, in the blink of an eye I scooped up Dot, ran her to our bedroom so i could see the damage. She had a little nip on her ear, but she wouldn't stop shaking, like I said I think she was more scared. Hubs came in to the room a few moments later to see me in a heaping bawling mess, feeling every inch of her body to make sure nothing was wrong. We called it a night and for the rest of the trip I was on edge. To say the least after 3 days of always being prepared to move quick, when we climbed in to the car the morning we left, I literally felt this weight being lifted.

The night that it happened we talked about how when his parents came up we didn't want them to bring the dogs and that we wouldn't bring Dot back down. It was just to much, to much stress and to much worry to enjoy the trip. And other reasons, like we have a much smaller house than they do, our yard is smaller too.


Fast Forward to Sunday Night.

I walk in the door from taking my mom home and I sit down on the couch getting ready to tune in to Arny Wives when Hubs tells me he talked to his Mom.

I needed him to talk to her about what she can and cannot eat with her hernia. So he talks about what she said and then says
"And there is something else, don't be mad."

I know now, even from the short time I have been married, when he says don't be mad, I am going to be mad.

"Mom and Dad and bringing the dogs."

Yeah I was mad.

He said that it wasn't fair for us to take our dog down there and them not be allowed to bring there dogs here.

I said that was bull crap and he knows it. First of all they offered for us to bring our ONE dog down, and after we did we agreed to never do so again.

I guess he told them that if anything happened like last time they would have to be crated the rest of the time they were here. Thinking that would make it better I guess.

He wanted to know why I was so angry, so I did what I do and made a list:
1. We talked about it and agreed that if they visited we didn't want them to bring their dogs, just like we weren't going to take Dot with us again.
2.He didn't discuss it with me, he spoke for me.
3. Even though he made is parents agree to not bring any treats, bones or toys I am worried that their dogs are going to be on edge because they are in a new place, which will mean possible food aggression.
4. If one of their dogs goes after mine, I am got going to be nice about it. I held my tounge while I was in their home and slapped a smile on my face and acted like it didn't happen. But really I was boiling when they said
"Dogs will be dogs." Nu huh, not it my house, if I have to beat off their dog to defend mine its on. It isn't fair to Dot to get attacked in her own home.
5. I told Husband if one of the dogs, goes after Dot I better not see it the rest of the trip.

is it hasty to say these words. Yes.

I think this anger is coming from the fact that we made a decision as to what was best for us and he didn't stand up for it. I know they didn't declare they were bringing their dogs, they asked and he said yes, which goes to back to he spoke for me not to me about it.

I even told him I was looking forward to non stressful trip with his family, I mean in all actuality I enjoy them. But put pressure on the situation and it gets messy.

Now, I am already looking forward to them leaving and they aren't even here yet.

I hope that I am pleasantly surprised.

****UPDATE******

Surprised I am!

Husband got a call from MIL and she informed him that they won't be bringing the dogs!!!!!

They found someone to watch them.

YAY!

hairy situation

Ladies, I need your help.

My hair is in dire need of a change.

And I have a drastic on in mind.

My hair is stick straight... that is an understatement. It is hell bent (ha, no pun intended) on being straight all day everyday. Since I can remember I have longed for a wave or a curl... something.  I have done everything but chemically alter it in a desperate attempt to have "romantic" hair.

This is my hair now, just not this long.. yet, I am working on it:

So what if I did... chemically alter it.

Yes ladies I am considering  a drastic change, a perm.

not this:

I mean this:

 I.am.in.love.  Ok that is an understatement, I AM HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THIS HAIR!!!!

Does anyone have experience with stick straight hair, moving to curly?

Does anyone have experience with a perm?

starting little by little

We have started OPERATION: HOME MODIFICATION

What's happening in the G household:

-We are starting little by little and that is fine with me. We are finally getting everything out of boxes (what little was left) and either getting rid of it or finding a place for it.

-We are finally using doing some of the small projects that were on my list, we hung picture ledges, FINALLY framed our wedding photo matte and hung up freshly painted mirrors in the dinning room.

-We set up our guest room, well what we have of it. My in-laws are coming next weekend and you gotta love it when my Mother in law decides to re-do a room and we reap the benefits. We are getting some amazing furniture and we are so grateful.

Speaking of the guestroom we have chosen a bedding set:

I was surprised when Mr. G  said he liked it. The great thing about this is this whole set was 30% off. SAY WHAT!?!?!!? I saved almost $60.00 on this set, I think that made me love it more.









And because JCPenny was having such an awesome sale we got some new bedding too! I am beyond excited, ours is kinda gross, ok not even kinda... really gross. So I we choose this:

Mr. G is less than thrilled about the floral, but in defense of this bedding, it is totally reversible to a stripped side. We may have to make a rotation schedule! (jk).

I have been torn on color scheme for our bedroom and I thought about maybe doing warm browns, reds, and oranges but something didn't jive with it. I mean the whole rest of the house is going have that color scheme, and I didn't want everything in the house to be matchy matchy which I can fall in to real easy.

And when I think about where I want to sleep I want light, crisp, cool. I guess what was the cherry on top of the decision, was the past few nights Hubs and I have been listening to "the sounds of nature" and we always, ALWAYS, choose the beach, but not any beach... Cape Cod. This was our original color scheme light blue, sand, and white and I happy that we came back to it.

As soon as everything is in, and put together I will take some finished product pictures.

Literally.

Like the new layout?

If I could of had something that said "IT NEEDS TO BE SPRING RIGHT NOW BUT ITS NOT CAUSE MOTHER NATURE IS BEING A TAD BITCHY!!!!!"

I would have.

But I think this is more demure, don't you think?

I think the weather has me in a funk, I mean it is really toying with me. It is just cold enough that we need to have the heat on, but when it does get warm it rains... ok it MONSOONS all over everything.

I have been kind of blah, this quarter is coming to an end, thank goodness, and we are getting ready for the in laws to come up next weekend.

I would say these are my excuses for my lack of blogging, but really it is because I AM LAME!

I mean this is shameful but I have gotten awards and haven't even done anything with them.... see lame.

Ok, so in the next weeks expect more blogging including: my awards, a home tour, home inspiration boards, some new recipes and possibly an announcement of the exciting nature.

Stay tuned!!!!!!

Update****
My friend and fellow blogger Erin at Dishes and Wishes took pity on me and my sad excuse for a banner and HOOKED ME UP!!!

THANKS ERIN!!!