ok, who sucks at returning emails?

*raising hand* ME!!! Here is a big sorry to those of you who I have delayed in responding to. I have always been sporadic at best with returning emails. So many times I will read them and say "I will respond tomorrow when I have more time." Well... then they get lost in the emails of the next day. It really sucks because I don't have a phone line at home or the internet. I really can't afford it right now since it is a "luxury." I can only get on during the day at work in between students. As we gear up for the fall semester, more and more students are needing my services. I know most of you know I am an interpreter for the Deaf. I have also been getting freelance calls out the wazoo!!! Since I am not married nor have kids, I have been chosen as the person who has "no life." Hence, being called out at 2 am to the hospitals automatically falls to me LOL. I work 8-4 in a salaried position at the college but I also have a deaf lady in a mental hospital so for 2 months I have been working there from 6-8:00 at night. I am getting ready to interpret a training session at a shipping company and that shift will be from 11pm till 4 am. Luckily it is only a week long and hopefully it will be in the next few weeks before the students return. I LOVE my job but it is overwhelming me at the moment!! LOL Summertime is also the time for trying to catch up on CEU's (continuing education requirements) in my profession. I just got back from San Antonio, Texas a few weeks ago. I had a blast and learned a lot on medical and legal interpreting. It was a week long conference and I got to meet interpreters from all over the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam. I was also elected Vice President nationwide for a special interest group within our organization!! Wow! To imagine I represent all those people! I even had to get up and give a speech. Funny how I can interpret in front of 3,000 people with no problems but I freak out if I have to speak in front of them! I am looking forward to our next National Conference in 2 years. It will be in San Francisco!!!! I have new pictures in my profile of the conference! Not the stuffy, professional ones, but the fun ones! It was so dang hot and I had a hard time having a "good hair day!" On top of everything else, back in April I started training as a video relay interpreter. That is a person who signs to the deaf caller through the T.V. and I have one of those neat little headsets to talk to the hearing callers. I have been working off and on in Atlanta about once a month. They have relocated us and I will be working a few times in Tampa. They are hoping soon to open a call center here in Kentucky where I won't have to travel. I will do this part-time in addition to my full time college job. There is such a shortage of interpreters!!!!! I am working so hard to try and save up money for a much needed thigh lift. I want to go back to my surgeon in Florida but I need to save up for travel and hotel. I am looking at what the surgeons cost locally here. Poor Barry, he is so patient!! I try to see him every weekend but have been going to conferences and so on! He is such a wonderful person! I am so lucky to have him. What a kind and loving soul. Anyways.. so I guess I have a good excuse? Forgive me? Hugs, Dana

Hello you absolutely GORGEOUS thang!!!!!! I DON'T SUCK AT RETURNING EMAILS (did I say, neener neener, yet?) It's one of the few things I actually do right, but I think it's more because Im driven by GUILT! LOL, Aaaaw, GUILT, it can be such a strong driving force in life. I always worry that people are gonna think horrible things about me if I don't at least send a quick reply. Uh, of course, they're probably thinking horrible things about me ANYWAY, but it sure ain't gonna be email related, dammit. Sounds like you're meeting yourself coming and going, on the job. When do you get a chance just to sit down and DECOMPRESS? Hopefully, the times that you're in Tampa you can also squeeze in some FUN!!! Hey? Have you gotten a quote on the thighs and butt lift? YIKES, do I know/understand what you're saying - every time I look at mine, I swear they have another layer to 'em. I used to have just one big ol' butt cheek, now the cheek has cheeks and those have cheeks and ... well, you get the idea. I'm up to about 5 layers of cheeks! The sad, or funny thing about it all? ...Im seriously thinking about more surgery this year, even have an appointment set up for middle of November and Im not addressing ALL those layers of cheeks ... nope, instead Im gonna tackle this stupid turkey waddle under my CHIN!! Ugh. Hugs - Lei

hey Lei! I have a consult with a plastic surgeon in Louisville next monday. I have a huge liquid pad that has popped up where my panni used to be. I have a "pooch" now and I will see if he can extract it. I have one boob that "wanders" around. LOL. I will ask him about the thighs. My wonderful wonderful surgeon in Florida only charges about 4,000 for the thigh lift. He does such a beautiful job and my scars are barely visible now. I want him to do the thighs but I will have to wait another year if I want to go to Florida. I know.. aren't we crazy for wanting more pain? LOL. I think we all have an inner masochist or something! Aren't ya proud of me for responding so quickly??? I am actually off in a few minutes to go to my support group. Hugs and kisses to Lei!!! Didja see the new pics?? Dana

LOLOL - Imagine my surprise when I barely hit the SEND button on my post and I already had one back from you!!! Of course as soon as I saw the part "did you see the new pics" ...I darted over to your profile (Gawd, I LOVE looking at peoples pictures!!) ...and I have to tell you, as always, you look freakn FANTASTIC!! You were MADE for ca'boy hats, hot damn that looks SEXY ON YOU!! Uh, unlike ME, who looks like a big ol' GOOBER when I put one on. Seriously, the minute it hits my head, it's like Im wearinig a NEON flashing sign that says "She's a FAKE, a GooberWannaBeCowGirl walking". Im so glad that you're BACK and POSTING again, you were definately one of the ones Ive MISSED seeing!! Love ya - ME

awwwwwww shucks.. thank ya ma'am *kicking boot in the dirt* you are so sweet!! I just love ya to death! Now why can't you live in Gainesville Florida so I can come stay with you and you could nurse me back to health?? LOL Dana

I paid $5800 for a thigh lift and darnit I have to get it redone!! it was the worst most hellish pain ever of all my surgeries and I have to do it again.

I know honey.. I have read your profile and have been keeping up with you in the lurking mode. It scares me so bad as I hear there are more negatives with this surgery than positives. One thing I have going for me is that when I had my pubic lift. The scar goes WELL into my groin and in between my legs so I healed really well there. It almost goes past my vaginal opening so there was some stress to put on those incisions. He just did a pubic lift but not a thigh lift. Maybe because there was a little loose skin from my thighs, it had more play. I absolutely hate that you are going through everything. I am glad that your doctor is finally redoing his work. I have a little bit of rippling but mine are under the muscle and I can just barely feel it underneath my boob. I do have one boob that is a "traveller" though when I lay down.. LOL. I guess I feel lucky and confident in my surgeon in Florida. I have pretty much decided to use him again but It will have to wait until next christmas 2006. You are in my thoughts sweetie. Hugs Dana

PS.. where in the heck did all this cellulite come back from? When I got too thin at 118.. I had ZERO cellulite on my thighs... now it looks like someone pelted my thighs with a bag of nickles!! I may need Lipo on top of the lift!!! I do have my butt back though!!!! Dana

Dana, Is so nice to see you, hope all is going well... Sounds like you are a little busy beaver, don't work so hard, you forget to have a social life as well.... You just take care of yourself and don't over do. Think of you often, Val

I hear ya!! I did have fun though with my friends in San Antonio. I am planning on going to Tampa during Thanksgiving so I can get time and a half and work 4 days during the weekend. I am hoping to spend a little time at the ocean at least just to walk and smell the wonderful sal****er! Barry and I are taking a vacation during my fall break in October.. We are going to NEW YORK!!!! Interpreting does have it's dead spots. We hadn't had a deaf student here all summer so I have been going to conferences and playing on the puter here at work during the day. But as fall semester nears, we are having deaf students come in daily for registration and advising. I am also getting lots of freelance calls. It's usually pretty smooth sailing then all of a sudden you will get 50 calls in a week! I do love it though.. In a way... you could say I am getting paid for "talking!" Dana