Relaxing Long Weekend

Ralph and I flew to Sacramento to visit his Aunt this past weekend. 

(The sunrise, because we took an early flight.)

I was worried about my ears and the change in pressure, but managed to avoid any complications by chewing on some Twizzlers. 

Since we are foodies, what trip is complete without trying the local fair? We started with breakfast at Tower Cafe. I am glad I got the small portion of French Toast, because it was huge, delicious and filling. Paired with Ghiradelli Hot Chocolate and breakfast was a success. The place was jammed packed with knick-knacks...

Our next foray was out for ice cream to the Back to the 80’s Cafe. We were waited on by George McFly. I am not kidding. This kitschy place is worth checking out.

What trip would be complete without checking out local breweries? We checked out Claimstake Brewery and River City Brewery. Such very different places.  

Claimstake Brewery was difficult to enjoy, because noise carried in it. We could hear everyone and no one at the same time. The beer was good and they allowed dogs inside. 

River City Brewery was much different. It was bigger and offered food. The food was delicious and the beer was enjoyable, okay so I really only tried the stout. (I didn’t want to trigger dizziness by drinking too much.) 

Ralph also made his stacked enchiladas on Friday. They were delicious. We posted a video on You Tube you are welcome to check out. 

I had a few episodes of lightheadedness and some vertigo during the trip, but I took naps when needed and nothing got out of control. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Ménière’s Episode

I am a bit upset, I just finished publishing a blog post about strobe lights... And I am sitting in the comfort of my own home and I have an episode. I just recorded a video where I describe how it felt. 

I am totally glad I was sitting otherwise I think I would have had a drop attack. The whole episode didn’t last long. It felt like an elevator dropped and then the room started spinning and rocking. It was brief, but disconcerting and I am trying not to get anxious or have a panic attack, which would make everything worse. 

Although the anxiety doesn’t cause Ménière’s it makes it worse. I have spoke about this before, anxiety is a symptom you can control. Right now I am keeping my breathing even. And by videoing and writing about it, I am providing an outlet for my anxiety. 

I try to smile and laugh no matter how I feel. And if you can find a reason to laugh about some of the situations you get into because of your illness, I think it will help make it more bearable.

We all find something that helps us cope and this is my way of coping. I hope you do not view it as whining. I truly only talk about it to promote awareness and to help those with this debilitating disease. 

Have a spin free day. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita 

Strobe Lights-Why?

It mystifies me that shows still utilize strobe lights... I want to know why? Surely, they know that strobing can cause seizures. For me it’s a trigger for my Ménière’s. 

The other night my husband and I went to see Carrot Top. It surprised me that a comedian used strobes when he entered the stage. Luckily, I know it’s a trigger and I covered my eyes until the strobing stopped. Others might not be so lucky. 

We enjoyed the rest of the show, though I had to hold onto things and the railing in the hallway when we left. So, even though I covered up, I still had a slight issue when we were leaving. 

I did have a slight sensation of falling forward when we got on the escalator, but it was brief and I got down to the next floor without more issues.

I really did enjoy Carrot Top, though I’d tell people with issues like seizures and Ménière’s to use caution when going to see him. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

NASCAR

I was never into NASCAR or sports of any kind, but then I fell in love with Ralph and he’s all about NASCAR, Tennessee Titans, Houston Astros and now The Las Vegas Golden Knights.

I faithfully supported him and sat through many races/games. I got into the racing and the Astros, but still don’t understand football. Hockey is super easy to follow.

I started watching one driver in particular, Kevin Harvick. And then Ralph took me to my first race where Kevin won. It’s such a high to have your driver win.

Fast forward 4 years and it’s Daytona weekend and the kickoff for this seasons races. We are with friends at Southpoint to watch Daytona. Hoping we win tickets for Las Vegas Motor Speedway. #4 the win!

Love, Peace and Light!


Rita

Blogspot vs Wordpress

I just tried out the Wordpress app and it was so easy to use. It dawned on me that blogger might have an app too. So I found it and downloaded it. 

Here I am writing a blog using the app. The clincher will be if I can quickly post a photo to the blog. Using my phone without an app has been frustrating when I upload photos to my post. Here goes nothing... 

Wow that was easier than trying to do it from the website. I was going to switch to Wordpress, but I am a diehard Blogger fan and this makes me love it again. 

Thank you, Google, for the app. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita 

Dizzy...

As my episodes of dizziness get more frequent, I am trying to decide how to cope. Simple things like walking the dogs can be kind of scary. So far I haven’t fallen, but I have been slammed backwards in this latest round. I have been fortunate that there has always been something behind me, this time my bed. I have a new to me type of vertigo in which things appear to move up and down. 

I was diagnosed somewhere between 2000 and 2002, but have been mostly in remission since about 2005. It was quite a shock to have an episode at Disneyland. I suppose it was triggered by being exhausted and not enough sleep. Going on Space Mountain did not help. 

I refuse to give in to Ménière’s and as people in my online support group say, “I am going to kick Ménière’s ass.” That being said, I am not going to put myself or others at risk. I will access how dizzy/tipsy I am before venturing out on my own and I will not drive if things appear to start spinning or waving.  

How do I know how bad I am if things aren’t spinning or waving? There are some signs... tinnitus gets louder, ear feel clogged, my head feels weird and my eyes move rapidly. If I close my eyes while standing... I will move back and forth or side to side. A little side to side is my norm and I am used to it, but a lot side to side and any back and forth is not. Thus I had better not venture out on my own. That is not to say an episode cannot occur at anytime, but normally there are signs. 

There is a fine line between being cautious and being afraid. I am trying hard to not panic or give in to anxiety. The trap there is that anxiety is a trigger for my Ménière’s. I believe that when I went to physical therapy for it, they helped me learn to stop the panic with the various exercises they put me through. And there are tricks I can use like focusing on one point. If I keep that all in mind, I’ll be okay. 

I will continue to do the things I enjoy, because to give in means Ménière’s wins. And I refuse to let it win. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Valentine’s Day/Ash Wednesday

Well, our priest wouldn’t give us permission to eat meat today. I have to giggle about that, since most people go out to dinner for Valentine’s Day. Father Bill said have lobster instead. Even among Catholics there are those who do not like fish or seafood. Fortunately, I am not one of them. Unfortunately, my hubby is, though he does eat shrimp.

Ralph and I went to mass this morning to avoid the crowds that evening mass generally brings. That was an error since it was standing room only in the trailer. (Our church is being built and will open in May.) After mass, I dropped Ralph at work and went home.

I didn’t get much sleep last night so I ended up taking a brief nap. The nap got rid of the budding migraine and alleviated the vertigo too.

I met Ralph for dinner at Promenade Cafe for our Valentine Dinner. We enjoyed some good food and good conversation. All too soon it ended, fortunately our time together has not ended. We have the rest of our lives together.

Mutual respect and a genuine like for each other will carry our love forward. I pray that everyone has or will have the enduring love that I am fortunate to have found with my Sweetie.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love, Peace and Light,

Rita

Living in Las Vegas

I love living in Las Vegas. It offers so much to do from the nightlife to hiking or sightseeing. The beach or Grand Canyon are just hours away, as is Disneyland. If you want snow all you have to do is drive up into the mountains during the winter, otherwise we have mild winters.

Living here makes it easy to find things to do on my good days. In the last couple of days I have been to Hoover Dam, the Strip and Valley of Fire.

Me at Hoover Dam.

People always ask what there is to do besides gamble. Even the strip offers so much variety from a wax museum, conservatory, to animal exhibits.

Me at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum a few years ago.

If you’re a foodie there are plenty of places to fuel your appetite. Like Gordon Ramsey’s Burgers at Planet Hollywood. (Pictured below.)

 It’s not always easy to follow a low sodium diet when eating out, but often the chef is able to accommodate me. And then I add bacon! LOL! What can I say it’s a weakness.

There is always something to do here. Remember if you are dealing with any disability it’s best to pace yourself. I know if I don’t I will pay for it the next day. With the Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis the doctors all say that excercise is the key. Know your body and do what you can... Everyday I get stronger and can do more for longer. I am just a bit sore from my Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire excursions, which is good.

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Cruise Fever

This is my husband and I on my first cruise. (The predictive key new what I was going to write, LOL!) That was in 2013. Except the year I moved to Vegas, I have been on a cruise every year since. That makes 4 all with Carnival.

Why cruises? For me it gives me the most experience for my money and I can pay it off over time. Before my first cruise I had only left the US to visit Canada when I was a child. I have been to places like Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, St. Kitts, Cozumel to name just a few of the places I’ve been. So far I prefer Eastern & Southern  Caribbean.

The nice thing about a cruise, your “hotel” goes with you and meals are included in the cost. While at sea, there is plenty to entertain from comedy shows, piano bars, bingo and trivia. With views like this who could resist? Certainly not me.

We have taken second place in a costume contest when our group all dressed as Waldo. I took second place in a game show, I have never been so happy to lose a game in my life, since I was up against a little girl. Even had I won, I’d have conceded my prizes to her. Ralph and I won a ship on a stick for tying in a Disney trivia game. Oh, and you can always lounge by the pools if the various activities aren’t your thing.

Did I mention the cabin stewards who clean your rooms and even put cute towel animals on your bed. On our last cruise our cabin steward even filled up an ice bucket, so my dear hubby could ice his poor leg.

Our next cruise is in May and I am counting down the days until we fly to Houston. This vacation we get to visit Minite Maid Park to watch an Astros game. If you know my husband, you know he is a life long fan of the Astros and was in 7th Heaven when they won the World Series.

I have four cruises booked. Three with Carnival and one with Celebrity. We have been loyal to Carnival, but they don’t have a cruise out of Dublin. This year I am most excited to visit Cuba and pray that we won’t have any problems with hurricanes, since it is in August. I have been day dreaming of walking in Hemmingway’s Footsteps. 

Cruises offer me the opportunity to visit many places in a short amount of time, which makes me happy, though the cruise life is so relaxing I’d gladly take a cruise to nowhere or live on one full time.

Have I convinced you yet? 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita 

Party Weekend for the Trushaws

This weekend we were fortunate to be invited to friends for both Saturday evening and Sunday for the Super Bowl. I had fun at both parties, and even made some new friends.

Saturday I learned about using CBD oil and am considering it. Sunday, I actually enjoyed watching the football game. It was exciting. If you know me I usually don’t watch football, I am there for the food! Oh, I’ll go to watch the games with my sweet man, but I read while there. The Eagles flew yesterday and I am happy about that.

Speaking of food, here is a bit of our Super Bowl spread. My husband made the chicken cheese dip and I did the deviled eggs. We also had pizza. There were only four of us, so that was more than enough food.