It happened....again

Sigh... It seems I just can't do great things while behind the wheel anymore. Why won't the universe just let me be great? Why I ask?

Got a ticket in the mail.... $150

What the stupid camera didn't capture was me stopping to let some pedestrians cross (that lady and guy behind the van in picture 2. I remember clearly because I was checking out their store bags, you can see them if you maximize the image)...and also the fact that I was making a right turn on my way home from church!!!!!!!!

I will be in court (or wherever it is that people go) to contest and adjudicate this ticket. 

I just need find my power suit so I will look right for my day in court!

It happened

I got in my first fender bender and I was at fault.

Good news is: I was surprisingly calm soon after it happened.

Better news is: the damage to both cars was very minimal; my license plate and the holder is a bit banged up...nothing too noticeable. The man's car had a punch hole in his rear bumper from one of the screws that hold my plate in place. My plates also left color indents on his bumper but that will come right off after a couple of washes.

Best news is: the man decided to let me go. God bless him for the kindness he showed me. I'm very very grateful for that.

Thank God for little big mercies.

It could have been much worse.....pic borrowed from sfcitizen.com

I want to Eat Mor Chikin

All this talk of Chick fil A these past couple of days is making me crave their diabetes in a cup lemonade, artery clogging nuggets and yummy waffle fries :-)

Un/fortunately, there isn't one remotely close to me.


Go fried chicken!!!!

Drinks for the Summer Heat

During these dog days of summer with particularly oppressive and borderline unreal heat outside, nothing beats the temperature better than an ice cold drink. Some of my favorite summer drinks are Starbucks Iced Apple Chai, a good old Sweet Tea from Micky D's, yum yum...not to be confused with Iced Tea, or worse, Lemon Iced Tea, yuck!!! A cola Slushee or Icee isn't bad, neither are fraps or iced coffee, although I'm not a huge fan of the latter. But for those days when I crave imitation Mexican food, nothing compliments my steak quesadilla and mystery meat taco while cooling me down better than a delicious meat flavored mango and strawberry Fruitista Freeze from Taco Bell. No the drinks aren't flavored with meat, but I find that my drink is always somehow mysteriously infused with a hint of meat!

2012 Olympics

I was glued to my tv on Friday evening like the millions of other viewers across America to watch the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics and the show was rather anticlimactic for me. I couldn't finish the whole show because I had an emergency and had to leave halfway through the show and I wasn't even bothered by it. Anyway....

Go team USA and team Ghana!

These are the athletes I'm rooting for this year:
1. Team Gabby Douglas: besides the fact that she bears an uncanny resemblance to one of my friends, who can resist her charm?? She's SO cute and I hope she wins gold in all her competitions.
2. Team USA Women's Gymnastics: I get the fact that everything needs to be technical and what not but let's face it, these are a bunch of high school sophomores and are nowhere close to women. They are such an adorable bunch and I want to adopt them all. I just saw the breaking news that they won team gold, yay. I had no doubt in my mind that they were going to crush the competition, which they did with ease. Congrats Fab Five!
3. Team Ryan Lochte: this is an old classmate of mine from high school. He won many swim meets for our school back in the day and it's great to see him do so well on the world stage. Go Ryan!
4. Team Missy Franklin: another cute teen sensation. She's so poise and she's determined to showcase her talents to the world by winning gold in the women's 200 free (um...free what? Lol. I guess freestyle).
5. Team Duke Micah: Ghana's representative in fly weight boxing who won his first match! Woo hoo. I hope he wins all subsequent matches and brings home the gold.




RIP John Evans Atta Mills.

Phone Conversations

Have you ever had one of these conversations?

Me: hello

Me: hello

Me: hellooooooo??

Caller: Hello (with a cacophony of everyday Accra street sounds in the background)

Me: Hello

Caller: hello?!

Me: yes hi, May I speak with Mr. A?

Caller: Hello? Ei, I can’t hear o.

Me: silence and a blank stare

Caller: hello?

Me: (Deep, heavy sigh.) Um, hi…I’m trying to get in touch with Mr. A

Caller: Who? Who do you want?

Me: MISTER A!!!

Caller: please I’m coming

Me: ok, thanks.

Caller: hello, who is this?

Me: I’m Miss Raine and I was calling to speak with Mr. A?

Caller: who?

Me: Wrong number

Caller: hel…

Me: click and hang up

Sigh.

My calling card has been wasted.

Oh My #$%^!@& Goodness!!!!!!!

A few days ago, I had THEE single most unpleasant test in my whole entire life...hands down. 

LONG Back story version: 

I never had allergies while I lived in Florida. The word allergy was a very foreign concept to me and it wasn't even part of my vocabulary. I don't even think I knew anyone who had allergies....either that or I was completely oblivious to people who suffered from this horrible, HORRIBLE condition.

Fast forward to 2006 and my move to the DMV, no not the Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV as in DC (D), Maryland (M) and Virginia (V) metro area, for those of you who don't know. You're welcome.

Anyway, one spring afternoon, my throat and ears were really really itchy and my eyes were watery but I didn't really think anything it. About two years later, I got really sick, so sick I was out of work for a couple of days. I had the chills, the worst pressure headache which was so bad I would feel really dizzy, sniffles, terrible coughing, the works. Turns out I had horrible sinus infection and was given a cocktail of medication, 6 pills to be exact, never mind the fact that all but 2 of the medicine worked and I was back in my doctors office 2 weeks later to try some new medication which thankfully worked. But I digress. My doctor then informed me that I had allergies and put me on Nasonex and told me to also start taking Zyrtec. Zyrtec by the way cost a little over a dollar per pill and is almost never on sale :-(

Fast forward again to the beginning of this year...I was dreading the spring pollen season, dreading it so bad that I took a vacation to Accra to escape the peak pollen season. But that plan didn't work out...I was sneezing and itching away while I was in Accra too. I've been sneezing, itching and sniffling since late last year ergo I decided to make an appointment to see an otolaryngologist and this is where my story begins....

Short version:

I had an allergy test done and I got pricked 75, SEVENTY FIVE(!) times. In one hour. Nurse wanted to do an additional 10 shots. I declined. I had no idea what I was in store for as I was thinking it was going to be an allergy scratch test the whole time. It wasn't. I got 75 different allergens of various  concentrations placed under my skin on both arms. I considered 'breaking free' and running out of the office each time she poked me. Oh, and I also happen to have a deep fear of needles... Each shot costs $13, multiply by 75. Thank God my insurance covers it 100%.

I was numb when she opened up the pack of syringes (about 40 per pack) and the only thought that kept running through my mind was surely, she will not be using ALL THOSE on me. She did. She also opened up a second pack. I started to shake. I went into panic mode when I set eyes what seemed like a million and one vials of allergens. I kept telling the nurse that I was in a nightmare. I repeated a lot, too many times to count. Torture ended. I drove straight to the shopping center and treated myself.

This is what the test looks like...35 on one arm and 30 on the other. IT SUCKED

My head hurts again just thinking looking at this picture.