My bellybutton doesn’t feel like mine any more.

I got super sick. Turns out I had gallstones and a stone stuck in a duct. Fun times.

I recently had surgery (if you follow me on IG you know this). Because I had dermabond I could see my bellybutton.

I will admit I struggled a bit. I was up front and honest. I did not like my new bellybutton. Hubs said give it time.

The dermabond fell off. And well… yeah I hate the bugger. Some skin was bunched up and I basically have a skin tag. Hoping it works itself out. Or I can get it fixed. I’ll find out soon.

Recovering from surgery has been a struggle. I had stopped trusting my stomach before hand. So I had to reintroduce eating. Real food not just soup or broth.

One day at a time.

It has been a long time since I posted. Some blogs were set up and I changed my mind and just took a long break.

I have been writing out a blog post about my husband getting out of the Navy and all of that issue. Trying to get it right.

And then a new virus was born.

We had ran out of toilet paper (TP) about the time the US started freaking out about TP. Two of us independent of each other bought TP. We laughed when we came home and found out. But we have enough

When did the potato famine start? Seriously this hoarding thing is out of control.

A country that doesn’t produce TP found out that they wouldn’t get a shipment of TP for a while. So the only TP was the TP on store shelves. Video was released and partly due to misinformation and FOMO people are buying up TP

All that TP you are hoarding. You can’t return. So I hope you’re happy now.

I went to the store and bought enough food for 2 weeks. I had to visit 2 stores. But my plan was to self quarantine. If people just stay at home. Only leave to walk their dogs and come back in. You don’t expose anyone and no one exposes you. If everyone does this for 2.5 weeks. The virus will be gone. If EVERYONE in the US stays at home and stops being stupid it will go away.

Yeah I said stupid. Stop running around. Life isn’t normal. If some people get it they will die. It confuses me people are willing to play this game of Risk. It isn’t just you’re health. You’re a carrier for a week before you have symptoms.

If it was worse than COVID-19 would you then do what was advised? Come on people.

Some of us have a low immune system and don’t need to be exposed to this.

I’ve been wanting an instant pot for a while. Well back up. I’ve wanted a pressure cooker for a while. But I was scared. When they first came out with the instant pot I waited to see what would happen.

Recently I started looking up recipes. I was going to buy one. But I was waiting until after we moved.

Insert this Holiday Season. My husband got me one.

I found a beef stroganoff recipe and made that first. It came out pretty good. Only issues was I couldn’t find measuring spoons so I guessed.

I then made rice for lunch. I also made something on the stove. A Korean egg dish. My daughter and I ate it.

I found a recipe on the back of a Campbell Soup can, cream of chicken. Basically you cook up some chicken and rice and add in the can (there are some more details of course). When I saw Six Sisters had a cheesy chicken and rice recipe for the instant pot I saw it was the Campbell’s recipe. I decided to follow it.

It says 1 1/2 lbs of chicken, diced onion, garlic, can of cream of chicken soup, 2 cups of rice, and 3.5 cups of liquid total, salt and pepper, and cheese.

Now when you cook rice it is a 1 to 2 ratio. For every 1 cup of rice you need 2 cups of liquid. I say liquid because you can use broth to cook rice.

I’ve known how to cook rice since I was little. I can actually know how much water to use without a measuring cup. Looking at this recipe it went against my rice knowledge.

But I followed it.

I actually watched their YouTube video of how to make this and followed it.

And immediately after I put the lid on and hit cancel, then pressure and the time. The burn food notice hit.

I was scratching my head. I followed the directions. WTF!

I opened and ran a wooden spoon along the bottom and felt some stuff. I scrapped it up. Put lid back on and same thing.

So I found a container and poured the contents into it. I then cleaned the IP inner cooking chamber. I also hopped on Amazon and ordered another one of those in case this happens again.

I tried to re-pressurize the IP. Kept getting the burn food notice.

Now your IP turns off the heat once this notices comes up. And I had some rice to cook.

Now see if I would have added the correct 1:2 ratio rice needs none of this would have happened.

And I learned a lesson. No matter what the recipe if it goes against something you know. Go with what you know.

I’ve always been asked how I cooked my rice. “I’m Asian.” Was the best response I could come up with. I’ve had years of learning how to cook rice. My mother telling me time and time again how to cook rice. I can cook rice in on the stove, in a rice cooker, and pressure cooker. I can cook rice half asleep.

The burn food safety feature is pretty cool. But that pot is still soaking in the sink overnight.

I have arthritis in both my knees, my right shoulder, and lower back.

I take certain medications to combat it.

But when you have a flare up. It becomes harder.

I actually sleep with a heater blanket on low. The heat helps.

I have some cream that can help.

But sometimes you just want to look at your husband and say “can you cut off my knee.”

I’m waiting for after the holidays to see a doctor. Need more help for this flare up.

We placed some things in a storage box when we first moved into this apartment. We went down on square space and no longer had room for things.

Our dining room table went into the box. It’s a 6 seater and we had so much more room with it in storage. Goodbye table.

Little things went into the storage box. Like our winter clothing. Umm did we really need it for Cali weather. Nope the fleece we left out was enough.

We still don’t know how we are moving. If we are having the military move us or DITYing.

But the first step of moving is here.

A few weeks ago I was walking the dog. He wrapped the leash around me and got excited (oh look friend!) And pulled me.

He went one way I went the other.

I had tingling and numbness in my legs. Waited a few days before going to the doctor.

My husky decided to pull my back out of alignment. But I found out something in the xray.

I have degenerative disc disease (DDD) in my lower back. Over 3 vertebra have mild DDD.

DDD sounds intimidating. But it isn’t really a disease. It’s a fancy way of saying you have arthritis in your back. That the spacing in between has thinned.

I went to physical therapy and have been working on my back. The numbness went away.

That was a relief. I no longer had to look down when I walked. I had a deadness feeling in my legs. Like they weren’t there.

The tingling went away in one leg but stayed in the other.

The muscles in my body are tightening and no one has figured out why. They have been doing this since I’ve been in my 20s. I’ve had to fix my knees due to this so my knee caps would be in the correct place.

They suspected how I hurt my shoulder was due to the muscles tightening. All I had done was reach behind me to adjust a pillow and I tore my labrum (I so need a cooler story 🤷‍♀️).

But I can finally walk without excruciating pain.

One day at a time.

A few years ago I was told I was mild to moderately deaf in my left ear. I had my septum fixed and learned shortly after from the ENT.

We were getting ready to PCS. So getting further research as to what was going on had to wait.

It took a bit of time to get the correct referrals. But finally I was able to see an ENT here.

After some tests I was finally give a diagnosis. A reason to why I’m losing my hearing.

I have Cochlear Hydrops. A cousin to Meineres Disease.

I have ringing in my ear. My hearing comes and goes in waves. And every now and again it feels like liquid is leaking out of my ear. I have many other symptoms. But those are the major one.

Having TMJ in that side of my jaw also effects the Cochlear Hydrops.

There is no cure. I take 2 different medications to try to help the symptoms. I try to protect my hearing. Certain things can actually make my hearing worse. So I try to stay away from them.

I have good days and bad days. But I’ve learned to live with it.

It’s become frustrating at times though. I often miss things that are said and I have to ask people to repeat themselves. They seem put off. And when I mention I’m going deaf, that I actually didn’t hear them. It changes in an instant. Suddenly their displeasure of having to repeat themselves is gone.

Why?

If someone asks for you to repeat yourself. Don’t be put off. They might not have heard you. They could be going deaf like me. Or something else. It doesn’t matter.

I love when people talk louder. How about speaking clearer. That is a main issue I have. If you mumble 🤷‍♀️ Speak clearer.

I had to retrain myself. I don’t put the phone on my left ear. I’ll miss some of what you are saying if I do.

I get a hearing test often. Some times I’m below normal, mildly, or moderately. Due to what I have my hearing changes.

But we have to document it. Because if my hearing gets bad enough I need a hearing aid I need the notes.

So far I’m good. But on the days I can’t hear it would be nice.

Just an update on my life.

Shortly before my husband and I started dating I got a pixie cut.

It’s been growing ever since. Currently it is down past my elbows.

A few years ago I stopped brushing my hair. I threw out my hair brushes and switched to a comb.

I had taken a comb to it and had brushed out my hair quicker with the comb than the brush. So I switched to a wide tooth comb.

My hair is pretty thick. I kept getting the brush caught in my hair when I brushed the underside of it. And I got tired of pulling my hair free from the brush.

I don’t have that issue with a comb.

I tend to hold my hair at the top as I run the comb through it. Takes 1-2 swipes per section. Then after I’m done sectioning my hair off I comb the whole thing. I’m done quicker than with a brush.

I’ve noticed my hair is healthier now since switching to a comb. I have less dead ends. It has a nice shine to it.

I’ve switched to a shampoo bar. Or I’d have to do squeeze the shampoo bottle twice. Since switching my husband has fallen in love with the shampoo bar.

We still use the same conditioner. I didn’t like the bar version of it from Lush. Going to switch to their liquid conditioner once the one I have is gone.

Ladies throw out those brushes and switch to a comb.

Military|PCS|California

I will be writing a series about getting orders to California.

You’ve been waiting for a while. You picked a few places and prayed. And you finally received said orders to California.

The series will include moving to California. Driving in California. The different bases around. And more.

Welcome to my blog post series about getting orders to California. A series I made up for others who just received orders to PCS to California.

Currently we live in Southern California and have been here the past 2 years. I’ve learned a lot and want to pass it on to other spouses.

Hope you enjoy this series. The series will be released on Thursdays.