My Latest Addiction

Check out my new Pink Blackberry!

  I had PLANNED to get a regular ol' phone but how do you 

  go back to a plain phone after having a TREO?!  Silly Risa!  

25 Reasons Why I Am Not Married

Tonight my roommate Claire and I were talking about a "note" entitled "25 Things About Me" that was circulating through all of our friends on Facebook.  Some of you know what I am talking about.  Anyway, I told Claire I was pretty sure I could come up with my own list "25 Reasons Why I Am Not Married"... Yes, Claire, I came up with 25 reasons and here they are (and these are in no specific order- at least not on purpose)

1. LOST

2. One Tree Hill

3. Bromance

4. American Idol

5. The Office

6.  The Hills

7. Samantha Who

8. Grey's Anatomy

9. Private Practice

10. That 70's Show

11. Run's House

12.Keeping Up With The Kardashians

13. Everybody Loves Raymond

14. Alias

15. Diners, Drive-In's and Dives

16. What Not To Wear

17. The City

18. 30 Minute Meals

19. Scrubs

20. Charmed

21. The Castle

22. Fringe

23. People's Court

24. Every Day Italian

25.My Name Is Earl

So these are 25 TV shows that I watch on either a regular or semi-regular basis... oh and there is one that I am excited to start watching.  REALLY?!?!  SERIOUSLY?!?!  Yup.  It's true.  I have two words for you... NO WONDER.  I am going to be honest, I am sure this is not all.  There are other TV show I watch but these are the ones I thought of pretty easily.  We're not even talking about scandalous number of DVD's I own. Now is the icing... I just don't think I care. I love TV.  I am not sure this revelation with make me shun my couch potato tendencies. 

Dad: Our Favorite Reluctant Patient

I am probably gonna get in trouble for this but it's my blog and I can write whatever I want, right?!!?!

For those who haven't heard, my Dad has been in the hospital since Wednesday afternoon.  While at work he started to feel a bit weak and faint.  He tried to call his cousin Stephen who also works at the Prison, but he couldn't dial the extension.  He told his inmate clerk that he wasn't feeling well and shortly after began vomiting blood and passed out.  He also, possibly suffered a small seizure.  Dad's clerk took his radio and shop keys from him and called for the institutions medic on the radio and then dialed 911 to call the ambulance.  Fortunately, Stephen was close by and was able to get over to the shop quickly and found Dad's students trying to help him and praying for him.   When the ambulance came Dad was rushed to St Francis hospital located about 2 minutes from Mom and Dad's house.  

The doctor's did a test on Wednesday night (we'll see if I can get this all right) where they used a laparscopic scope through his throat into his stomach to see where the bleeding was originating.  The belief was he was suffering from a bleeding ulcer.  They had some trouble determining exactly what was going on b/c there was a clot found at the base of his esophagus but they were unsure what the clot was covering.  Then plan was to go in again Thursday or Friday to get a better look.  

Last night around 5pm they were able to go back and look at the clot and Dad's stomach.  This time they found varicose type veins on the outside of his stomach... a place where they shouldn't normally be.  It can be the symptoms of some pretty serious things but we won't dwell on those now.  The doctors have looked at his heart, his liver and are continuing to do test so they can find out how best to help Dad. 

Dad is not the most cooperative patient.  When he was 1st admitted he was trying to convince them to let him go home that night... right Dad! He tried flirting with one of the nurses... no luck.  After his procedure on Wednesday night he got a little combative with the hospital staff.  We are sure this was a side effect of the medication they gave him.  Mom was able to go in and get him a bit calmer and stayed with him through the night.  He slept a lot yesterday and I am not sure how much of the day he really remembers.  Today he seems a bit more like himself.   He said, maybe I'll go home tomorrow.  Ahhh... baby steps.  

We are all very thankful to the wonderful friends and family who have kept Mark in their prayers and we ask for you to continue to do so.  Hopefully we will get some idea of what the causes of Mark's condition soon.  

A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride?

Over Christmas I watched A LOT of cheesy Christmas movie.  One night I watched one on Lifetime called A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride.  The whole time I was watching it I felt like I knew the "daughter of the bride"  but I couldn't quite put my finger on where I knew her from.  

          Samantha from Bewitched?  No. 

               Jennie Garth (see here with Luke Perry)?  Not it.  

                Then it hit me...

Barbie! 

Frosty the Snowman

FACT: Marisa does not do crafts.  She doesn't scrapbook, stamp, make wreaths, flower arrangements, cute little signs or decorations... frankly, she can't really draw or cut a straight line. 

So tonight at YW's when we had the girls making scripture bags,  I was kinda relieved that we were 1 bag short, leaving me free from the task of making one.  All that ribbon and glitter paint was making me a bit nauseous.  Still, the responsible (ha ha) adult made me feel like I needed to do SOMETHING productive while the everyone else worked on their bags. We had some little finger puppets/ornaments that the girls could make as well if they had time left... so I thought, I can make a finger puppet.  Surely I could handle a tiny little ornament.  So there he is... Frosty... hanging on the tree.  He is cute right?!?!   Yeah, ummm... that's b/c it's small, the picture is fuzzy,  and the mood lighting from the Christmas tree makes him look slightly airbrushed.  

Now if you look at us in the light you will see him for the crippled snow man he is... arms too long (the instruction SAID, "cut 2- 1" sections for the arms," crooked smile, doofy hat,  silly ear muffs... I do like his little scarf though.  I will say unless you saw him up close and personal you couldn't really see how ghetto he really is. 

Oh well, I guess I will go back to my life motto... why make when you can buy.  

Merry Christmas!!!!

July Through November

I know I said I was going to post something.  I meant to... really.  It's like I used to be with my journal.  I'd get out of the habit of writing.  I would want to start again but I always thought I needed to try to catch myself up on everything that happened.  I kept getting further behind until it was too overwhelming to write at all.  Why do I do that?  I am going to try to sum up... 

JULY... 

In July one of my dearest friends Anna came to visit me from Utah on her way to Europe.  We spent a few days in DC and Richmond together and then she was off.  We had a great time.  We were even able to visit with my friend Scott in Alexandria who so kindly let us invade his life for a few days.  After Anna left Jessica and I had a mad dash to pack up our lives and put them into storage.  We moved out of our apt at the end of July and prepared our self for a month of nomad living.  The plan was for me to live with mom and dad and her to live with our brother Eric and his wife Joanna for until we were able to move into our new place...

AUGUST...

The 1st week of homelessness I was house sitting so I packed my car with all my belongings not in storage that I needed for the month. The last day of said house sitting was a Tuesday... I had an appt to get a haircut which took WAY too long and I was supposed to be downtown at 7 for institute.  I really needed the spiritual pick me up but I was not going to have enough time to unpack my car before going and I didn't want all my prized possessions including my computer to be unguarded in my car for a few hours in that neighborhood.  So I went home and borrowed my mom's car so I could go to institute.  I was about a mile from Mom and Dad's when another driver ran a red light and smashed into the left side of mom's car totalling it.  I was fortunate that no one including my self was injured.  Despite the fact that it wasn't my fault I hated the fact that Mom's car was "dead" not a great way to return back home.

In August I was also called to serve as the 1st counselor in the Young Women's Presidency in a newly re-established branch in the Chesterfield Stake, The Oak Grove Branch.  Formerly the Manchester Branch where Dad served as the Branch President.  It's a small unit with only 3 girls in the YW and serving with my friend Wendy as the YW President.  My records are still in the Singles Ward (and I have been attending both the singles ward and the branch) where I still serve as the Visiting Teaching Coordinator which I do love. 

SEPTEMBER....

Sept 8th the world welcomed another Garofalo to the world.  My cute little niece Reagan Lee Garofalo was born to brother Devin and his wife Shannon.  I have to be honest, Reagan is beautiful.  I mean, I know she is my niece and you might think I am biased but she really is such a sweet faced child. 

Sadly, Reagan's birth was overshadowed for Jessica and I with evenings of cleaning and painting our new house in preparation for moving.  We actually didn't get to see her for a few days after she was born b/c things were so crazy.  We are lucky to have great roommates and friends who stepped up and helped us.   While we didn't actually finish painting before we moved in Mid-September but I know we wouldn't have accomplished nearly as much with out extra help.  Even now we still have more painting to do... we should get on that.  We were also very fortunate to have good friends who were willing to help us move.  With their help we actually gone things out of storage and into the house in a few hours.  THANKS AGAIN to everyone who helped. 

OCTOBER... 

I can't truly express how difficult July-September really were for me to anyone.  So much was happening for me not only with the move but personally.  Lots was changing... on top of the things I mentioned.  Work has been stressful to say the least.  I also had some car issues which cost me a little bit of money to have taken care of.  I found out my license was suspended (that is a way long story) which was pretty upsetting to me.  My grandfather, who had been living with my parents, was having chemo treatments for some skin cancer.  Once his treatments were over he decided to move back to California. Mom was in the hospital for a few days (about the time we moved), a friend of mine at work had a heart attack, another friend at work was diagnosed with a brain tumor, some friendships grew apart, other friends moving and getting married...  I was beginning to feel like my life had made a complete overhaul.  In many ways it did.  

October brought a little more calmness into my life.  I think I was finally feeling OK with all the changes that had occurred.  Being settled into my new place made things easier.   I think feeling like I was without routine was hard.  There is a something important to be able to sleep in your own bed.  Watch your own TV, eat food from your own refrigerator.  

NOVEMBER....

While the rest of the world was anxious to see who would be elected as our next President of the United States... I was more excited to see another niece come into the world.  On November 4th, Julia Lyn Garofalo was born to Eric and Joanna.  Josh and Ava were WAY excited to be the proud "owners" of this new little additional to their family.  I would say, I have some cute little nieces and nephews.  

Somewhere in the beginning of November I noticed some red bumps on my arms.  At 1st I thought I was having an allergic reaction... but after a few days and through the observation of others that became unrealistic.  So finally I went to the doctor.  APPARENTLY, I became the object of affection for some kinda bug according to the doctor.  It was rather gross. I had red bumps all over my arms and legs.  I would be lying to say I didn't have a break down or two over it.  I saw no evidence of any buggies which made matters worse.  Mom came over and we did the best we could to clean and wash everything in my room since I was the only one in the house of 4 girls to have been effected.  It didn't seem to be going away and Mom suggested I get a blessing from my Dad.  Luckily they were having dinner with some friends of theirs who just happened to be my singles ward Bishop and his wife who I am close to as well.  Bishop Levin administered the blessing.  I was very grateful to both my parents and the Levin's for their kindness and for their encouragement of me.  Now 2 weeks later most of the bumps are gone.  Hopefully for good.  I don't care what it was as long as it doesn't come back.  

 

there is so much more I could talk about but that is going to have to be it for now.  My brain is hurting.  Bed is calling. 

I will try to post some pictures soon.  And I will try to be better with the blogging.  

Fully Alive

It has been a LONG time since I have written anything, I know.  Those of you I don't see (or talk to) on a regular basis were probably wondering if I was dead.  Well, you can now sleep through the night to know I am fully alive.  Things on the Marisa front have been crazy.  I kinda don't know where to start to catch you (and myself) up, but I will try.  So stay tuned in the next week or so... Marisa blogging is back.  Not right now though.  I need to get dressed for church.