More Travel Coming

So as I sit here I am quite happy about a few things. With summer my work has slowed down immensely. I mean how else on a Wednesday afternoon can I feel no guilt about leaving my office and going to the movies. Yesterday, I gutted my room and emptied three trash bags worth of clutter from my room. That was awesome, so that is good. Next week I head to Florida for Friends for Life, and get to meet some awesome people, plus go to Disney World and maybe slip away and go to Universal Studios too and do that. So that is awesome.
Monday, I mentioned my need for a new bag for my supplies as I wander about the lands. In the past, I have used my Nike bag, but that gets cluttered and the strings eventually will cut into me as I wander theme parks. So I needed something else. I put out a call to a few people, with little success. Although, Kimmy over at Texting my pancreas, suggested I rock the fanny pack. Jerk. My coolness can't cancel the dorkiness of the Fanny Pack. So I kept looking.
I mean my ratty supply bag needs to go somewhere.

So I was like what am I going to do with this. Yesterday I was at Target and I found an amazing bag, it is a mini messenger bag. Granted it is almost like a small purse, it is called a messenger, so I will be rocking it next week.

It has a thin profile enough for my test kit, if I choose to keep the kit as a whole or pockets enough for kit, lancer, strips, emergency insulin and syringes, plus back up tubing. I can also hide a bottle of water, some granola bars, etc all in the bag. And it is small and all. So lets see how this puppy works out.
Also, in the mail I got my replacement pump clip. I think I mentioned at some point it died on me. The directions sheet cracked me up. I mean, it would seem intuitive how to use a replacement clip, but this is the sheet I got with the clip.

Yes, it is bigger than my laptop and needed three push pins to hang up over my desk. Oh and don't you love my Stitch card. I so can't wait for next week. Anywho, that's all I got.
And again thank you Kim for my supposed Fanny Pack idea. Jerk.

Songs

It's kinda funny, after Friday's song day, it really got me thinking. How many bad songs I can make up? The answer, is apparently to many. Mind you I haven't written any other covers of songs yet. However, there are a few bouncing around in my head. It was really entertaining to tell you the truth. I mean, I wonder how many d-related covers I can honestly come up with. I am very much tempted to make this a normal thing.
Yet, who knows. My motivation goes up and down and schtuff, but it could be fun. It could be my own Assignment America, you know back in the days from America's Funniest Home Videos... Damn I loved that show. Anyway, Friday, I hope to have another song done. One has been dancing around in my head for a few days. I listened to the original last night and have covered the refrain already, it is just getting verses to fit into it now.
If you have any song suggestions, feel free to let me know and I may think about it. If nothing else it could be fun to try.
Aside from "song" writing my next endeavor is covered by all things pump and stuff related. A few weeks back my Ping Clip hit a small hiccup and died. I still have no idea what happened or why my pump will no longer hold the clip. I mean it still works, but it won't catch in the housing of the pump. I am a pocketer by trade so no clip really doesn't affect me. Yet, sleeping and stuff, that is where my clip pulls its weight, so to speak. So I finally ordered one last week.
That being said, I also started my quest to find some sort of bag or something for my supplies. The test kit bag is nice, but I would really like something small and compact that is just a little classier. I know there are bags, clutches, and stuff out for ladies which are kinda cool. But apparently in the male category not so much. So I have been searching online for stuff. If anyone knows of something let me know. If nothing else I need to find a better way to carry my stuff than in the 5 year old non-zipping gallon Ziploc bag, that is my supply travel bag currently. I will post the picture of that poor guy when I wander back over to my room and get pictures of it. The poor thing is well beyond it's last legs.

It's time for a Friday song (not the Friday song)

So this morning I was excited about something that doesn't happen to often for me. It was an unplanned free shower. Today, I was planning on changing my infusion set, but I knew I had until Monday for my Sensor to hit a either try to get a third time out of it or take off and try again. So Monday was going to be my free shower day. Yesterday with the heat, humidity, and stuff my sensor site started to itch a little and this morning, while I may have gotten a few more days from the adhesive, I had more tape than original stuck on me. So I figured 11 days, not so bad with the sensor and heck I can shower without fear.

This leads to my song, I started just singing my head, over and over "free shower, free shower" at 6:00 am, I am not all that creative. Anywho, I ended up getting the song "Free Falling" from Tom Petty stuck in my head. This evolved to me rewriting the lyrics a bit for my "free shower". Anyway, I am thinking of submitting the lyrics to Blunt Lancet. I haven't written a full version of the song, but well here are the lyrics. I was tempted to make a "music video", but well I am not that brave yet and my graphic skills were not working out so hot for me this morning. Maybe one day, when I get my tech sorted out.

He’s a good boy wearing his pump.

He’s a good boy with his Dexcom on.

He’s a good boy to control his sugar.

Uses them both, to control it too.

There are some days when the drive him crazy.

There are some days when he wants them off.

Yet most days they are both attached,

To him when he begins his morn.

Today He's free, free showering.

Yes He's free, free showering.

No more infusion sets on him

No more Dexcom on his arm.

Nothing there when he showers

His skin is, nice and free.

‘Cause he’s free, free showering.

Yes he’s free, free showering.

Whoops and Oww

So, in my life I do many fun things. I run, I bike, I read, I play video games. I get Sarcastic, I harass people(all in good fun), I am funny, but only when I don't have to think about it. If you ask me to be funny, well you are asking for a waste of your time, because it is not going to happen. It is all spur of the moment. I work, I work, I sleep, I say mass, I go visit sick people, I say funerals. I have fun. I am a normal person(again normal is as normal does I guess).
I also am a person with type-1 diabetes, which can sometimes inhibit life. I try not to let it. Yesterday, I had a whole bunch of fun planned. Go to movies on day off, go to store, go play ultimate frisbee in my summer league. All went according to plan mostly. My sugar was all over the place in the low zone. Which was not good. On my drive home before frisbee I felt the panic set in. I felt the low coming and since I just bought a new car (Buster), I did not have him fully stocked with my normal low stuff. I pulled the other stuff from my other car and deemed some of it old, some of it melty, and some of it just not fun any more.
So I said Brian you have 5 miles to go, you can do this. Concentrate, windows open, eyes alert, and just drive. I made it home, and ingested juice and stuff, before sitting down and conking for 5 minutes (damn that was close). Today I am filling Buster up with non-meltable food products and probably some glucose tabs. Even though I hate them, they just don't go bad.

That's weird the picture I had would not upload..... please hold while I try that again

That was weird. Anywho, didn't know they made watermelon. I may have to look into that flavor. So yeah, that was that.
I rested up and went to play Ultimate Frisbee. So much fun. I really love the game. Granted the needs of a person with pump and Dexcom make the game play more interesting. I recently moved my infusion site back to my right upper arm after some side time, to give it a break. Forgetting the issues with hangy tubing. That was something I needed to be really conscious of as my sugars were highish after my earlier issue. I also packed my pump into my Under Armor spandex undershorts with internal pockets so that way I would not accidentally lose my pump (could I have taken it off, yes, but well I don't do that normally). I really need to figure out the intricacies of sports and my pump. I haven't had much luck on the sugar front.
So anywho, the game starts, the play is tough, yet we are having so much fun. I am running and playing and just well doing what I need to do. Near the end of the game one of my team mates over throws the disc and I go to chase it down. I realize as I am going that the only possibility I may have of actually catching the disc is I am going to have to slide. So I do slide, on my right side. It is a spectacular slide, my was a fun slide. It was a pump slide. Yeah, that's right I slid on my pump oh and I did not make the catch. I know with the build up it seemed like I was going to have this awesome game winning slide or something, but it was a fail. The disc was just to far out of my reach to keep it in bounds even with the slide. Sigh, so I missed the disc, have grass stains all over my my shorts, scrapes on my arm, and I nice happy pump shaped black and blue on my leg. Sometimes I do not like my pump. But hey, what can I do. I need it and it does good things, more or less.

A Day Without

The other day, I was thinking about a few different things. All of the D-related and such and also about my lack of inspiration for what to say online. How some people can come up with ideas, histories, and constant things to talk about leads me to believe that a.) I am not as involved as I once was. b.) I may have never been involved as I mentally thought I was. c.) I am just plain uncreative.
Yet, I know in looking at things neither a,b, or c, truly applies. I think what I realized that in the beginning I just need guidance almost like someone to say, "Brian today you should blog about this or you should blog about that." I mean that I can handle. So instead, today I said to myself, "Self, it is a good idea to talk about dreams and such, why don't you seriously talk about what an ideal day without would mean for you." I mean maybe next time I will man up and do Kim's you can do this video, but I hate seeing myself in pictures and I am sure a video would scare myself and little children too... :-p

I really looked at my life, all I do, all I have done, and thought about imagine what you could do or would do if you had a day, week, or month without having to deal with some of the stresses and pressures of being a person with type-1 diabetes. I mean that would be sweet (no pun intended of course). I mean, eating what I want, sleeping until whenever, not having to test, not having to bolus, not having to change infusion sites. Hell, not having to deal with prescriptions, all of that stuff that drives me absolutely nuts some days. It would be awesome. Right?? No fear, no worries, nothing.

Yet, I thought about that and I thought about who or what I was when I was a kid. Would I be able to handle the irresponsible lifestyle. Being able to graze, eat whatever, whenever?? Probably not. If tomorrow I were to start I would forget about everything I should be doing. Calories or carbs... Nope. Exercise.... c-ya. Responsible thoughts and actions out the door. I would be a horrible person. I would make all of the wrong choices and decisions. Granted if I had a month off, the first few days would be bad, but I could get better. I don't think I would. The routine, the regimen, everything, has been instilled in myself for a reason. It makes me who I am.

Would I still be sarcastic? Yeah. Would I still laugh at everything? Yeah. Would I still cry watching sad movies? Yeah (I can be really embarrassing sometimes). All of that would be me, yet I feel there would be something missing. I think after 15 plus years of being a person with type-1 diabetes, I have finally learned something from this disease. Will power and self control(to an extent), established routines (to an extent), but truthfully so much good has come of this. If I left them behind, I would be so different. Ya, know life sucks. I know this. Having type-1 sucks, I know this as well. But it could be worse. A day off would be nice, maybe. A life off would be awesome, but would I be able to handle that freedom or power? I don't know. The routine I have has been set, I am happy. Why change it? I mean if that day ever comes, it will be awesome, but right now I don't think I could handle it. I think I would be an overweight, out of shape person with no self control. That is a fail.

Something new in my life

While I tend to blog randomly, mainly d-related. I know others out in the world post other things. I mean some people blog about cupcakes and food. Others mention things like new puppies and things like that. me, I normally don't have much going for me in the realm of awesomeness. But today I did have someone new I would like to introduce to the world. This is my little kid/puppy/baby. Whatever you want to call him/her.

That's right, yesterday I went car shopping and came home with (insert name here). I didn't mean to. I mean I have a car that is only a year old. So why get a new one?? I asked myself that same question. To be honest with you, I like Penny Quinn or Penguin for short. She was a good car, but well I wasn't all that happy with some of the things, not a manual transmission (fail), unable to change GPS while driving (fail, even though I was told I would be able), horrible gas mileage (fail), Bluetooth conversation(fail!!!!). So I decided to start looking for someone new to replace Penny.
I have been researching, looking, thinking for a few weeks. I found a car I kinda liked but the dealer tried to screw me. I am chaste, nobody screws me... (Sorry bad joke). So I walked. I kept looking. Nissan Juke, VW Jetta, Ford Focus. Nada, nothing, almost impossible to find a manual transmission. Plus the Focus, while nice and all, horrible back seat for a 4 door car. I mean HORRIBLE.
So after killing time yesterday, I went with my next guess on a Civic. Didn't care about other features, but it needed to be manual and have bluetooth, since my phone can double as a kick ass GPS. So yeah, I wandered into Honda and told them what I wanted. Three minutes later the sales man came back with (insert name here) to take for a test drive. I am not gonna lie, I fell in love. Granted it was a coupe and all, but still fell in love. What a great little machine. I pay less for the lease, I get an extra 10 + MPG, killer sound system, working bluetooth, moonroof, seamless iPod usb integration... It is an awesome car. I was so excited. No regret, no remorse. They took my car and the payments over, offered me a little extra to cover other things and yeah. So I got a new car.
Now comes the naming part, since my brother and I first bought a car, they have all had names. My '87 VW Jetta (Murmur), my '95 Saturn Sam, my '04 Matrix Murph, my '10 Mazda3 Penny, now I need a new name. I am contemplating buster, but I am not sure yet. Has anyone else named a car or might offer some interesting names for a car. 'cause I can't keep a car long without a nice name...

An Epic of Faults

Well, okay maybe I am over reacting. But I am faulting myself for so many things as of late. One being after such a good start and track record, I had chosen to kinda sorta over work myself last week and not even think about my blog or the DOC community, other than to harass one friend about Florida, order some cherry Blunt Lancet merch. for Florida, and try to wish someone a happy birthday. I read no blogs, I did absolutely nothing.
Why?? I don't know. I mean I did have some free time, but I guess I just chose to slack. Which is never good for me, once I do start to slack things pile up. Take for instance the fact that I can't even remember how long it has been since I have taken my test kit near a trash can to empty out my ever growing pile of test strips. I brought it out today to make a special appearance, just to show you how off I have been. Usually I go every few days. I know I am bordering on at least two weeks now.

In case you are curious, there are 93 used test strips there. The 93rd is on the top of the pile, freshly used for a BS of 135, post lunch. I am down with that. Granted my CGM is currently at 99. (New CGM though). That number though amazes me. And I can tell you along the way in my travels I have lost some strips. So basically at any given time counting used and unused I had about 130 or so test strips in my kit. Key word being had. I just tossed them all.
If you look at the test kit, I know I have said this before somewhere either here on this blog or elsewhere. I do use the Contour USB for my blood sugar tests. I did not like the bag it came in though. It was a little bulky and I could not store my emergency insulin in it because the outside pouch velcroed horizontally and not vertically meaning I had a much better chance of everything falling all over the place.... Oh wait, that has happened. So I took the case from the One Touch Mini and moved in, but I also had to keep an old One Touch strip container, since the other one did not fit in all that well. (I really need to find a better way of organizing myself and my meter).
So yeah I slacked on that and a blogging. Also, exercise. I can't even really figure out the last time I went for a run. I mean, i have been playing basketball once a week with my Youth Group and have joined a summer Ultimate Frisbee league. But I also know that I am not exercising to keep off what I eat.... So I need to work on that as well. Life gets busy, things get in the way sometimes, but I am still disappointed. I have been waging this battle with my body for years and in the course of 6 months, between ankle injuries, bad weather, and pure laziness all of my hard work is shot to hell. I have 2 months to my doctor visit. And I want to at least be near the weight I had last visit... AAAAAHHHH.
These may not be super epic faults, but today I feel they are. My sugars have been decent, but they would be better has I maintained my exercise, I have fallen into the trap of grazing more so than I used to. All things I can fix, but when I don't, when I fail. I am truly sad. I need to work on this. If you have any advice please pass it on. I know I can do this, but it just kills me how badly I slipped. But as I tell people all the time. Just because today sucked, doesn't mean I have to repeat the same mistakes again tomorrow.
Peace, Love, and Unicorns to you all!!!