These last few days....

So a lot has been going on lately....

Last weekend I went back to New Orleans to surprise my friends for their 25th birthday!! We had an amazing weekend together. We went out to Bourbon Street, of course. The best place to go to celebrate birthdays in New Orleans :) Pat O's [see picture on left of birthday girl holding the famous Hurricane] was our first stop then a random club where we danced all night. When we decided we had enough it was POURING rain. We tried to run back to the hotel we were staying at but got lost... we were slightly... uh... disoriented... and finally hailed a cab to take us the 3 blocks away the hotel apparently was... oh well... Got back safe, sound and soaking wet.

I hadn't been back to New Orleans since last June for a friend's wedding... man, I miss New Orleans. Such a wonderful city. Full of life and love and hope and comfort. The people, the food, the music. No matter where I live in this crazy world it will always be home. Saturday and Sunday there were festivals going on [Ferret Street Fest and Latin Fest] so my friends and I happily went and enjoyed awesome music -- Kermit Ruffins, the Sleeping Giant and other great local groups -- and gor-ge-ous 75 degree weather. AND Diabetes behaved itself rather well... which was made the weekend even more lovely. It's so hard to say goodbye to those you love......

I returned back to Maryland on Monday night with a heavy heart for multiple reasons. Leaving my best friends I've known since middle school [and before...] and my kitty, Bisty, died while I was away. Bitsy was the best, most loving kitty. She was 19 years old and had a very happy life and lived with me every state I moved to. But she was getting very sick in the days leading up to my departure to New Orleans. It was so hard to leave her because I knew in my heart it was the end. She could no longer hang on. I miss her so much. I was waiting last night for her to jump on my bed and purr next to my ear or sleep curled up at my feet. She was part of my life for 19 years and getting used to having her not here is very hard. I miss her. I miss petting her. I miss her comforting me when I'm sad... and now... she's not here for me to cuddle up with. It would be selfish of me to have her hang on longer than she wanted. She faithfully listened to my stories for 19 years. She would yell at me when I sang or had the music too loud. She would rub my leg when I was sad. She loved me unconditionally for 19 years, as I still do. 19 years is a long time especially since I only have 24. It was her time. But still... I miss her. My heart is heavy and empty at the same time. I miss her.

RIP Bitsy. I love you.

Land!!

The cruise is over and I'm finally back on dry land... although I still feel as though I'm on board swinging and swaying with the waves. This vacation has taught me a few things.... 1. don't go on a cruise for 5 days 2. cruises are way over-rated 3. Playa del Carmen, Mexico is one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to [Calica is not an actual town]. 4. anything is possible with diabetes... well I already knew that I just like to reiterate it... often. 5. bring your own alcohol. 6. internet costs 24$ an hour and room maintenance is not included.
I had a good time with my friends. We get along well until, apparently, we're stuck with each other with nowhere to go. At times I think one of us would have thrown another overboard but we all managed to get off the boat in the proper manner without too many claw marks. But lesson learned I suppose. No more cruises for us. Next time we'll fly to a beach.
In diabetes news though, he behaved quiet surprisingly well. I had a few lows but there is enough sugar on that boat to save an entire village of people with diabetes, simultaneously having a hypoglycemic episode, at any given moment. That is to say, the food was delicious... well dinner was anyway. Such succulence! Such culinary delight! I had steak just about every night. My pre-cruise body needless to say lasted about a day. C'est la vie.... it was worth it. I tried to stay away from dessert as much as possible... not for diabetes sake but for the sake of my stomach showing in a bikini the next day. Carbs were a little difficult to calculate but that was easy enough to fix and I was back to my daily jaunts.
Great dancing. Great destinations. Great food. But I'd rather be on land. Glorious land.

New York New York!

Over the weekend I went up to New York with some friends for an event and had an amazing time. However, my control was not so great. I would just totally forget to check sometimes and go eat then check later because I felt high and sure enough... I was... realizing I didn't check before we ate. Taking a vacation is not an allowance for taking a vacation from being in control. It's not like I wouldn't check because I didn't want people to see me... I was with my friends they're used to it by now. It just slipped my mind when everyone around starting to eat, so did I without knowing my BS level. I'm kind of mad at myself for doing that but then at the same time I'm not becasue I'm home now and I know and can get back in control. Although, I should have been more careful. One day though, I only needed to take 2 units of Novolog and the regular 20 of Lantus and I was still low later on in the day! We did so much walking and dancing and a little bit went a long way. That was a fun day.
Does this happen to anyone else? Control just 'slips' your mind because you're on vacation?