As it turned out, no pictures, and all turned around.
First, I started to head to the gas station where I've been getting gas for $1.43. How surprised was I when I passed the station to find the price set at $1.74?
What the heck is THAT all about, that the price jumps $0.31 overnight?
So, long story short, I didn't get gas there. That's how angry I was about the whole affair.
So I drop in to the office and get my bottles. It took two tall kitchen trash bags, and there was indeed $7.00 worth waiting to come home.
Next stop, Meijer's...but not my REGULAR Meijer's where I know where everything is--oh no. I crawl all over people at a Meijer's I don't even know. In retrospect, I think I made a better choice, because they didn't know me at this Meijer's so they won't come and hunt me down...
Next stop, my LYS, who didn't have my book and didn't have shortie dpns. So I headed for Hobby Lobby to get my crochet cotton. Then I was headed back home again. Once home, I was so hungry, that I made two breakfasts and ate them both. Cereal, eggs and bacon and a slice of toast (well, it was after all, nearly lunch time).
Then I sat down and worked on Jeff's glove. I'm past the thumb now. The rest goes pretty quickly--until I get to the fingers--and since I don't have the shortie dpns, it will take longer than it should. I wonder if my friend, Linda, has any in size 6?
I'm not certain what I'll be up to today--working on Jeff's glove, but not much more, unless we decide to head over to visit his parents again, which was the original plan until we found out that his sister wasn't going to be there most of the day--or maybe it's still the plan because it will be significantly more quiet without all the company--even if it is family, and we love them all to death, somedays quiet is a lovely place to be.
But the husband isn't up yet, so I should get breakfast and get going on his glove--so I can knit as far as possible before he has me jetting off to someplace else where I can't knit at all.
He's like that, you know?
So then, all that said, I'm off to breakfast!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A time to go to the Grocery Store
When I woke up ready for my breakfast cereal, I found I had none.
This means it's time to go to the grocery store.
I hate going to the grocery store--especially this time of year when EVERYONE AND THEIR UNCLE (or Aunt) is also shopping at the grocery store. The aisles are pack to bursting with people so much that you're crawling all over everyone, even at 4am!
And since I didn't know that I was out of milk (I knew I was CLOSE, but there was still at least a cup left in the carton yesterday!), now I have to leave--later than I normally would, to get a few groceries. I will probably be hours. Several stores wait for my arrival.
First, of course, the grocery store, which is my local Meijer's. I purchase my major grocery shopping here, and I get my daily exercise requirement fulfilled, climbing over people to get that last sale item, pushing the cart through a milling throng. Pictures later--if I don't forget.
Second stop will be Hobby Lobby. There are some Christmas Angels that I want to make from Annie's Attic, and I need the crochet cotton to make them, plus there's a doily with only 30 rows to it that I would like to make. Annie's Attic has been my main thrust for projects this year, and there have been a fair number of them that have been really attractive to me, so I've been doing a lot of printing!
Third stop, probably the LYS. Not that I need yarn you understand, but I do need to stop in now and then just to say hi and look at what's new. Trouble is, I never seem to be able to walk out of there empty handed. This time, I'm considering buying a set of short, size 6 dpns--for the gloves that I'm already half done with--because knitting fingers on a circular needle a la magic loop is pretty much time consuming. You know, I should be writing this all down so I don't forget why I went there!
And then, on from there, who knows? I may stop at the office and pick up all my soda bottles? I have a great many of them there, after all. So many that I've run out of places to hide them. I can hear you ask "Why do you hide them?"
Well, there's this little thing called a bottle thief in our office. Keep in mind, however, that the last time the bottles got stolen from my office, I figured out who I thought it might be, and she's gone now to a different job. She was the sort of person who would figure that if you left it out, it was hers for the taking, plus she had a ton of financial difficulties that she constantly worked on instead of her daily assignments--and she'd cry on the phone to a debtor--and stop the instant she hung up--oh yes, quite the consumate actress. I didn't trust her, so I started hiding my bottles. Since she left the office, I've had 5 (and growing) empties on my desk, and they haven't disappeared--so I believe my suspicions were correct. I expect I have at least $7 worth of soda bottles hidden in my office, such is the breadth of my cubicle space, and I really think I need to retrieve them...perhaps BEFORE going to the grocery store.
In the meanwhile, I have to eat something....but WHAT? I don't feel up to going through the motions of making a full blown breakfast. Maybe I could stop at Denny's? ALONE? Are you joking? My husband would have a fit!
So I have to figure out something, because I also don't want a breakfast bar, which isn't much for the price. I had my heart set on cereal this morning. Sigh.
Decisions, decisions.
This means it's time to go to the grocery store.
I hate going to the grocery store--especially this time of year when EVERYONE AND THEIR UNCLE (or Aunt) is also shopping at the grocery store. The aisles are pack to bursting with people so much that you're crawling all over everyone, even at 4am!
And since I didn't know that I was out of milk (I knew I was CLOSE, but there was still at least a cup left in the carton yesterday!), now I have to leave--later than I normally would, to get a few groceries. I will probably be hours. Several stores wait for my arrival.
First, of course, the grocery store, which is my local Meijer's. I purchase my major grocery shopping here, and I get my daily exercise requirement fulfilled, climbing over people to get that last sale item, pushing the cart through a milling throng. Pictures later--if I don't forget.
Second stop will be Hobby Lobby. There are some Christmas Angels that I want to make from Annie's Attic, and I need the crochet cotton to make them, plus there's a doily with only 30 rows to it that I would like to make. Annie's Attic has been my main thrust for projects this year, and there have been a fair number of them that have been really attractive to me, so I've been doing a lot of printing!
Third stop, probably the LYS. Not that I need yarn you understand, but I do need to stop in now and then just to say hi and look at what's new. Trouble is, I never seem to be able to walk out of there empty handed. This time, I'm considering buying a set of short, size 6 dpns--for the gloves that I'm already half done with--because knitting fingers on a circular needle a la magic loop is pretty much time consuming. You know, I should be writing this all down so I don't forget why I went there!
And then, on from there, who knows? I may stop at the office and pick up all my soda bottles? I have a great many of them there, after all. So many that I've run out of places to hide them. I can hear you ask "Why do you hide them?"
Well, there's this little thing called a bottle thief in our office. Keep in mind, however, that the last time the bottles got stolen from my office, I figured out who I thought it might be, and she's gone now to a different job. She was the sort of person who would figure that if you left it out, it was hers for the taking, plus she had a ton of financial difficulties that she constantly worked on instead of her daily assignments--and she'd cry on the phone to a debtor--and stop the instant she hung up--oh yes, quite the consumate actress. I didn't trust her, so I started hiding my bottles. Since she left the office, I've had 5 (and growing) empties on my desk, and they haven't disappeared--so I believe my suspicions were correct. I expect I have at least $7 worth of soda bottles hidden in my office, such is the breadth of my cubicle space, and I really think I need to retrieve them...perhaps BEFORE going to the grocery store.
In the meanwhile, I have to eat something....but WHAT? I don't feel up to going through the motions of making a full blown breakfast. Maybe I could stop at Denny's? ALONE? Are you joking? My husband would have a fit!
So I have to figure out something, because I also don't want a breakfast bar, which isn't much for the price. I had my heart set on cereal this morning. Sigh.
Decisions, decisions.
Friday, November 28, 2008
SO Much FOOD!
You know, I don't think the Pilgrims had as much food as we had at our Thanksgiving feast.
There were 20 guests packed into a house for one.
Beyond the normal turkey, we also had pork roast. Seven different desserts, most of those were pies--now how many pies can you think of? And two kinds of stuffing, two sorts of cranberries, gravy, mashed taters, two kinds of olives, my broccoli slaw salad, green bean casserole, broccoli and cauliflower casserole, corn casserole, crackers/cheese/summer sausage, shrimp and cocktail sauce, a veggie tray.
Quite the spread!!!
There was laughter, tears and lots of catching up with the family that had been away. Finding out that hardships have hit some of us, and blessings bestowed on others--of instance, one of our number has a new baby on the way, another in the family has contracted ALS. So the full realm of life and living has visited the family.
There was much bustle in the kitchen as the final preparations for the food were made and WAY too many good cooks in there, but all in good-natured fun and jocularity as we pushed each other about the small kitchen. It looked very much like the Visa commercial where everything seems to be running quite smoothly in a circle until the guy comes to the counter with cash in his hand and everything stops and waits for the guy to make his purchase while everyone else is waiting to swipe their card in the reader.
And then, suddenly, the food was on the table, and we all had to decide where we wanted to sit, as there were two tables, and no one could decide who wanted to sit next to whom, as the food chilled.
Having finally had a couple of folks make decisions, others finally made their way to a seat, and they asked me to say a grace before the meal.
When I balked a little, my mil asked her grandson if he'd do it, but he deferred to me, the one who usually says the grace nearly every year, and I finally decided that this was to be my calling, so I accepted, and instructed everyone to hold hands around their tables, and I closed my eyes and said the best grace I think I've ever said in my life at that family table. The words flew from my lips as though I'd practised for weeks, and they all came straight from the heart and my feelings of being blessed so much this year.
I don't remember what I said, exactly, but it just sort of dripped from the lip, as it were, and then there was a resounding AMEN, and we all started passing platters and bowls.
Then another person showed up.
I sampled a little of many things, passed up others because there were already too many carbs on my plate--I ate a lot of my salad, which is my favorite, and I had a small helping of the pumpkin and chocolate pudding pies. I also had a small bite of coke cake, but it was much too sweet, so I left most of that alone. Having had all that, my sugar was still only 129 this morning, which is good, considering. I was scared to check it last night, and I didn't sleep well, because a bug crawled into my intestines at some point--but I feel fine for the most part today.
I have to make a run for my mil's house to get my knitting, as I forgot and left it there last night, thinking that I would have time to get in a couple rows on the second glove. I did get some rows done on the start of it at the party yesterday, but not really enough to "say so", and by the time I got to my mil's after the big meal and visiting, I was mostly happy to sit down in a little quieter setting and unzip my pants and shove my hand in the waistband to try to hold in what I ate while I watched House with the family in relative quiet, while mom updated dad and hubby on the family news and proclaimed what a nice meal they missed, and the wonderful grace Tenna said, and how quickly things seemed to get picked up and cleaned up, and how nice it was to be home where we could all relax, put our feet up and rest from all the activity,
And today, we are driving to the mill to pick up our corn stove fuel--nearly 4 ton of corn which should last us all winter, unless Spring is really cold--and we usually shut off the heat somewhere around March/April. Our house begins heating around the beginning of November. Hubby likes to wait until the end of October has passed, but we had a few cooler nights in October, so we did start a little earlier than normal this year--but only for a couple nights. We really didn't start heating "in earnest" until November 1. While Hubby is gone fetching corn, I'm going to head over to MIL's house and get my knitting, then come home and clean MY kitchen, maybe put away some laundry and work a bit on the living/dining room by taking some of the things that belong downstairs in my sewing room. Then while I'm waiting for Jeff to get home, I'll get more knitting done. When he arrives back, I have to help him unload the corn, which is going to be really fun with my wrist acting up.
Tomorrow and Sunday are free days, and if I get everything done that I hope to get done today, I will have all of Saturday and Sunday to myself to knit like a fiend getting Christmas prepared. I only have a month left!
There were 20 guests packed into a house for one.
Beyond the normal turkey, we also had pork roast. Seven different desserts, most of those were pies--now how many pies can you think of? And two kinds of stuffing, two sorts of cranberries, gravy, mashed taters, two kinds of olives, my broccoli slaw salad, green bean casserole, broccoli and cauliflower casserole, corn casserole, crackers/cheese/summer sausage, shrimp and cocktail sauce, a veggie tray.
Quite the spread!!!
There was laughter, tears and lots of catching up with the family that had been away. Finding out that hardships have hit some of us, and blessings bestowed on others--of instance, one of our number has a new baby on the way, another in the family has contracted ALS. So the full realm of life and living has visited the family.
There was much bustle in the kitchen as the final preparations for the food were made and WAY too many good cooks in there, but all in good-natured fun and jocularity as we pushed each other about the small kitchen. It looked very much like the Visa commercial where everything seems to be running quite smoothly in a circle until the guy comes to the counter with cash in his hand and everything stops and waits for the guy to make his purchase while everyone else is waiting to swipe their card in the reader.
And then, suddenly, the food was on the table, and we all had to decide where we wanted to sit, as there were two tables, and no one could decide who wanted to sit next to whom, as the food chilled.
Having finally had a couple of folks make decisions, others finally made their way to a seat, and they asked me to say a grace before the meal.
When I balked a little, my mil asked her grandson if he'd do it, but he deferred to me, the one who usually says the grace nearly every year, and I finally decided that this was to be my calling, so I accepted, and instructed everyone to hold hands around their tables, and I closed my eyes and said the best grace I think I've ever said in my life at that family table. The words flew from my lips as though I'd practised for weeks, and they all came straight from the heart and my feelings of being blessed so much this year.
I don't remember what I said, exactly, but it just sort of dripped from the lip, as it were, and then there was a resounding AMEN, and we all started passing platters and bowls.
Then another person showed up.
I sampled a little of many things, passed up others because there were already too many carbs on my plate--I ate a lot of my salad, which is my favorite, and I had a small helping of the pumpkin and chocolate pudding pies. I also had a small bite of coke cake, but it was much too sweet, so I left most of that alone. Having had all that, my sugar was still only 129 this morning, which is good, considering. I was scared to check it last night, and I didn't sleep well, because a bug crawled into my intestines at some point--but I feel fine for the most part today.
I have to make a run for my mil's house to get my knitting, as I forgot and left it there last night, thinking that I would have time to get in a couple rows on the second glove. I did get some rows done on the start of it at the party yesterday, but not really enough to "say so", and by the time I got to my mil's after the big meal and visiting, I was mostly happy to sit down in a little quieter setting and unzip my pants and shove my hand in the waistband to try to hold in what I ate while I watched House with the family in relative quiet, while mom updated dad and hubby on the family news and proclaimed what a nice meal they missed, and the wonderful grace Tenna said, and how quickly things seemed to get picked up and cleaned up, and how nice it was to be home where we could all relax, put our feet up and rest from all the activity,
And today, we are driving to the mill to pick up our corn stove fuel--nearly 4 ton of corn which should last us all winter, unless Spring is really cold--and we usually shut off the heat somewhere around March/April. Our house begins heating around the beginning of November. Hubby likes to wait until the end of October has passed, but we had a few cooler nights in October, so we did start a little earlier than normal this year--but only for a couple nights. We really didn't start heating "in earnest" until November 1. While Hubby is gone fetching corn, I'm going to head over to MIL's house and get my knitting, then come home and clean MY kitchen, maybe put away some laundry and work a bit on the living/dining room by taking some of the things that belong downstairs in my sewing room. Then while I'm waiting for Jeff to get home, I'll get more knitting done. When he arrives back, I have to help him unload the corn, which is going to be really fun with my wrist acting up.
Tomorrow and Sunday are free days, and if I get everything done that I hope to get done today, I will have all of Saturday and Sunday to myself to knit like a fiend getting Christmas prepared. I only have a month left!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Turkey Day In BloggerLand!
Today is the day for family and feasting. For being thankful for one more day. For appreciating and counting our blessings.
One year, our spin group had a nice holiday meal. I don't remember if it was for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but at this point, it really doesn't matter--because it was sometime in that time frame that my BFL (best friend Linda) fed us this salad that I simply raved over, and I decided I'd make it for my family for Thanksgiving.
It's called Ramen Noodle Salad.
Recipe:
One year, our spin group had a nice holiday meal. I don't remember if it was for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but at this point, it really doesn't matter--because it was sometime in that time frame that my BFL (best friend Linda) fed us this salad that I simply raved over, and I decided I'd make it for my family for Thanksgiving.
It's called Ramen Noodle Salad.
Recipe:
1 pkg. broccoli Slaw
2 green onions (chopped fine)
1 C slivered almonds
1 C dry roasted sunflower seeds
2 pkgs. Chicken flavored Ramen Noodles (put noodles aside to crumble later)
Dressing: 1/2 C sugar (or 2pkgs. splenda)
1/2 C white vinegar
1/2 C Wesson oil
mix the above dressing ingredients with the 2 seasoning packets from the noodles. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Mix dressing in with the broccoli slaw ingredients. Crumble the Ramen noodles and add just before serving so they'll be crunchy.
Note: do not cook the noodles!
----
There is one problem, though. Hubby's dad doesn't want to have Thanksgiving with all of us, and so Hubby is going to stay with him, so that my MIL can come party at my SIL's house. It's almost sounding like it's going to be "just the girls" at the party, because the only "man" there (if he comes, and HE might not) willl be Mike, who is the husband of my *other* SIL.
hmmm..this could get confusing...
Gee, ya think?
Anyhow, it's beginning to sound like a segregated holiday, so after we party and chat and give mom a nice break from the stress of being a nurse for a very sick patient (dad, of course), then we'll pack up all the fixin's and run them over to mom's house and let the men snack the rest of the day.
You see, we didn't know that dad was going to be sick this holiday, and made plans to have the party at SIL's house, and well, she gets so excited when the holidays come, and she loves to entertain, but the whole family is never "together" at her house. Dad seems to think there isn't enough room in her house to sit down--but I remember that the men sat in the television room and watched television while the women-folk sat at the kitchen table and picked off the turkey all day. Then we went outside and did cartwheels (okay, it was pretty warm that day) in the yard. My MIL took pictures. There's snow on the ground this year, so no cartwheels.
And so, without really trying, I've lost 13 pounds, and of course you know that's going to fall all apart today! My sugar is down to a managable number, and even though it's on the higher side of normal, it's still okay. As long as I don't go nuts and sample everything on the table, I should be fine. I've had breakfast, and will snack late--about 11 or so, and dinner at two then snack at 3, 4 and 5, and then I figure we'll be packed up and ready to go back to mom's house with all the left-overs---I mean "trimmings", so that Dad, Mike and Jeff can have some.
And then I'll sit down and work on the second glove for Jeff, my hubby--yes, I finished the first glove, and it fits him. I wish I could figure out how to make them without all the little threads you have to weave in--and all the little holes where the fingers meet the hand part. Hard as I try to keep from having holes there, I had them none-the-less. And it seemed like everytime I tied up one hole, another one appeared, and I didn't NOT knit the article loosely--so I'm not sure how well the glove will hold up under stress. So much so, that I told my husband to be gentle with it.
The minute he comes in contact with snow and rubs them together once, they'll felt to his hands, because they are made of wool. I just hope he doesn't drop them in the washer/dryer. I suppose I could give them to a less-fortunate child if that happens...
But I do want to make myself a pair of these, and I think I might have enough yarn for them. I'm really excited about that prospect, because I've never had a pair of woolen gloves, and I think they would be perfect for me--my hands get so cold in the winter.
I'll take pics of Jeff's pair when they really ARE a pair, and set them here.
Love ya'll and happy Thanksgiving!
----
There is one problem, though. Hubby's dad doesn't want to have Thanksgiving with all of us, and so Hubby is going to stay with him, so that my MIL can come party at my SIL's house. It's almost sounding like it's going to be "just the girls" at the party, because the only "man" there (if he comes, and HE might not) willl be Mike, who is the husband of my *other* SIL.
hmmm..this could get confusing...
Gee, ya think?
Anyhow, it's beginning to sound like a segregated holiday, so after we party and chat and give mom a nice break from the stress of being a nurse for a very sick patient (dad, of course), then we'll pack up all the fixin's and run them over to mom's house and let the men snack the rest of the day.
You see, we didn't know that dad was going to be sick this holiday, and made plans to have the party at SIL's house, and well, she gets so excited when the holidays come, and she loves to entertain, but the whole family is never "together" at her house. Dad seems to think there isn't enough room in her house to sit down--but I remember that the men sat in the television room and watched television while the women-folk sat at the kitchen table and picked off the turkey all day. Then we went outside and did cartwheels (okay, it was pretty warm that day) in the yard. My MIL took pictures. There's snow on the ground this year, so no cartwheels.
And so, without really trying, I've lost 13 pounds, and of course you know that's going to fall all apart today! My sugar is down to a managable number, and even though it's on the higher side of normal, it's still okay. As long as I don't go nuts and sample everything on the table, I should be fine. I've had breakfast, and will snack late--about 11 or so, and dinner at two then snack at 3, 4 and 5, and then I figure we'll be packed up and ready to go back to mom's house with all the left-overs---I mean "trimmings", so that Dad, Mike and Jeff can have some.
And then I'll sit down and work on the second glove for Jeff, my hubby--yes, I finished the first glove, and it fits him. I wish I could figure out how to make them without all the little threads you have to weave in--and all the little holes where the fingers meet the hand part. Hard as I try to keep from having holes there, I had them none-the-less. And it seemed like everytime I tied up one hole, another one appeared, and I didn't NOT knit the article loosely--so I'm not sure how well the glove will hold up under stress. So much so, that I told my husband to be gentle with it.
The minute he comes in contact with snow and rubs them together once, they'll felt to his hands, because they are made of wool. I just hope he doesn't drop them in the washer/dryer. I suppose I could give them to a less-fortunate child if that happens...
But I do want to make myself a pair of these, and I think I might have enough yarn for them. I'm really excited about that prospect, because I've never had a pair of woolen gloves, and I think they would be perfect for me--my hands get so cold in the winter.
I'll take pics of Jeff's pair when they really ARE a pair, and set them here.
Love ya'll and happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
It Snowed Last night
Means I have to get going earlier this morning, which is a good thing, as I've not much to tell you this morning except
My sugar was down to 115 before dinner last night.
I'm ecstatic!
I can't think of a better place to be!
I did carb it up a little last night, though--since I was so good all day, but only because I ate just a little more soup with my toasted cheese sandwich, so I don't expect to be too high. I feel pretty good too--Just.SO.Not.Awake!
Which is bad, because I did want to get in to the office a bit earlier this morning. I got a huge jump on my workload this (short) week, and wanted to get a bit more done, so I stayed very late last (6pm) and will likely do it again tonight, since I have a doctor appointment at 2pm--dentist.
I like my dentist personally, and professionally, he's a pretty good guy, and I suppose he's a decent dentist (not to mention a good guy), but when a doctor hurts me, even for my own good, I still don't like them all that much. For instance, take that foot doctor?
But I get my teeth cleaned today, and I know that it will be uncomfortable, and I hate that. Something inside says "I ain't goin'!" But my adult self says "Oh yes, you are. The insurance pays for it, and you're not going to miss it. A time will come when your insurance won't cover it anymore and you'll be stuck!"
Oh, and hubby says that we might have to move to Missouri for his job. Miserable in Missouri sounds like a good title to me. I mean, is there life (as we know it) in Missouri? When I was young, I used to call it "That state with the little dangly thing at the bottom. What's that all about anyway? I mean--who drew up the map to give a state a small, flacid peter? (Not that I knew about flacid peters when I was young, you understand, lest you get some wild notion that I spent my youth looking at PlayGirl.)
I'm just so not seeing much about Missouri that I might like--especially since I've spent so much time and effort building a support base here in Michigan.
Well, Time will tell what's going to happen in the next year or so. You'll be the first to know about it--after me, that is.
My sugar was down to 115 before dinner last night.
I'm ecstatic!
I can't think of a better place to be!
I did carb it up a little last night, though--since I was so good all day, but only because I ate just a little more soup with my toasted cheese sandwich, so I don't expect to be too high. I feel pretty good too--Just.SO.Not.Awake!
Which is bad, because I did want to get in to the office a bit earlier this morning. I got a huge jump on my workload this (short) week, and wanted to get a bit more done, so I stayed very late last (6pm) and will likely do it again tonight, since I have a doctor appointment at 2pm--dentist.
I like my dentist personally, and professionally, he's a pretty good guy, and I suppose he's a decent dentist (not to mention a good guy), but when a doctor hurts me, even for my own good, I still don't like them all that much. For instance, take that foot doctor?
But I get my teeth cleaned today, and I know that it will be uncomfortable, and I hate that. Something inside says "I ain't goin'!" But my adult self says "Oh yes, you are. The insurance pays for it, and you're not going to miss it. A time will come when your insurance won't cover it anymore and you'll be stuck!"
Oh, and hubby says that we might have to move to Missouri for his job. Miserable in Missouri sounds like a good title to me. I mean, is there life (as we know it) in Missouri? When I was young, I used to call it "That state with the little dangly thing at the bottom. What's that all about anyway? I mean--who drew up the map to give a state a small, flacid peter? (Not that I knew about flacid peters when I was young, you understand, lest you get some wild notion that I spent my youth looking at PlayGirl.)
I'm just so not seeing much about Missouri that I might like--especially since I've spent so much time and effort building a support base here in Michigan.
Well, Time will tell what's going to happen in the next year or so. You'll be the first to know about it--after me, that is.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday Repast...
I cooked up a big pot of Chicken Soup last night, and we have been eating it for nearly every meal for a while. I put some different veggies in it, and they cooked down to "rather mushy". Taste is the same, but I like crunch to my veggies. Oh well.
This coming week is Thanksgiving. This means
THREE DAY WORK WEEK!
Which is really quite a bit less than that, because I have two doctor appointments that I know of, maybe more that I don't...even so, I'm going to be in and out of the office again this coming week.
I did however, get quite a lot done last week on Friday, and so I feel like I actually accomplished something. Today, however, is another story entirely. I want to relax--since we did quite a bit of "running around" yesterday--groceries, shoes, visit the in-laws--and today, I'm being asked to help with the trash (which, *HELLO*, I put the dishes away AND refilled the dishwasher), and whenever I set trash together, it always ends up on the floor! When I bend over to retrieve it, my body decides it is time to go--and right NOW. No chance to run for the bathroom. I hate it.
But this morning has been busy, too, and I think I'm being a little on the grumpy side. It's getting close to time to eat again, but I am seriously not hungry. I'm considering testing myself, although it's been 4 hours since I ate, so I'm not going to get a usable reading. Other than being grumpy (which is more likely the result of a husband being pushy and controlling at the moment), I have no other symptoms.
It's a tad cool in the house, so I'm wearing a shirt, sweater AND coat and hat.
Hands are quite warm, thank you, and feet are shod with my new shoes. We will likely head out again for Birdseed and stain for the window--as the plan is to work on the bay window by my computer today.
No rest for the wicked.
At least I hope that we can do the window. It has to be cleaned and re-taped, and then we have to keep the dog and cats off of it--which is going to be a REAL trip.
Maybe it's time for a snack?
This coming week is Thanksgiving. This means
THREE DAY WORK WEEK!
Which is really quite a bit less than that, because I have two doctor appointments that I know of, maybe more that I don't...even so, I'm going to be in and out of the office again this coming week.
I did however, get quite a lot done last week on Friday, and so I feel like I actually accomplished something. Today, however, is another story entirely. I want to relax--since we did quite a bit of "running around" yesterday--groceries, shoes, visit the in-laws--and today, I'm being asked to help with the trash (which, *HELLO*, I put the dishes away AND refilled the dishwasher), and whenever I set trash together, it always ends up on the floor! When I bend over to retrieve it, my body decides it is time to go--and right NOW. No chance to run for the bathroom. I hate it.
But this morning has been busy, too, and I think I'm being a little on the grumpy side. It's getting close to time to eat again, but I am seriously not hungry. I'm considering testing myself, although it's been 4 hours since I ate, so I'm not going to get a usable reading. Other than being grumpy (which is more likely the result of a husband being pushy and controlling at the moment), I have no other symptoms.
It's a tad cool in the house, so I'm wearing a shirt, sweater AND coat and hat.
Hands are quite warm, thank you, and feet are shod with my new shoes. We will likely head out again for Birdseed and stain for the window--as the plan is to work on the bay window by my computer today.
No rest for the wicked.
At least I hope that we can do the window. It has to be cleaned and re-taped, and then we have to keep the dog and cats off of it--which is going to be a REAL trip.
Maybe it's time for a snack?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Falling Apart
I've finally reached the age where everything is falling apart on me. Oh to be young again and not have all these small, niggling health problems.
First off, my wrist, which still bothers me much of the time, but it's more "bother" than actual pain, and most of the time, if I don't use it, I don't even know it's there. Darn Tendinitis!
Second, I've "come down" with diabetes type 2. Horrible stuff. Means you have to monitor everything that goes into your body, and levels of sugar in your blood must be monitored. I think I've pretty much got it under control, although occasionally, I will have a spike, but it's not like, nearly 400 anymore, and it's maintained pretty well with my medication.
Then there's my thyroid...also monitored/maintained by medication. The thyroid monitors many of the automatic things that run in your body, such as heart rate, your monthly cycle and things like that. I guess that mine sort of "gave out" a long while back, and I've been taking medication for it since.
And now, the latest item to fall apart is my feet--more aptly, my heels. They've been bothering me for some time. Hubby said "It's heel spurs! HA HA! You're going to have to pay $100 for your shoes from now on!"
You see, I was feeling very blessed that I could go to almost any shoe store and get a pair of shoes or boots to wear, and lest you think that I've been buying stillettos (or any heeled shoe for that matter, you can forget it--I am a tennis shoe gal--all the way!) and be able to wear those shoes with no problem, while hubby had to pay over $200 for his size 10 EEE. Yes, you read that correctly. He has very hard to fit feet, with large bunions near his great toe.
I made the mistake of telling my GP about my heels at my last visit. So, he sent me to a podiatrist, who told me that I have heel spurs.
Who'd a-guessed that?
So he gave me some inserts, which don't give me enough support on my arch, and told me to go get some Nike Shox at the Lady Footlocker at the Mall (which by the way are going for $109), and claimed that he could make my foot feel much better by giving me a shot of cortisone.
ACK! Been there with my hand/wrist, and knew for sure that it would hurt. To say the least, I wax reticent...I made him take X-rays of both my feet before making a decision. He showed them to me, but I couldn't discern any remarkable problems from the X-Ray, but he seemed totally convinced that I needed that shot.
Well, he's the doctor, right? And he promised that my heel (I opted for only the right foot, since it bothers me most) would feel wonderful afterward.
A word of warning.
DON'T GET A SHOT IN YOUR FOOT.
Even though he froze my foot at the injection I still felt every millimeter of that needle going in, and even felt my entire foot cramp up while he gave me the shot, and I begged him to hurry, hurry hurry, because the pain damn near knocked me out.
I think I cried for a half hour before I could convince myself that I should get up and go get those shoes!
Today, my heel IS better. I got up from my bed this morning to fix breakfast for myself, and I actually didn't fall back down on the bed because of excruciating shots of pain flying up my leg from a heel spur. So yes, the shot works! Would that it had worked so well on my wrist!In
Do yourself a favor. If you don't have heel pain YET, get yourself some good shoes to shod your feet. You can thank me later.
In the meanwhile, I've knit 6 of those unoriginal hats. All out of that Moda Dea Tweedle Dee. Nice stuff. Too expensive, really, but if you find it on sale at Michael's (2 for $7) you can knit a LOT of hats, because it makes 2 hats per skein. The only thing I don't like about it, is that there aren't many color choices. I would like to get more, but I'd like more of a color variety, and it's just not there to be had. I found some on Ebay, but the seller wants too much money for it, what with shipping and all that. So I drop into Michael's now and then and get more. I'm having such fun with this stuff, and it has sort of interrupted my regular knitting--like the piggie socks for my mother, which will probably take the rest of her life to get done. Sigh. I'm just not good at making things for other people.
Work has been hectic, to say the least. I'm about 2 weeks behind because of all the doctor appointments over worry that I was dying, and now that the doctor appointments are pretty much over, I can finally get it together and get something done. Because I was out most of the week during the day, I stayed late at the office nearly every day this week, and it's paid off in being able to catch up a bit with most of what I've been working on. I might even go in today to work on more, but I can't guarantee that my systems will be available to do anything. Maybe I'll just not do that eh?
Besides, I have a house to clean, right?
First off, my wrist, which still bothers me much of the time, but it's more "bother" than actual pain, and most of the time, if I don't use it, I don't even know it's there. Darn Tendinitis!
Second, I've "come down" with diabetes type 2. Horrible stuff. Means you have to monitor everything that goes into your body, and levels of sugar in your blood must be monitored. I think I've pretty much got it under control, although occasionally, I will have a spike, but it's not like, nearly 400 anymore, and it's maintained pretty well with my medication.
Then there's my thyroid...also monitored/maintained by medication. The thyroid monitors many of the automatic things that run in your body, such as heart rate, your monthly cycle and things like that. I guess that mine sort of "gave out" a long while back, and I've been taking medication for it since.
And now, the latest item to fall apart is my feet--more aptly, my heels. They've been bothering me for some time. Hubby said "It's heel spurs! HA HA! You're going to have to pay $100 for your shoes from now on!"
You see, I was feeling very blessed that I could go to almost any shoe store and get a pair of shoes or boots to wear, and lest you think that I've been buying stillettos (or any heeled shoe for that matter, you can forget it--I am a tennis shoe gal--all the way!) and be able to wear those shoes with no problem, while hubby had to pay over $200 for his size 10 EEE. Yes, you read that correctly. He has very hard to fit feet, with large bunions near his great toe.
I made the mistake of telling my GP about my heels at my last visit. So, he sent me to a podiatrist, who told me that I have heel spurs.
Who'd a-guessed that?
So he gave me some inserts, which don't give me enough support on my arch, and told me to go get some Nike Shox at the Lady Footlocker at the Mall (which by the way are going for $109), and claimed that he could make my foot feel much better by giving me a shot of cortisone.
ACK! Been there with my hand/wrist, and knew for sure that it would hurt. To say the least, I wax reticent...I made him take X-rays of both my feet before making a decision. He showed them to me, but I couldn't discern any remarkable problems from the X-Ray, but he seemed totally convinced that I needed that shot.
Well, he's the doctor, right? And he promised that my heel (I opted for only the right foot, since it bothers me most) would feel wonderful afterward.
A word of warning.
DON'T GET A SHOT IN YOUR FOOT.
Even though he froze my foot at the injection I still felt every millimeter of that needle going in, and even felt my entire foot cramp up while he gave me the shot, and I begged him to hurry, hurry hurry, because the pain damn near knocked me out.
I think I cried for a half hour before I could convince myself that I should get up and go get those shoes!
Today, my heel IS better. I got up from my bed this morning to fix breakfast for myself, and I actually didn't fall back down on the bed because of excruciating shots of pain flying up my leg from a heel spur. So yes, the shot works! Would that it had worked so well on my wrist!In
Do yourself a favor. If you don't have heel pain YET, get yourself some good shoes to shod your feet. You can thank me later.
In the meanwhile, I've knit 6 of those unoriginal hats. All out of that Moda Dea Tweedle Dee. Nice stuff. Too expensive, really, but if you find it on sale at Michael's (2 for $7) you can knit a LOT of hats, because it makes 2 hats per skein. The only thing I don't like about it, is that there aren't many color choices. I would like to get more, but I'd like more of a color variety, and it's just not there to be had. I found some on Ebay, but the seller wants too much money for it, what with shipping and all that. So I drop into Michael's now and then and get more. I'm having such fun with this stuff, and it has sort of interrupted my regular knitting--like the piggie socks for my mother, which will probably take the rest of her life to get done. Sigh. I'm just not good at making things for other people.
Work has been hectic, to say the least. I'm about 2 weeks behind because of all the doctor appointments over worry that I was dying, and now that the doctor appointments are pretty much over, I can finally get it together and get something done. Because I was out most of the week during the day, I stayed late at the office nearly every day this week, and it's paid off in being able to catch up a bit with most of what I've been working on. I might even go in today to work on more, but I can't guarantee that my systems will be available to do anything. Maybe I'll just not do that eh?
Besides, I have a house to clean, right?
Friday, November 21, 2008
At the office...again?
Yes, I never tire of the self-flaggellation, humiliation and stress.
Can I go home now?
Can I go home now?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Computer Issues
My computer must be cold. It's moving very very slowly this morning. Much like I do, you understand, but still, it's frustrating when you want to get on the internet and surf at 60 miles and hour!
Of course, hubby didn't light a fire in the corn stove last night, so it's only 54 degrees inside the house, but then it's warmer inside than outside, which is a mere 40 something. Even so, the tips of my fingers are like ice, and we won't even talk about my feet!
Sugars are at a good level this morning, and didn't jump at all during the night. I lost another pound, which is ALWAYS a good thing, and I think that keeping my sugars at a reasonable 140 or so will help me drop off a lot of this weight. Maybe once hubby sees how much I'm losing, he'll start watching his intake, too. It doesn't help me diet if he sits in his chair and eats an entire plate heaping and full of goulash, now, does it?
I'm trying to get up enough gumption to go start the car, but I'm so cold--I am having trouble thinking about the walk to work, and I'm considering parking outside the office initially, and then moving my car later in the day, which will give me a little more warmth to the weather for a more pleasant walk back to the office; however, it depends mostly on what the temperature is planning on doing throughout the day, and frankly, I haven't checked that out. Most of the time, in Michigan, you can count on the weather warming about 30 degrees during the day--40 degrees in the summer--omg. I think I just talked myself out of going to work AT ALL. Laughing. See? It's already looking like a good day!
See ya!
Of course, hubby didn't light a fire in the corn stove last night, so it's only 54 degrees inside the house, but then it's warmer inside than outside, which is a mere 40 something. Even so, the tips of my fingers are like ice, and we won't even talk about my feet!
Sugars are at a good level this morning, and didn't jump at all during the night. I lost another pound, which is ALWAYS a good thing, and I think that keeping my sugars at a reasonable 140 or so will help me drop off a lot of this weight. Maybe once hubby sees how much I'm losing, he'll start watching his intake, too. It doesn't help me diet if he sits in his chair and eats an entire plate heaping and full of goulash, now, does it?
I'm trying to get up enough gumption to go start the car, but I'm so cold--I am having trouble thinking about the walk to work, and I'm considering parking outside the office initially, and then moving my car later in the day, which will give me a little more warmth to the weather for a more pleasant walk back to the office; however, it depends mostly on what the temperature is planning on doing throughout the day, and frankly, I haven't checked that out. Most of the time, in Michigan, you can count on the weather warming about 30 degrees during the day--40 degrees in the summer--omg. I think I just talked myself out of going to work AT ALL. Laughing. See? It's already looking like a good day!
See ya!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Migraine City!
If I can't whine, there would be no reason to blog.
I've been having Migraines (please note the capital "M") since the doctor upped my medication--and it's just impossible to work in that sort of environment (within my own pounding skull), so when two Advil still hadn't dulled the PAIN even 20 minutes later, I went home.
On the way, I stopped at Rite-Aid and purchased some Excedrin Migraine and a bag of chips, which tops the list of bad food choices for me, but when in pain, comfort food reigns. I consumed those chips as if I hadn't had chips my entire life, first one chip, because I wanted to savor the flavor--and then poured the whole bag into my mouth and while half went into my lap, I simply collected them into a pile there to consume in a moment.
I think I ran a red light. Not because I wasn't watching, but because the brain has been so fuzzy lately, that it's a wonder I can remember my own name! I believe that I've become a menace on the road. I'm afraid for everybody. I munched my chips the whole way to the gas station. It was a small bag--and perhaps a five-minute trip.
I stopped at the gas station and purchased a Subway Wrap-for lunch-and proceeded to go home. Once home, I snarfed down the wrap, and still the Migraine from Hell pursued me. I drank a cup of coffee. Still the Migraine Plagued me. I finally gave up and fell into bed.
I slept for 4 hours. Two Advil really do me in! Of course, it's likely that my brain just gave up, too. By 3pm, I was feeling pretty good, so I got back out of bed, hopped into my car and drove back to work!
The supervisor came by a few hours later, surprised to see me. "YOU'RE HERE!" She says.
I thought "What was your first clue?" But the lips just smiled and said "Yes, I feel better now."
And then I thought "Here's your sign.."
I worked a whole hour and a half, and had to leave for my first diabetes class. This class is a 3-day thing that teaches new diabetics the "what's what" of diabetes--how to keep your weight down. What it's all about. Where to get HELP! Things like that.
What can I say. It's a resource.
Today, I have a doctor appointment with my GP (you see I called him yesterday with this Migraine business, but I had this appointment scheduled a long while ago), and he's going to get nailed hard with this migraine business. Never mind the fact that my brain is rebelling because of the lower sugar in my bloodstream (you see, I know these things NOW, since I LEARNED them last night), but I'm terrified because I also learned that the sugar levels that are hoped for, even with medication is between 70 and 130, and I'm still well over that.
Considering all the stress I've been under, those numbers seem impossible. Doctor thinks that the 150/160 range that I've been having are good enough--but 3 hours after I ate that wrap from Subway, my sugar was 267 again. I had a similar wrap at 9pm last night for my supper, and my sugar was only 167 this morning.
That reminds me...I need batteries for my mouse at work...must drop them in my purse!!!
So after all is said and done, I don't feel that I have a handle on this diabetes business. I feel pretty good right now--nearly good enough to take on the ills of the world! But I have to go to work and make up some time today, and that's not going to be easy with a doctor appointment and my diabetes class later toward evening. At least this time, hubby is going with me, and I'll be able to pick something up for supper on the way there, instead of eating at 9pm, which can't be good for my system.
So off I go to conquer. Wish me luck!
I've been having Migraines (please note the capital "M") since the doctor upped my medication--and it's just impossible to work in that sort of environment (within my own pounding skull), so when two Advil still hadn't dulled the PAIN even 20 minutes later, I went home.
On the way, I stopped at Rite-Aid and purchased some Excedrin Migraine and a bag of chips, which tops the list of bad food choices for me, but when in pain, comfort food reigns. I consumed those chips as if I hadn't had chips my entire life, first one chip, because I wanted to savor the flavor--and then poured the whole bag into my mouth and while half went into my lap, I simply collected them into a pile there to consume in a moment.
I think I ran a red light. Not because I wasn't watching, but because the brain has been so fuzzy lately, that it's a wonder I can remember my own name! I believe that I've become a menace on the road. I'm afraid for everybody. I munched my chips the whole way to the gas station. It was a small bag--and perhaps a five-minute trip.
I stopped at the gas station and purchased a Subway Wrap-for lunch-and proceeded to go home. Once home, I snarfed down the wrap, and still the Migraine from Hell pursued me. I drank a cup of coffee. Still the Migraine Plagued me. I finally gave up and fell into bed.
I slept for 4 hours. Two Advil really do me in! Of course, it's likely that my brain just gave up, too. By 3pm, I was feeling pretty good, so I got back out of bed, hopped into my car and drove back to work!
The supervisor came by a few hours later, surprised to see me. "YOU'RE HERE!" She says.
I thought "What was your first clue?" But the lips just smiled and said "Yes, I feel better now."
And then I thought "Here's your sign.."
I worked a whole hour and a half, and had to leave for my first diabetes class. This class is a 3-day thing that teaches new diabetics the "what's what" of diabetes--how to keep your weight down. What it's all about. Where to get HELP! Things like that.
What can I say. It's a resource.
Today, I have a doctor appointment with my GP (you see I called him yesterday with this Migraine business, but I had this appointment scheduled a long while ago), and he's going to get nailed hard with this migraine business. Never mind the fact that my brain is rebelling because of the lower sugar in my bloodstream (you see, I know these things NOW, since I LEARNED them last night), but I'm terrified because I also learned that the sugar levels that are hoped for, even with medication is between 70 and 130, and I'm still well over that.
Considering all the stress I've been under, those numbers seem impossible. Doctor thinks that the 150/160 range that I've been having are good enough--but 3 hours after I ate that wrap from Subway, my sugar was 267 again. I had a similar wrap at 9pm last night for my supper, and my sugar was only 167 this morning.
That reminds me...I need batteries for my mouse at work...must drop them in my purse!!!
So after all is said and done, I don't feel that I have a handle on this diabetes business. I feel pretty good right now--nearly good enough to take on the ills of the world! But I have to go to work and make up some time today, and that's not going to be easy with a doctor appointment and my diabetes class later toward evening. At least this time, hubby is going with me, and I'll be able to pick something up for supper on the way there, instead of eating at 9pm, which can't be good for my system.
So off I go to conquer. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Unhappy Times
Just before Christmas, in fact, just before all the great holidays of the winter season, he made the decision to leave the house, the wife, the children, the dog and cats--everything he loved as if it were only yesterday. Incredulous that she cried herself to sleep, even though she didn't think he could hear it. The wonder of it took him by surprise. Why would she be so unhappy? She should be happy to the point of bursting that he was on his way out the door!
Truth is, many men are just plain ole stupid. Some of them think that if a girl smiles at them, that there's a chance that they can get back their manhood by being with that dalliance, and my thought on that matter is "oh for Pete's sake, GROW THE HECK UP!" To come to the realization that there are men who never do grow up is horrible, and it's as if there is a little clock inside them that says "you haven't lived enough yet", and off they go in search of God KNOWS what to "find themselves".
Don't get me wrong, women go through this passage, too. Failure to do it results in anger and frustration. But eventually, you do get through that "phase" and realize that things are usually much safer in the status quo. Trust me. The world out there is a mighty scary place. The unfortunate thing is that the holidays are just not the time to leave in order to find yourself. And too many people are so selfish as to leave their families behind and not take steps to make things go better, ESPECIALLY through the holidays. Even then, there is such a feeling of entitlement to this type of behavior, that putting off the inevitable seems unworthy of the feeble attempts at reconciliation, such as THERAPY.
I have a friend who is going through a rough patch. For the last five years, she and her family have extolled the wonderful man she married. Since I didn't know the man--and since I'd only met him once, I reserved judgment, as I normally do--but when I met him, I thought he was nice looking. We didn't say much to each other (it was a simple introduction, and I don't usually know what to say in certain social things), and really all I could say was that my friend had really talked about him a lot in our group. Which, in retrospect, was probably NOT a good thing to say to this person, even though I countered with "oh it's all good stuff! Don't worry!"
Now, however, I'm hearing that he treats her badly and calls her names, and presumably after a huge fight, she has asked him to leave their home. It surprised me. It saddened me. It sickened me. It triggered my "fight or flight response". Then it was gone, because it wasn't me. It was her--and for one fleet moment, I was there again.
Not that I think it has anything to do with whatever I might have said in that social atmosphere, but sometimes your words just come back to haunt you. Know what I mean?
So suddenly, from being what I understood was a pretty happy family, they've gone down the road that I don't especially want to see one of my friends go down, considering that I've been there myself a time or two--and she's in a very self-demeaning place, even though she believes she has been a good wife, she comes back with "I must have been horrible in a previous life."
Well, I don't subscribe to this "previous life" business, although there's some support for it. But I try to be supportive of her feelings, and say all the supportive things that a friend would say such as "It feels like you're dying inside right now, and it feels like you're always going to feel like this, and it does take time, but it does pass." And then I think of the ex-husband that I would still kill if I could get away with it. (I'm sort of tongue in cheek here, because the venom would likely come out verbally, rather than in action.) And she reminds me of me--I was almost the same age as she was. Her circumstances are quite a bit better than mine were, and my husband was always a cretin and nobody liked him...oh, wait, it's been twenty years, right? Twenty years for me to come to that realization--that it was HIS shortcomings, and not mine--and so I tell her THAT, too.
But to have such a thing happen at the holidays--well, there's just no worse time to do that sort of thing to your family--and by so doing, simply cements the hurt and destroys the future holidays, which will be forever shrouded in a tinge of sadness everytime the season rolls around, and for those who are left behind, no matter how much the children support you, nothing is the same. EVER.
So I'm worried about my friend. I pray for her healing. I hope the best for her kids. But most of all, I hope that someday, Christmas becomes just as bright if not brighter, because of the love that ties them together.
Stupid men! BAH! Humbug!
I have been looking for a chemo-cap pattern to make for my father in law. I have the perfect one--and now, just have to knit it. It's made of eyelash yarn, and will look GREAT on his head--bright red. For Christmas, of course. And then I run across some sport weight--ina chamoflage colorway--
HA!
A CHAMO-Chemo!
My friends think I'm loony. I'm going to have fun this Christmas, and I'm going to make my Father In Law the hit of the party! I can't wait.
Truth is, many men are just plain ole stupid. Some of them think that if a girl smiles at them, that there's a chance that they can get back their manhood by being with that dalliance, and my thought on that matter is "oh for Pete's sake, GROW THE HECK UP!" To come to the realization that there are men who never do grow up is horrible, and it's as if there is a little clock inside them that says "you haven't lived enough yet", and off they go in search of God KNOWS what to "find themselves".
Don't get me wrong, women go through this passage, too. Failure to do it results in anger and frustration. But eventually, you do get through that "phase" and realize that things are usually much safer in the status quo. Trust me. The world out there is a mighty scary place. The unfortunate thing is that the holidays are just not the time to leave in order to find yourself. And too many people are so selfish as to leave their families behind and not take steps to make things go better, ESPECIALLY through the holidays. Even then, there is such a feeling of entitlement to this type of behavior, that putting off the inevitable seems unworthy of the feeble attempts at reconciliation, such as THERAPY.
I have a friend who is going through a rough patch. For the last five years, she and her family have extolled the wonderful man she married. Since I didn't know the man--and since I'd only met him once, I reserved judgment, as I normally do--but when I met him, I thought he was nice looking. We didn't say much to each other (it was a simple introduction, and I don't usually know what to say in certain social things), and really all I could say was that my friend had really talked about him a lot in our group. Which, in retrospect, was probably NOT a good thing to say to this person, even though I countered with "oh it's all good stuff! Don't worry!"
Now, however, I'm hearing that he treats her badly and calls her names, and presumably after a huge fight, she has asked him to leave their home. It surprised me. It saddened me. It sickened me. It triggered my "fight or flight response". Then it was gone, because it wasn't me. It was her--and for one fleet moment, I was there again.
Not that I think it has anything to do with whatever I might have said in that social atmosphere, but sometimes your words just come back to haunt you. Know what I mean?
So suddenly, from being what I understood was a pretty happy family, they've gone down the road that I don't especially want to see one of my friends go down, considering that I've been there myself a time or two--and she's in a very self-demeaning place, even though she believes she has been a good wife, she comes back with "I must have been horrible in a previous life."
Well, I don't subscribe to this "previous life" business, although there's some support for it. But I try to be supportive of her feelings, and say all the supportive things that a friend would say such as "It feels like you're dying inside right now, and it feels like you're always going to feel like this, and it does take time, but it does pass." And then I think of the ex-husband that I would still kill if I could get away with it. (I'm sort of tongue in cheek here, because the venom would likely come out verbally, rather than in action.) And she reminds me of me--I was almost the same age as she was. Her circumstances are quite a bit better than mine were, and my husband was always a cretin and nobody liked him...oh, wait, it's been twenty years, right? Twenty years for me to come to that realization--that it was HIS shortcomings, and not mine--and so I tell her THAT, too.
But to have such a thing happen at the holidays--well, there's just no worse time to do that sort of thing to your family--and by so doing, simply cements the hurt and destroys the future holidays, which will be forever shrouded in a tinge of sadness everytime the season rolls around, and for those who are left behind, no matter how much the children support you, nothing is the same. EVER.
So I'm worried about my friend. I pray for her healing. I hope the best for her kids. But most of all, I hope that someday, Christmas becomes just as bright if not brighter, because of the love that ties them together.
Stupid men! BAH! Humbug!
I have been looking for a chemo-cap pattern to make for my father in law. I have the perfect one--and now, just have to knit it. It's made of eyelash yarn, and will look GREAT on his head--bright red. For Christmas, of course. And then I run across some sport weight--ina chamoflage colorway--
HA!
A CHAMO-Chemo!
My friends think I'm loony. I'm going to have fun this Christmas, and I'm going to make my Father In Law the hit of the party! I can't wait.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Can You Say Migraine?
I knew you could.
Fact is, I've been having migraines lately. Every morning. Do you think it's a good reason to stay home for the day?
Nah, I didn't think so. I'm drinking coffee, so it should go away. I'm betting it's one of those "caffeine withdrawal" migraines, after all, since I only drink a cup (or less) in the morning, it's the only caffeine I get in a day. I would bet it's the cause of the migraine.
Not a lot of time this morning to post hilarity, which is a shame, because I have the best story. It will just have to wait.
See you later.
Fact is, I've been having migraines lately. Every morning. Do you think it's a good reason to stay home for the day?
Nah, I didn't think so. I'm drinking coffee, so it should go away. I'm betting it's one of those "caffeine withdrawal" migraines, after all, since I only drink a cup (or less) in the morning, it's the only caffeine I get in a day. I would bet it's the cause of the migraine.
Not a lot of time this morning to post hilarity, which is a shame, because I have the best story. It will just have to wait.
See you later.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
We have Ignition
Ready for blastoff? Well, here's the scoop--it's snowing.
It's been snowing all morning. We have about an inch on the ground, which basically says that we are losing it as fast as it's falling, but it's coming.
The "storm" explains yesterday's migraine that started up again this morning, and also explains that I have run out of a really cool yarn for another "unoriginal hat"--made out of Caron sparkle chenille I bought in Hastings.
Oh, yeah, I had to buy yarn from a store over an hour away, that turns out to be not enough yarn, right?
Seriously, complaints aside. I want more of this chenille--it's lime green, sparkly, soft and even though I had to make another repeat of the pattern to go around my head, I'm very pleased with it, but I've only done half the rows needed for the hat, and I've run out. Go figure.
It's not that I don't have more yarn, but I'm not going to travel all the way to Hastings to get more---even though the dye lots likely won't match. I'm thinking that I should be able to find this same stuff at Hobby Lobby or something along that line.
I have 4 hats in my coffers to give for Christmas, and more coming--I just have to go out and buy the yarn--which is presently on sale at Michael's--2 skeins for $7. It's a shame that there isn't more of a choice in colors. Yesterday, I spent the dollars to get the yarn for a knitted pumpkin--something to felt, and that's going to be a fun project, I think, and a centerpiece for the table for Thanksgiving. It's times like this that I wish I could locate all those pieces for the plastic canvas Turkey I started years ago--although I think I might have finished that project and lost the turkey--somewhere along the line...memory's gone--poof.
If I seem scatterbrained, I think you're right. The migraine from yesterday has left me somewhat "fuzzy" on things. Knowing that I have several doctor appointments next week doesn't help matters. And I have to check my email at work, because I'm supposed to turn a paper in to one of them on Monday. Yuck.
The trees are really pretty, what with the snow on the branches. The flakes are really fluffy, and they dance around and about each other, silently settling between the blades of grass that remain. So pretty. Not too hazardous in this quantity yet. Give it time. Inside, we are warm with the corn stove running on the first setting, and outside, the birds scarf down the finch seed like it was their last remaining meal on this earth. The goldfinches never leave the thistle sock, not even to rest--they are constantly there, hanging onto the sock for desperate life itself.
It's been snowing all morning. We have about an inch on the ground, which basically says that we are losing it as fast as it's falling, but it's coming.
The "storm" explains yesterday's migraine that started up again this morning, and also explains that I have run out of a really cool yarn for another "unoriginal hat"--made out of Caron sparkle chenille I bought in Hastings.
Oh, yeah, I had to buy yarn from a store over an hour away, that turns out to be not enough yarn, right?
Seriously, complaints aside. I want more of this chenille--it's lime green, sparkly, soft and even though I had to make another repeat of the pattern to go around my head, I'm very pleased with it, but I've only done half the rows needed for the hat, and I've run out. Go figure.
It's not that I don't have more yarn, but I'm not going to travel all the way to Hastings to get more---even though the dye lots likely won't match. I'm thinking that I should be able to find this same stuff at Hobby Lobby or something along that line.
I have 4 hats in my coffers to give for Christmas, and more coming--I just have to go out and buy the yarn--which is presently on sale at Michael's--2 skeins for $7. It's a shame that there isn't more of a choice in colors. Yesterday, I spent the dollars to get the yarn for a knitted pumpkin--something to felt, and that's going to be a fun project, I think, and a centerpiece for the table for Thanksgiving. It's times like this that I wish I could locate all those pieces for the plastic canvas Turkey I started years ago--although I think I might have finished that project and lost the turkey--somewhere along the line...memory's gone--poof.
If I seem scatterbrained, I think you're right. The migraine from yesterday has left me somewhat "fuzzy" on things. Knowing that I have several doctor appointments next week doesn't help matters. And I have to check my email at work, because I'm supposed to turn a paper in to one of them on Monday. Yuck.
The trees are really pretty, what with the snow on the branches. The flakes are really fluffy, and they dance around and about each other, silently settling between the blades of grass that remain. So pretty. Not too hazardous in this quantity yet. Give it time. Inside, we are warm with the corn stove running on the first setting, and outside, the birds scarf down the finch seed like it was their last remaining meal on this earth. The goldfinches never leave the thistle sock, not even to rest--they are constantly there, hanging onto the sock for desperate life itself.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Weekend Has Arrived
And with it, another sleepless night. This, however, turns out to be really productive, since I was able to clean my kitchen, and I can now actually SEE the countertop. That will be over once I start cooking again, however, because as I always say:
I am not a housekeeper. I am a house "liver". And just like the liver in my gut, I pretty much just lay there and do my day job, then come home and relax.
To this end, you might think I live in a filthy house. I do not live in a filthy house, but I like to cook--I just don't like to clean up after--which lends itself to a certain amount of "clutter", but things don't usually get to the point of mold and/or smell. I'm pretty fastidious about those sorts of things. But by the end of the third day, I can't find things, so I have to clean.
Hubby, however, has determined that "cleaning" is a woman's job (as if I needed another one), and very rarely can I convince him to do HIS duty around the house--which is cleaning off the stove every night. This is his duty, and not part of the dishes, because HE wanted the stove with the standard bowl type configuration. I wanted a flat top/glass topped stove. The bowl type was less expensive--absolutely, and desirable that way, but I wanted ease of cleaning, which the bowl type didn't offer. So the deal was, hubby would clean it every night, and I would take the less-expensive model. Hence, the stove is dirty ALL THE TIME. The bowls are permanently stained, and I am NOT happy with the less-expensive model, and about to begin a complaint campaign about it.
He's also become very lax about taking out the trash to the burn-barrel. Our home generates a fair amount of trash, and I dutifully bag it up and toss it to the garage corner, where it accumulates until hubby takes it to the burning area. Junk mail abounds, which doesn't burn well, and he's not fond of standing outdoors watching it burn. He could take care of the matter by purchasing trash collection, which does pass our home, but dare I say, he's a bit of a tightwad?
So both of us have become a bit lazy where the house is concerned. This is NOT what keeps me awake at night however. Once I'm awake (and today, it was 2:30am), I have trouble returning to slumber. This may have something to do with the fact that there are four animals in the house vying for my attention at 2:30am--dog, two cats, and if hubby happens to rouse from sleep, him, too.
So I get up, and I get busy. Then, sometime around 7 or so, I'll be sleepy again, and back between the sheets I go until 10 or so, in order to get what I call "beauty sleep". It makes for a weird life, because I've never had trouble sleeping, not even with animals in bed with me. But it doesn't pay me one bit to stay in bed, tossing and turning, simply drowsy, and not really getting any benefit from the act. So I get up so as not to disturb hubby's sleep patterns. The animals follow me around the entire morning, and he gets his sleep--but what of me?
Indeed.
So it's about 4:30am now, and I'm starting to feel hunger coming on, which means that I need to take my sugar levels soon, and get started on my day again after taking a short break to blog 'n bitch--may god help me if I should come upon another life to live--it will probably kill me.
I am not a housekeeper. I am a house "liver". And just like the liver in my gut, I pretty much just lay there and do my day job, then come home and relax.
To this end, you might think I live in a filthy house. I do not live in a filthy house, but I like to cook--I just don't like to clean up after--which lends itself to a certain amount of "clutter", but things don't usually get to the point of mold and/or smell. I'm pretty fastidious about those sorts of things. But by the end of the third day, I can't find things, so I have to clean.
Hubby, however, has determined that "cleaning" is a woman's job (as if I needed another one), and very rarely can I convince him to do HIS duty around the house--which is cleaning off the stove every night. This is his duty, and not part of the dishes, because HE wanted the stove with the standard bowl type configuration. I wanted a flat top/glass topped stove. The bowl type was less expensive--absolutely, and desirable that way, but I wanted ease of cleaning, which the bowl type didn't offer. So the deal was, hubby would clean it every night, and I would take the less-expensive model. Hence, the stove is dirty ALL THE TIME. The bowls are permanently stained, and I am NOT happy with the less-expensive model, and about to begin a complaint campaign about it.
He's also become very lax about taking out the trash to the burn-barrel. Our home generates a fair amount of trash, and I dutifully bag it up and toss it to the garage corner, where it accumulates until hubby takes it to the burning area. Junk mail abounds, which doesn't burn well, and he's not fond of standing outdoors watching it burn. He could take care of the matter by purchasing trash collection, which does pass our home, but dare I say, he's a bit of a tightwad?
So both of us have become a bit lazy where the house is concerned. This is NOT what keeps me awake at night however. Once I'm awake (and today, it was 2:30am), I have trouble returning to slumber. This may have something to do with the fact that there are four animals in the house vying for my attention at 2:30am--dog, two cats, and if hubby happens to rouse from sleep, him, too.
So I get up, and I get busy. Then, sometime around 7 or so, I'll be sleepy again, and back between the sheets I go until 10 or so, in order to get what I call "beauty sleep". It makes for a weird life, because I've never had trouble sleeping, not even with animals in bed with me. But it doesn't pay me one bit to stay in bed, tossing and turning, simply drowsy, and not really getting any benefit from the act. So I get up so as not to disturb hubby's sleep patterns. The animals follow me around the entire morning, and he gets his sleep--but what of me?
Indeed.
So it's about 4:30am now, and I'm starting to feel hunger coming on, which means that I need to take my sugar levels soon, and get started on my day again after taking a short break to blog 'n bitch--may god help me if I should come upon another life to live--it will probably kill me.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Another Day, another Dime...
Inflation, you know?
I was feeling so proud of myself when I went to the doctor yesterday, because my sugar that morning was only 198--which was half what I started out a week ago, but he was not happy.
"You should be at 150-160 on medication," says he. "So I want you to double your dose."
ACK! I exclaimed from inside. But I dutifully did what he told me to do, even though my before dinner level was at 167--and then fretted all night that I would drop too low, go into a coma and die--but sadly, this morning, I am back at 198, with a small stabbing/jabbing feeling just under my rib cage that says "you're hungry, EAT SOMETHING!" So I rose from bed for the second time this morning and ate breakfast and had a cup of coofee, which is how I say "coffee" when I'm overtired and just dragging trying to wake up this early in the morning.
However, now that I've had a couple of sips, let the dog out to potty and eaten my cereal, I still feel like crawling back into bed, but I don't want to be late for work--I've had so much time off for doctor visits, and it's going to get worse before it gets better.
I suppose I need to get dressed first, though--right?
----
Last night, I drove over to Discount Tire after work/doctor visit, because one of my tires has a bulge in it. This is not supposed to happen, obviously, and they gave me a new tire to replace it. The trouble with that is that I have to have "even" tires, so I had to buy the other one. Then, I had them put the "good" front tire on the rim of the bad front tire for use as a spare, and put a new rim on the new tire--well you get the picture. What I really hate about this type of thing, and I think I will never do it again, is that mechanics think that because you're a woman, you don't know the first thing about cars, and what you really need, and so they try to pull the freaking wool over your eyes and try to sell you stuff you really don't need.
Here's how the conversation went:
"I've got a little problem." Says I. You see, I find that if I play "dumb", it makes them think they've got a marker.
So we go out to my car and he takes a look.
"Ah, yes, then we'll replace that tire for free and you'll probably want another one, so you have even tread on the front."
"Yes, that would be appropriate, I think, but I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a tire--It's Christmas, after all, and I still have presents to buy."
So we go inside to talk turkey.
He's got a tire for me, $168 mounted, balanced, all the tires switched around...etcetera.
Then he says this:
"I recommend you put the old tires from the rear end on the front. You'll get better traction in the back that way."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" So he repeats himself, indicating that it's safer because if I don't, the back wheels could spin me out of control in a quick stop situation.
"On a front wheel drive car?" He assures me that his methodology is sound. I ask for a moment while I call my regular mechanic....
"Maiville," I say into the phone, "this guy is telling me to put the old tires on the front and the new ones in back. I don't think I can get up my driveway with the new tires in back with no drive to the axle there--would you mind talking to this fellow to get his "take" on the situation, and advise me?"
Now, mechanics hate it when you offer the phone to them to speak to your regular mechanic. They also hate to find out that they've been "had" by a woman who actually does know her stuff about cars, and have to sheepishly speak with the person who knows a little more about cars than they do--but he talked to my regular mechanic, and when I got the phone back, my regular mechanic told me that he understood what the guy was talking about but that he didn't necessarily subscribe to that belief, and that I should have the new tires on the front, just like I thought.
So I told the guy to put them on the front, as requested. He made a note on the work order. I also asked him to swap out the hubcap from the old rim to the new rim.
When the job was done and he brought the car to me, I saw that he'd forgotten to switch out the hubcap--so I told him "it's not 'done'." Which of course, he didn't understand--but as soon as he looked at the wheel, he realized that he had indeed forgotten to swap out the little center cap so that my wheels were all uniform, and so he handled that on the fly, and I was off to the races.
Even so, I feel that I paid too much for that one tire. Somehow, I think that they have you coming and going, know what I mean?
I was feeling so proud of myself when I went to the doctor yesterday, because my sugar that morning was only 198--which was half what I started out a week ago, but he was not happy.
"You should be at 150-160 on medication," says he. "So I want you to double your dose."
ACK! I exclaimed from inside. But I dutifully did what he told me to do, even though my before dinner level was at 167--and then fretted all night that I would drop too low, go into a coma and die--but sadly, this morning, I am back at 198, with a small stabbing/jabbing feeling just under my rib cage that says "you're hungry, EAT SOMETHING!" So I rose from bed for the second time this morning and ate breakfast and had a cup of coofee, which is how I say "coffee" when I'm overtired and just dragging trying to wake up this early in the morning.
However, now that I've had a couple of sips, let the dog out to potty and eaten my cereal, I still feel like crawling back into bed, but I don't want to be late for work--I've had so much time off for doctor visits, and it's going to get worse before it gets better.
I suppose I need to get dressed first, though--right?
----
Last night, I drove over to Discount Tire after work/doctor visit, because one of my tires has a bulge in it. This is not supposed to happen, obviously, and they gave me a new tire to replace it. The trouble with that is that I have to have "even" tires, so I had to buy the other one. Then, I had them put the "good" front tire on the rim of the bad front tire for use as a spare, and put a new rim on the new tire--well you get the picture. What I really hate about this type of thing, and I think I will never do it again, is that mechanics think that because you're a woman, you don't know the first thing about cars, and what you really need, and so they try to pull the freaking wool over your eyes and try to sell you stuff you really don't need.
Here's how the conversation went:
"I've got a little problem." Says I. You see, I find that if I play "dumb", it makes them think they've got a marker.
So we go out to my car and he takes a look.
"Ah, yes, then we'll replace that tire for free and you'll probably want another one, so you have even tread on the front."
"Yes, that would be appropriate, I think, but I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a tire--It's Christmas, after all, and I still have presents to buy."
So we go inside to talk turkey.
He's got a tire for me, $168 mounted, balanced, all the tires switched around...etcetera.
Then he says this:
"I recommend you put the old tires from the rear end on the front. You'll get better traction in the back that way."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" So he repeats himself, indicating that it's safer because if I don't, the back wheels could spin me out of control in a quick stop situation.
"On a front wheel drive car?" He assures me that his methodology is sound. I ask for a moment while I call my regular mechanic....
"Maiville," I say into the phone, "this guy is telling me to put the old tires on the front and the new ones in back. I don't think I can get up my driveway with the new tires in back with no drive to the axle there--would you mind talking to this fellow to get his "take" on the situation, and advise me?"
Now, mechanics hate it when you offer the phone to them to speak to your regular mechanic. They also hate to find out that they've been "had" by a woman who actually does know her stuff about cars, and have to sheepishly speak with the person who knows a little more about cars than they do--but he talked to my regular mechanic, and when I got the phone back, my regular mechanic told me that he understood what the guy was talking about but that he didn't necessarily subscribe to that belief, and that I should have the new tires on the front, just like I thought.
So I told the guy to put them on the front, as requested. He made a note on the work order. I also asked him to swap out the hubcap from the old rim to the new rim.
When the job was done and he brought the car to me, I saw that he'd forgotten to switch out the hubcap--so I told him "it's not 'done'." Which of course, he didn't understand--but as soon as he looked at the wheel, he realized that he had indeed forgotten to swap out the little center cap so that my wheels were all uniform, and so he handled that on the fly, and I was off to the races.
Even so, I feel that I paid too much for that one tire. Somehow, I think that they have you coming and going, know what I mean?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Well What do you Know?
Morning again. Today, I have to go back to work. My sugar is down to a manageable 196, and while I have a caffeine headache (which I'm taking care of, thank you so very much, with a cup of very weak instant coffee), it's not enough to keep me from hopping into my car and taking off for parts unknown.
Because as much as I just *love* my job (note: small letters), something inside me just wants to run the other direction, screaming at the top of my lungs--NOOOOOOO! Can you picture me holding on to the door jam, fighting tooth and nail NOT to get out in the cold?
Trick is, I have two doctor appointments today. My GP wants to see me--he called me yesterday to set up an appointment--he's not sure what is the trouble with me. I keep waking up at 3-4 am with night sweats, and my blood work says that I am NOT EVEN CLOSE to being menopausal or even peri-menopausal. It is not because it's hot in the house, because it's not hot in the house. The night sweats do not seem to be tied to my sugar, because this morning, my sugar is HALF what it was last week, which is GREAT, but the issue remains.
I finished another hat last night--now I have three in my bag for gifts. I copied the pattern for the piggie socks, so I will be able to work on them at the office without carrying in the book, too. And I can mark up the copy without worrying about ruining the book, which is VERY nice, because I do not like marking up the book.
Then of course, is Grumperina's Tretta, which I downloaded the other day. If I'm not careful, I'll end up with a bunch of hats, and I'm not a hat wearer, really. With all the sweating I do, by the time I get to work, my hair is literally plastered to my scalp--which is not really attractive as a morning look--so I tend to wear hats that are a little too big for my head. Beyond that, I'm not the most photogenic person--and even less so in a hat. The only thing going for a hat IMSVHO is that they keep ears warm--and with the Winter season coming on, and the snow coming early (yes, we had some sticking this weekend) I think it's best if I wear a hat, if ONLY to keep my ears warm. It's also a good reason to get out my wool and knit another pair of long sleeved mittens and leg warmers--one can never be warm enough in freezing drizzle.
I'm thinking that the medication I'm taking is helping with the sugar issues, plus the fact that I'm eating breakfast at home, rather than at McDonald's--and I haven't had any McDonald's in over a week--today will be a supreme test. McDonald's is my comfort food, and with all the stress at the office, and the convenience of McDonald's on the way to the office, it's going to continue to be a real temptation--including the fact that after work, I pass by, and you can smell the french fries from the roadway--it's a hard habit to break. But I am of the opinion that McDonald's was my primary sugar issue--so staying away from there will likely help tremendously with that, plus the weight issue. But even though I'm eating significantly more "healthy", I'm NOT losing weight--of course, I've not been very active for the last week either, being more concerned with getting food intake under control--and knitting, of course.
But I have to see the GP today about my sugar, and I don't want to let my GP down. I want to go in there proudly this morning and say "See? I got it back down to a number you could live with! So why didn't I lose 150 pounds?"
Why, indeed. You see, I don't eat sugary things. My downfall is the salty snacks--chips and dip, Tostitos and salsa, peanut butter on toast. I haven't had any of those things for over a week either. The pounds should be dropping off like those flies I sprayed with RAID one day last summer--or like the dripping kitchen faucet--or even jumping off my body like rats on a sinking ship! But my initial weight loss of 8 pounds has actually moved back up a couple to a net loss of only 6, and that, my friends, is discouraging.
Because more than watching what I eat, I hate dieting, and I hate exercise even more. I have always been an active person--I used to dance 3 nights a week, played volleyball 3 nights a week, walked to the store to get a pop nearly every day--except in colder weather...but now, pfft. I don't want to go anywhere. I'm perfectly content to stay home and knit, crochet or quilt--exercise just gets in the way--much like work does.
Which is probably the whole issue with my weight. But when I'm working, I walk to the office from my parking space (which I won't do today, due to the doctor's appointments, I will park closer) which is between 3-4 blocks away, and they are long blocks--then again to go home, plus all the running too and fro finding files at the office (always a much loved experience). Heading problems off at the pass. No I get lots of exercise...just not enough to get my blood racing--except for the stress, which is so high--how can I describe it? The telephone rings constantly--with people who want *HELP* and they want it *RIGHT NOW*. They don't want to wait until it's convenient for *YOU*. They want it while they have you on the phone, because you're so hard to get hold of, because your line is always busy, your voice mail is always full, and the rest of the time, you're working so hard, that you don't answer the phone at all! Frankly, I think if I didn't have so much stress at the office, I wouldn't be so freaking FAT!
If I were to get an exercise program going, I would go to the gym--but that costs money, which is better spent on yarn (once again, IMSVHO). There are no gyms near where I work. There is a Curves, but I don't like their methods. I would prefer a trainer, and then, once I got some of the weight off (maybe 40 pounds or so), I'd want to sign up for something a little more aerobic--like dance, for instance. Sigh, the actual desires for my life exceed my pocketbook by quite a ways.
Which leads us to my hubby's job again. These things concern me, and have been in my blog for weeks now, and I'm sure you're quite tired of listening to me voice those concerns time after time after time, but I do that when there's nothing I can do about a particular concern--and hubby's job is just one of those things. One more stressor that simply isn't going to go away *POOF*.
I just wish that there was something I could do about it.
Because as much as I just *love* my job (note: small letters), something inside me just wants to run the other direction, screaming at the top of my lungs--NOOOOOOO! Can you picture me holding on to the door jam, fighting tooth and nail NOT to get out in the cold?
Trick is, I have two doctor appointments today. My GP wants to see me--he called me yesterday to set up an appointment--he's not sure what is the trouble with me. I keep waking up at 3-4 am with night sweats, and my blood work says that I am NOT EVEN CLOSE to being menopausal or even peri-menopausal. It is not because it's hot in the house, because it's not hot in the house. The night sweats do not seem to be tied to my sugar, because this morning, my sugar is HALF what it was last week, which is GREAT, but the issue remains.
I finished another hat last night--now I have three in my bag for gifts. I copied the pattern for the piggie socks, so I will be able to work on them at the office without carrying in the book, too. And I can mark up the copy without worrying about ruining the book, which is VERY nice, because I do not like marking up the book.
Then of course, is Grumperina's Tretta, which I downloaded the other day. If I'm not careful, I'll end up with a bunch of hats, and I'm not a hat wearer, really. With all the sweating I do, by the time I get to work, my hair is literally plastered to my scalp--which is not really attractive as a morning look--so I tend to wear hats that are a little too big for my head. Beyond that, I'm not the most photogenic person--and even less so in a hat. The only thing going for a hat IMSVHO is that they keep ears warm--and with the Winter season coming on, and the snow coming early (yes, we had some sticking this weekend) I think it's best if I wear a hat, if ONLY to keep my ears warm. It's also a good reason to get out my wool and knit another pair of long sleeved mittens and leg warmers--one can never be warm enough in freezing drizzle.
I'm thinking that the medication I'm taking is helping with the sugar issues, plus the fact that I'm eating breakfast at home, rather than at McDonald's--and I haven't had any McDonald's in over a week--today will be a supreme test. McDonald's is my comfort food, and with all the stress at the office, and the convenience of McDonald's on the way to the office, it's going to continue to be a real temptation--including the fact that after work, I pass by, and you can smell the french fries from the roadway--it's a hard habit to break. But I am of the opinion that McDonald's was my primary sugar issue--so staying away from there will likely help tremendously with that, plus the weight issue. But even though I'm eating significantly more "healthy", I'm NOT losing weight--of course, I've not been very active for the last week either, being more concerned with getting food intake under control--and knitting, of course.
But I have to see the GP today about my sugar, and I don't want to let my GP down. I want to go in there proudly this morning and say "See? I got it back down to a number you could live with! So why didn't I lose 150 pounds?"
Why, indeed. You see, I don't eat sugary things. My downfall is the salty snacks--chips and dip, Tostitos and salsa, peanut butter on toast. I haven't had any of those things for over a week either. The pounds should be dropping off like those flies I sprayed with RAID one day last summer--or like the dripping kitchen faucet--or even jumping off my body like rats on a sinking ship! But my initial weight loss of 8 pounds has actually moved back up a couple to a net loss of only 6, and that, my friends, is discouraging.
Because more than watching what I eat, I hate dieting, and I hate exercise even more. I have always been an active person--I used to dance 3 nights a week, played volleyball 3 nights a week, walked to the store to get a pop nearly every day--except in colder weather...but now, pfft. I don't want to go anywhere. I'm perfectly content to stay home and knit, crochet or quilt--exercise just gets in the way--much like work does.
Which is probably the whole issue with my weight. But when I'm working, I walk to the office from my parking space (which I won't do today, due to the doctor's appointments, I will park closer) which is between 3-4 blocks away, and they are long blocks--then again to go home, plus all the running too and fro finding files at the office (always a much loved experience). Heading problems off at the pass. No I get lots of exercise...just not enough to get my blood racing--except for the stress, which is so high--how can I describe it? The telephone rings constantly--with people who want *HELP* and they want it *RIGHT NOW*. They don't want to wait until it's convenient for *YOU*. They want it while they have you on the phone, because you're so hard to get hold of, because your line is always busy, your voice mail is always full, and the rest of the time, you're working so hard, that you don't answer the phone at all! Frankly, I think if I didn't have so much stress at the office, I wouldn't be so freaking FAT!
If I were to get an exercise program going, I would go to the gym--but that costs money, which is better spent on yarn (once again, IMSVHO). There are no gyms near where I work. There is a Curves, but I don't like their methods. I would prefer a trainer, and then, once I got some of the weight off (maybe 40 pounds or so), I'd want to sign up for something a little more aerobic--like dance, for instance. Sigh, the actual desires for my life exceed my pocketbook by quite a ways.
Which leads us to my hubby's job again. These things concern me, and have been in my blog for weeks now, and I'm sure you're quite tired of listening to me voice those concerns time after time after time, but I do that when there's nothing I can do about a particular concern--and hubby's job is just one of those things. One more stressor that simply isn't going to go away *POOF*.
I just wish that there was something I could do about it.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
I'm so EXCITED!
Little things excite me, just as little things tick me off. Today, my happiness is directed at my sugar level, which is at 215--and I think that's what the doctor wants to see, hence the happy title. I'm here, blogging, while eating my chocolate flavored Special K cereal...never forget, a walking, talking plug machine over here...saying (mostly to myself), this stuff is pretty good! In truth, I do like this cereal--diet food has come a long way.
Now I suppose it's not really "diet" food, but st least it's not like FROSTED FLAKES, right?
The last day of my "forced upon me" new eating regime, and I feel better than I have in WEEKS--so the lethargy and stuff has been mostly sugar related. The other half of the coin, though, is the stress level, which has been WAY down since being off work--which also helps with the "diet" part, as you might guess. So what of tomorrow?
Last night was a late night, too. I stayed up and watched Monday Night RAW on television. My husband doesn't understand why I like to watch this stupid stuff. *I* don't know why I like to watch this stupid stuff. I suppose it mostly fills the time and gives a steady amount of "white noise" while I knit. Now, I could knit in the quiet, and probably enjoy it just as much, but there are some characters on that show that I like, and some I don't like, who I really *LIKE* to see getting beaten to a pulp and tossed to the mat and made the fool. Oh, yes...that's the good part!
Evil monger than I am...while I rub my hands and titter wickedly...hehehehehe.
But seriously, isn't there someone (or something) you'd like to beat the living snot out of, and pin them to the floor in exhaustion! YES! My job!
Maybe I could make that my stress reliever?
Now I suppose it's not really "diet" food, but st least it's not like FROSTED FLAKES, right?
The last day of my "forced upon me" new eating regime, and I feel better than I have in WEEKS--so the lethargy and stuff has been mostly sugar related. The other half of the coin, though, is the stress level, which has been WAY down since being off work--which also helps with the "diet" part, as you might guess. So what of tomorrow?
Last night was a late night, too. I stayed up and watched Monday Night RAW on television. My husband doesn't understand why I like to watch this stupid stuff. *I* don't know why I like to watch this stupid stuff. I suppose it mostly fills the time and gives a steady amount of "white noise" while I knit. Now, I could knit in the quiet, and probably enjoy it just as much, but there are some characters on that show that I like, and some I don't like, who I really *LIKE* to see getting beaten to a pulp and tossed to the mat and made the fool. Oh, yes...that's the good part!
Evil monger than I am...while I rub my hands and titter wickedly...hehehehehe.
But seriously, isn't there someone (or something) you'd like to beat the living snot out of, and pin them to the floor in exhaustion! YES! My job!
Maybe I could make that my stress reliever?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Another Day gone bye bye!
Well, another day has come and gone. I haven't got much to show for it.
I got my network router working (with the assist of my computer Guru, Chris--THANKS!!), and my new printer/copier/scanner is working great. I made a couple copies of some things, and will distribute them at the next Knit Night.
I got some groceries, not much, just enough to get me going again. Made dinner, although it was very late, so hubby made leftovers. I had a PT appointment today--not much to say about that except that it happened. My wrist still isn't right.
I'm knitting anyway.
I stopped in to the LYS to check on some yarn for a Grumperina Hat, up and coming project--although, I might hold off knitting it until next year. I have so many other things I want to accomplish knitting-wise. I'm thinking about copying the pattern for the piggie socks so that I can write all over it--will be much more portable as a piece of paper, rather than the entire book--see?
I completed another hat last night--another unoriginal hat--this one for another soon to be blessed individual in the family, and probably my mother in law. I'm sort of working outward now, the next individual to get a hat will be hubby's son (my step son) from there, his daughter and her husband, and on from there to his brother and sisters and their spouses..being that it takes barely an evening to knit these up, I could conceivably make another 40 before Christmas comes. I've already outfitted my mother and son--and given them their presents because I can't wait to give them once I've made them...call it impatience, I suppose, but giving is fun.
I'm having a bit of trouble getting interested in some of the projects that I've put on hold...the fair isle sweater, the swing sweater, the entrelac sweater just to name a few. But these little short, easy patterns are simply wicked cool!
The fad will fade eventually. I'll go back to making dishcloths or socks or whatever strikes my fancy. I got a pattern for a pumpkin from a friend, and will likely make that next year around autumn time.
Otherwise, I'm happy and feeling pretty good the last few hours. I still have one day left to have fun, and then I go back to the office on Wednesday.
We all know what that means, don't we?
I got my network router working (with the assist of my computer Guru, Chris--THANKS!!), and my new printer/copier/scanner is working great. I made a couple copies of some things, and will distribute them at the next Knit Night.
I got some groceries, not much, just enough to get me going again. Made dinner, although it was very late, so hubby made leftovers. I had a PT appointment today--not much to say about that except that it happened. My wrist still isn't right.
I'm knitting anyway.
I stopped in to the LYS to check on some yarn for a Grumperina Hat, up and coming project--although, I might hold off knitting it until next year. I have so many other things I want to accomplish knitting-wise. I'm thinking about copying the pattern for the piggie socks so that I can write all over it--will be much more portable as a piece of paper, rather than the entire book--see?
I completed another hat last night--another unoriginal hat--this one for another soon to be blessed individual in the family, and probably my mother in law. I'm sort of working outward now, the next individual to get a hat will be hubby's son (my step son) from there, his daughter and her husband, and on from there to his brother and sisters and their spouses..being that it takes barely an evening to knit these up, I could conceivably make another 40 before Christmas comes. I've already outfitted my mother and son--and given them their presents because I can't wait to give them once I've made them...call it impatience, I suppose, but giving is fun.
I'm having a bit of trouble getting interested in some of the projects that I've put on hold...the fair isle sweater, the swing sweater, the entrelac sweater just to name a few. But these little short, easy patterns are simply wicked cool!
The fad will fade eventually. I'll go back to making dishcloths or socks or whatever strikes my fancy. I got a pattern for a pumpkin from a friend, and will likely make that next year around autumn time.
Otherwise, I'm happy and feeling pretty good the last few hours. I still have one day left to have fun, and then I go back to the office on Wednesday.
We all know what that means, don't we?
All sorts of Birds!
This morning, there were dozens of birds at my bird feeder--I put in a different blend, and now have more birds than I can shake a stick at! Here's some pics of birds I've seen recently:
Blue Jay
Nuthatch
Goldfinch, posing.
Flicker
How nice they all decided to stop by!
Blue Jay
Nuthatch
Goldfinch, posing.
FlickerHow nice they all decided to stop by!
Mandy
Mandy is horribly gun shy. She is not a hunting dog. She's a herding dog, and not very good around loud noises, unless it's hooves on the ground...
Yesterday, our neighbor decided to do some target practice with a muzzle loader, because he's going muzzle loader deer hunting and he wanted to make sure that his particular muzzle loader shot straight and true (are you kidding me?) and if not, what allowances he'd have to make to adjust his aim so that he hit his target.
So it's a "one shot wonder" after another.
Mandy stays in the bathroom, hiding under the loo, while this is going on. She shakes and shivers as if cold, when really she's just terrified of getting shot.
So 6pm comes around and she's still not come out of the bathroom, even though the shooting has long since past-it's dark outside now, too dark to see a target with any accuracy, but she's not coming out. Seven pm comes around, and I'm thinking "what's up with my dog? She still hasn't come out of the bathroom!"
You see, by now, I've forgotten that the neighbor has been shooting all day.
Eight pm rolls about and I finally call her. It's well past time for her last daily potty out of doors, and she's still not come out, requesting to go outside. When I walk in the restroom, she's still hiding, but she's tapping her tail, and I am able to convince her to come out of there, but she's reluctant to go outdoors. I have to tug and pull at her collar, and finally get her out doors, but all she does is shiver by the door waiting to come right back in.
She never did go potty last night, and I was concerned that she would potty in the house from all the stress, but there was nothing this morning. However, she was more that happy to make her bladder gladder this morning. I think she slept with my hubby all night, curled up in a ball on the edge of the bed next to him.
----
I'm thinking about going in to the office. I'm not sure that I will. I did request today off--gives me a five day weekend, and then I can go in fresh as a daisy on Wednesday. Or I could go today and ask for Friday off, and be home with my hubby. It's a toss-up. But I'm leaning more toward today than Friday, only because I know we'll have Thanksgiving and Christmas.
He feels the crunch big time of a job gone to hell in a handbasket, and not taking it very well. He's concerned about his life, and I understand it so well. I used to work for a shoe store, and they went out of business--it was a fearful time. I was the only support for my little family, because my then husband wasn't hanging on to a job for any length of time--and so when they started going out of business, I felt the crunch to find another job in a New York Minute. The stress killed the relationships, and pretty much everyone hated each other by the time I got my first job with the State Of Michigan. It was nearly a seamless move, but the damage had been done. Such a sad time for me, after all the hard work I put in to try to keep everything together. He probably feels like a misfit, and knows that I don't make enough money to support this household, not even if I didn't have the bills that I maintain mostly with disposable income (as he calls it). So there will be many things given up when his job is gone, and you might not see me again, unless I head to the library and use the computer there.
So I'll be making allowances at some point. There's always the chance that the government will step in and help out, but then again--maybe not, and this will not only affect me, but my mother as well, as she draws on my father's pension which is also through General Motors. So my whole family will be affected. I'm not sure how all this will pan out, but I'm hoping and praying really hard that things work out for the best.
Yesterday, our neighbor decided to do some target practice with a muzzle loader, because he's going muzzle loader deer hunting and he wanted to make sure that his particular muzzle loader shot straight and true (are you kidding me?) and if not, what allowances he'd have to make to adjust his aim so that he hit his target.
So it's a "one shot wonder" after another.
Mandy stays in the bathroom, hiding under the loo, while this is going on. She shakes and shivers as if cold, when really she's just terrified of getting shot.
So 6pm comes around and she's still not come out of the bathroom, even though the shooting has long since past-it's dark outside now, too dark to see a target with any accuracy, but she's not coming out. Seven pm comes around, and I'm thinking "what's up with my dog? She still hasn't come out of the bathroom!"
You see, by now, I've forgotten that the neighbor has been shooting all day.
Eight pm rolls about and I finally call her. It's well past time for her last daily potty out of doors, and she's still not come out, requesting to go outside. When I walk in the restroom, she's still hiding, but she's tapping her tail, and I am able to convince her to come out of there, but she's reluctant to go outdoors. I have to tug and pull at her collar, and finally get her out doors, but all she does is shiver by the door waiting to come right back in.
She never did go potty last night, and I was concerned that she would potty in the house from all the stress, but there was nothing this morning. However, she was more that happy to make her bladder gladder this morning. I think she slept with my hubby all night, curled up in a ball on the edge of the bed next to him.
----
I'm thinking about going in to the office. I'm not sure that I will. I did request today off--gives me a five day weekend, and then I can go in fresh as a daisy on Wednesday. Or I could go today and ask for Friday off, and be home with my hubby. It's a toss-up. But I'm leaning more toward today than Friday, only because I know we'll have Thanksgiving and Christmas.
He feels the crunch big time of a job gone to hell in a handbasket, and not taking it very well. He's concerned about his life, and I understand it so well. I used to work for a shoe store, and they went out of business--it was a fearful time. I was the only support for my little family, because my then husband wasn't hanging on to a job for any length of time--and so when they started going out of business, I felt the crunch to find another job in a New York Minute. The stress killed the relationships, and pretty much everyone hated each other by the time I got my first job with the State Of Michigan. It was nearly a seamless move, but the damage had been done. Such a sad time for me, after all the hard work I put in to try to keep everything together. He probably feels like a misfit, and knows that I don't make enough money to support this household, not even if I didn't have the bills that I maintain mostly with disposable income (as he calls it). So there will be many things given up when his job is gone, and you might not see me again, unless I head to the library and use the computer there.
So I'll be making allowances at some point. There's always the chance that the government will step in and help out, but then again--maybe not, and this will not only affect me, but my mother as well, as she draws on my father's pension which is also through General Motors. So my whole family will be affected. I'm not sure how all this will pan out, but I'm hoping and praying really hard that things work out for the best.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
A Pretty Fair Day
Today, being Saturday, and the first Saturday in the first full week, meant that I was off to my mother's to help her grocery shop.
It also turns out to be her birthday.
I have no idea how old she is. Because I forget everything except for my middle name...um...it's...
Anyway, she's old. She loves pigs. I wasn't able to finish the piggie socks in time, so I showed her the picture. I gave her a hat (and also my son got one). I gave her Runt, and she was so tickled. Then I gave her a piggie trivet that I bought at the grocery store. She loves her gifts!
Then we drove to Hastings to buy her some canvas for cross stitch, and I got more yarn for hats, and then I came home.
I got a little light headed a few hours after breakfast, so I ate an apple. Then around noon, we ate lunch, and I had a sandwich wrap at Arby's...and scarffed a few of my mom's curly fries.
I'm home now, making dinner--leftovers in the form of stew/soup. I'm not sure if I want to thicken the broth or not--it might make quite a tasty vegetable beef soup--so I'm waiting for hubby to get home before proceeding.
Speaking of hubby--he came home all hang-dog, sat down in his chair and asked me if I'd heard the news...
No, haven't had the television on all day, what's up?
His company is going bankrupt if the government doesn't bail them out. Since McCain didn't get elected (remember, he was the pro-business/pro-jobs candidate?), the company is terrified, and probably crying wolf, but I imagine that they are in pretty dire financial straights what with all the golden parachutes they gave to management to basically tell them "don't go away mad, just GO AWAY!"
So hubby might not have a job soon, and he's at a loss as to what he's going to do. Having your company go out of business at any age is terrible, but at 52?? He's worried about his 401K, his retirement savings, and everything else--and in addition, he's feeling pretty well hog-tied about it all, because he really can't make any sudden moves at his age--let alone make changes before he knows what's really going to happen. So he's still pretty much trying to carry all his eggs in the same basket he's been carrying them in for the last 30 odd years. I'm not sure it's wise, but I can't advise him on any other recourse. I feel bad for him, because he's a big "old-school" type man--ie, THE MAN BRINGS HOME THE BACON. I feel bad for both of us, because we're going to have to make some severe changes in our lifestyles and manner of living. I feel badly for everyone around us because our family's are both sort of dependent on us in different ways, and we might not be able to continue to fill those needs.
So he's over at his mom and dad's while I futz around the house and get dinner started.
I hope he's in a good mood when he arrives.
It also turns out to be her birthday.
I have no idea how old she is. Because I forget everything except for my middle name...um...it's...
Anyway, she's old. She loves pigs. I wasn't able to finish the piggie socks in time, so I showed her the picture. I gave her a hat (and also my son got one). I gave her Runt, and she was so tickled. Then I gave her a piggie trivet that I bought at the grocery store. She loves her gifts!
Then we drove to Hastings to buy her some canvas for cross stitch, and I got more yarn for hats, and then I came home.
I got a little light headed a few hours after breakfast, so I ate an apple. Then around noon, we ate lunch, and I had a sandwich wrap at Arby's...and scarffed a few of my mom's curly fries.
I'm home now, making dinner--leftovers in the form of stew/soup. I'm not sure if I want to thicken the broth or not--it might make quite a tasty vegetable beef soup--so I'm waiting for hubby to get home before proceeding.
Speaking of hubby--he came home all hang-dog, sat down in his chair and asked me if I'd heard the news...
No, haven't had the television on all day, what's up?
His company is going bankrupt if the government doesn't bail them out. Since McCain didn't get elected (remember, he was the pro-business/pro-jobs candidate?), the company is terrified, and probably crying wolf, but I imagine that they are in pretty dire financial straights what with all the golden parachutes they gave to management to basically tell them "don't go away mad, just GO AWAY!"
So hubby might not have a job soon, and he's at a loss as to what he's going to do. Having your company go out of business at any age is terrible, but at 52?? He's worried about his 401K, his retirement savings, and everything else--and in addition, he's feeling pretty well hog-tied about it all, because he really can't make any sudden moves at his age--let alone make changes before he knows what's really going to happen. So he's still pretty much trying to carry all his eggs in the same basket he's been carrying them in for the last 30 odd years. I'm not sure it's wise, but I can't advise him on any other recourse. I feel bad for him, because he's a big "old-school" type man--ie, THE MAN BRINGS HOME THE BACON. I feel bad for both of us, because we're going to have to make some severe changes in our lifestyles and manner of living. I feel badly for everyone around us because our family's are both sort of dependent on us in different ways, and we might not be able to continue to fill those needs.
So he's over at his mom and dad's while I futz around the house and get dinner started.
I hope he's in a good mood when he arrives.
Friday, November 7, 2008
I FOUND IT!
I am taking today off so that I can meal plan, grocery shop and generally try to get my body back into the shape it should be in. This morning, my sugar/glucose was still high (245), so I looked around the world wide web for a tasty breakfast, that included items already in my store of food goods. I found this which looked pretty yummy, but I don't have thyme, so it's going to taste somewhat different. I also didn't have the butter-flavored pan spray, but I just subbed in the original PAM cooking spray and a small dab of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.
I have no clear idea what it will taste like, so I'm making a cup of coffee to help wash it down just in case.
Prep time took about 10 minutes (most of that was heating up the oven), so it's a doable morning recipe. I'm going to need more apples, if I like it, thyme, butter-flavored cooking spray and a smaller whisk. So I'm starting a grocery list. I also had to sort of guestimate how much of everything, because I didn't have the egg-substitute, so I used a couple regular eggs, and a little less milk and flour. It will likely be "runny". I cooked the required time, and it's not done in the center, so I'm going to bake just a little longer in hopes of getting it to firm up a little more. Next time, I'll measure it more carefully, but right now, I'M HUNGRY! There will be a review at the end of the day.
No knitting last night. I'm seriously out of sorts with this diagnosis. An old boyfriend of mine had diabetes type I, and I don't remember him eating any differently than I am having to do--he pretty much ate what he wanted to, and took insulin to pound out the rough spots and take care of whatever extra sugar he was taking in. But seriously, this is no contest--he's had years and years to get used to and deal with diabetes. I suppose it slowed him down some considering that he used to be a rock climber and spelunker, sailor and swimmer, dancer and, well you get the picture. When *I* met him, he was still a dancer, but had pretty much put everything else away, as if his lifetime was over and things were seriously slowing down. When things really got going for us, he fixed up the sailboat, and we went for a couple of rides, but Michigan only allows sailing on a small Sunfish one person boat in the depths of summer when the lake is warm bathwater--just in case of falling in, you see?
So there were limits to his activity, but he picked them back up now and then as time and weather would allow. He even climbed the ledges in Grand Ledge--and while not exactly a challenge for him, it gave him and his daughter a chance to bond.
Okay, review on the Apple Frittata--is good, sort of okay, really--I think the thyme would have brought out the flavor more--maybe even a sprig of mint would have added--but definitely needs the thyme. It's really bland, otherwise.
Where's the coffee?
It makes 4 servings, but with my guestimates, I figured I could eat 1/3 of it and still be within limits....so with coffee on hand--
Last night was really fitful. I woke up at 3ish, sweating like I'd just finished the triathalon, and the bed and pillow literally dripped. I threw off every cover, and lay there, shivvering until finally falling asleep again sometime after hubby left for work.
Mental note, remove the apple skin.
Then, when I finally rose at 7ish, I emailed work and explained what had happened to me yesterday--god knows I really REALLY would rather be at the office, right? The work doesn't get done if I stay home. But seriously, I need time to get used to what's going on inside of me before I can handle the outside--right? So I'm staying home until Wednesday (we have Tuesday off, so that makes it a little easier).
A little late with the newsflash, here, but Obama won the presidency. They are already talking about what house changes will take place when Mrs. Obama gets her hands on the place. Frankly, I don't understand why changes have to happen! One more reason to make the deficit a bit larger, eh? I mean, hire Martha Stewart and get it over with already!
If I sound a bit grumpy about the election, you guessed right. I voted for the other guy...what was his name? Simply because I bleed red, not blue blood. I resist the idea that I only voted party lines, because I did vote for some democrats--which with the result of the election put the dems in control of the senate, too! Did I screw up or what? Anyway, I suppose disgruntled is more the word of the day. I'm hoping that his tenure as president will be a throwback to the Kennedy administration--and I fear for his life, quite honestly, as I believe there will be attempts on his life, just as in the Kennedy administration. I will admit--he's a smooth talker, but so was Clinton--let's not go there. But his suave and debonair exterior didn't really phase me--he's still a politician. We'll see if he can make the changes happen in a good way that don't hurt the middle class more than they already are, and by golly, he better help get Michigan back on it's feet--especially Lansing--we who have been dependent on the automotive industry far too long.
This isn't an economic issue, that of Michigan's trouble. I have long said that GM held on to gas-guzzler cars, trucks and SUV's for much too long, when they ought to have been researching and developing cars that would use cheap alternative energies, and/or developed the energies themselves. GM missed the boat. BIG TIME. Had they been working on this for the last 40 years (our lifetimes), we would be flying around like George Jetson by now.
Just my opinion, but there you have it. I think our "transportation" has to move on to quick air travel--and utilize whatever form of transportation that entails--there are too many jobs going away from the United States. Our people need to follow those jobs. We can't depend on jobs staying in one place in this mobile world. Where I work, people are leaving Michigan like rats on a sinking ship. Heading for places like Georgia (why???????), Texas and Arizona. Leaving behind homes they have mortgages with that they can't/couldn't/haven't paid, only worsening the problem here.
My husband could keep his job, if he moved to Mississippi.
But our home is here. Our families are here (and his dad has cancer!). Our animals are here! And with the economy the way it is, we would never recover the money for our house--although we might be able to buy a nice house in Mississippi....but imagine the travel costs to get there! And what of my job? I might be able to get a job as an Assistance Payments worker in Mississippi--ho boy! With my attitude? LOL! That's pretty funny.
Or maybe I could find a job working in a yarn store? Now that would be fun! Although it wouldn't pay nearly as much, at least I could be happy. And maybe I wouldn't spend my entire check on yarn.
Oh, who am I kidding?
More coffee...
Mississippi--didn't they just get hit by Katrina?? Of course, I have heard that they recovered much more quickly on their own without asking for a ton of help from FEMA--let's look at Louisiana in comparison--okay, let's not. What gets me is the thought that there might be jobs in Mississippi for my husband---I mean, who'd a thunk it? So perhaps I'll check out some things--jobs and such for me. We don't have to leave until his job here runs dry, then we need to do something.
So, I'm off to check job listings. Catchulatr!
I have no clear idea what it will taste like, so I'm making a cup of coffee to help wash it down just in case.
Prep time took about 10 minutes (most of that was heating up the oven), so it's a doable morning recipe. I'm going to need more apples, if I like it, thyme, butter-flavored cooking spray and a smaller whisk. So I'm starting a grocery list. I also had to sort of guestimate how much of everything, because I didn't have the egg-substitute, so I used a couple regular eggs, and a little less milk and flour. It will likely be "runny". I cooked the required time, and it's not done in the center, so I'm going to bake just a little longer in hopes of getting it to firm up a little more. Next time, I'll measure it more carefully, but right now, I'M HUNGRY! There will be a review at the end of the day.
No knitting last night. I'm seriously out of sorts with this diagnosis. An old boyfriend of mine had diabetes type I, and I don't remember him eating any differently than I am having to do--he pretty much ate what he wanted to, and took insulin to pound out the rough spots and take care of whatever extra sugar he was taking in. But seriously, this is no contest--he's had years and years to get used to and deal with diabetes. I suppose it slowed him down some considering that he used to be a rock climber and spelunker, sailor and swimmer, dancer and, well you get the picture. When *I* met him, he was still a dancer, but had pretty much put everything else away, as if his lifetime was over and things were seriously slowing down. When things really got going for us, he fixed up the sailboat, and we went for a couple of rides, but Michigan only allows sailing on a small Sunfish one person boat in the depths of summer when the lake is warm bathwater--just in case of falling in, you see?
So there were limits to his activity, but he picked them back up now and then as time and weather would allow. He even climbed the ledges in Grand Ledge--and while not exactly a challenge for him, it gave him and his daughter a chance to bond.
Okay, review on the Apple Frittata--is good, sort of okay, really--I think the thyme would have brought out the flavor more--maybe even a sprig of mint would have added--but definitely needs the thyme. It's really bland, otherwise.
Where's the coffee?
It makes 4 servings, but with my guestimates, I figured I could eat 1/3 of it and still be within limits....so with coffee on hand--
Last night was really fitful. I woke up at 3ish, sweating like I'd just finished the triathalon, and the bed and pillow literally dripped. I threw off every cover, and lay there, shivvering until finally falling asleep again sometime after hubby left for work.
Mental note, remove the apple skin.
Then, when I finally rose at 7ish, I emailed work and explained what had happened to me yesterday--god knows I really REALLY would rather be at the office, right? The work doesn't get done if I stay home. But seriously, I need time to get used to what's going on inside of me before I can handle the outside--right? So I'm staying home until Wednesday (we have Tuesday off, so that makes it a little easier).
A little late with the newsflash, here, but Obama won the presidency. They are already talking about what house changes will take place when Mrs. Obama gets her hands on the place. Frankly, I don't understand why changes have to happen! One more reason to make the deficit a bit larger, eh? I mean, hire Martha Stewart and get it over with already!
If I sound a bit grumpy about the election, you guessed right. I voted for the other guy...what was his name? Simply because I bleed red, not blue blood. I resist the idea that I only voted party lines, because I did vote for some democrats--which with the result of the election put the dems in control of the senate, too! Did I screw up or what? Anyway, I suppose disgruntled is more the word of the day. I'm hoping that his tenure as president will be a throwback to the Kennedy administration--and I fear for his life, quite honestly, as I believe there will be attempts on his life, just as in the Kennedy administration. I will admit--he's a smooth talker, but so was Clinton--let's not go there. But his suave and debonair exterior didn't really phase me--he's still a politician. We'll see if he can make the changes happen in a good way that don't hurt the middle class more than they already are, and by golly, he better help get Michigan back on it's feet--especially Lansing--we who have been dependent on the automotive industry far too long.
This isn't an economic issue, that of Michigan's trouble. I have long said that GM held on to gas-guzzler cars, trucks and SUV's for much too long, when they ought to have been researching and developing cars that would use cheap alternative energies, and/or developed the energies themselves. GM missed the boat. BIG TIME. Had they been working on this for the last 40 years (our lifetimes), we would be flying around like George Jetson by now.
Just my opinion, but there you have it. I think our "transportation" has to move on to quick air travel--and utilize whatever form of transportation that entails--there are too many jobs going away from the United States. Our people need to follow those jobs. We can't depend on jobs staying in one place in this mobile world. Where I work, people are leaving Michigan like rats on a sinking ship. Heading for places like Georgia (why???????), Texas and Arizona. Leaving behind homes they have mortgages with that they can't/couldn't/haven't paid, only worsening the problem here.
My husband could keep his job, if he moved to Mississippi.
But our home is here. Our families are here (and his dad has cancer!). Our animals are here! And with the economy the way it is, we would never recover the money for our house--although we might be able to buy a nice house in Mississippi....but imagine the travel costs to get there! And what of my job? I might be able to get a job as an Assistance Payments worker in Mississippi--ho boy! With my attitude? LOL! That's pretty funny.
Or maybe I could find a job working in a yarn store? Now that would be fun! Although it wouldn't pay nearly as much, at least I could be happy. And maybe I wouldn't spend my entire check on yarn.
Oh, who am I kidding?
More coffee...
Mississippi--didn't they just get hit by Katrina?? Of course, I have heard that they recovered much more quickly on their own without asking for a ton of help from FEMA--let's look at Louisiana in comparison--okay, let's not. What gets me is the thought that there might be jobs in Mississippi for my husband---I mean, who'd a thunk it? So perhaps I'll check out some things--jobs and such for me. We don't have to leave until his job here runs dry, then we need to do something.
So, I'm off to check job listings. Catchulatr!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Got sick, got sick, got sick just now...
That was part of a camp song, entitled "Found a Peanut".
But I did get sick today. For one, I took my diabetes medication like the bottle said to do, ate breakfast of egg/sausage and one slice of Hillbilly toast and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and promised myself to buy a banana at the office.
But I forgot about the banana once I got involved with work, so at 11am, my body started telling me "it's time to EAT", only it wasn't time to eat yet. And my body was saying "MUST have FOOD", and I started to sweat. Brain started saying "tummy said HUNGRY, don't you listen?" and then tummy said "You're gonna be SICK of you don't give me some FOOD, and RIGHT NOW!"
I called my doctor because Kroger's couldn't put my meter and testing supplies on my Express Scripts--and told me I'd have to go to a Medical Supply Store. Doctor was with a patient, and because I do believe the world revolves around me, and because I was not in my right mind, I told the receptionist that "okay, then, if I DIE, it'll be on you, won't it?" and hung up.
I listened, and got the banana, in hopes of tiding tummy over until actual lunch time, but tummy was having nothing to do with it--
"You call that food?"
I was instantly nauseous. I got up, collected purse and coat, and headed to the medical supply store and got my meter and testing supplies. Unfortunately, I was not in my right mind, and only listening to my tummy tell me things I did not want to hear--like, "You're gonna die, right here, right now, because you're not paying attention!"
So I didn't test myself to see if I was seriously LOW--but I believe I was.
I drove to Quizno's and got a sub sandwich--I only ate half, and by the time I got to my PT, I was still a little wiped out, but otherwise, I was fine.
A few hours later, I tested myself. It took a while to find the right setting for the sticker--but I finally did, and click, little bit o blood, and on the test strip, and wait...wait..
384.
And I had wheat bread for the sandwich too.
There wasn't anything else in the sandwich that could spike my sugar, so apparently, I either can't have bananas or I can't have wheat bread. Which is too bad, because I love both.
So I'm waiting until dinner time, and will check my sugar just before I take my first bite, to see what level I'm at--it will be at least 6 hours after my last food, so I'm expecting it to be lower, but not by much, as I haven't really done anything for exercise.
So, that's about it...of course, my boss knows nothing of my feeling so sick--that's how out of it I was. So I'll have to explain things tomorrow and hope that I don't...
get sick
Again.
Ever
Because I'm tired of not feeling well.
But I did get sick today. For one, I took my diabetes medication like the bottle said to do, ate breakfast of egg/sausage and one slice of Hillbilly toast and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and promised myself to buy a banana at the office.
But I forgot about the banana once I got involved with work, so at 11am, my body started telling me "it's time to EAT", only it wasn't time to eat yet. And my body was saying "MUST have FOOD", and I started to sweat. Brain started saying "tummy said HUNGRY, don't you listen?" and then tummy said "You're gonna be SICK of you don't give me some FOOD, and RIGHT NOW!"
I called my doctor because Kroger's couldn't put my meter and testing supplies on my Express Scripts--and told me I'd have to go to a Medical Supply Store. Doctor was with a patient, and because I do believe the world revolves around me, and because I was not in my right mind, I told the receptionist that "okay, then, if I DIE, it'll be on you, won't it?" and hung up.
I listened, and got the banana, in hopes of tiding tummy over until actual lunch time, but tummy was having nothing to do with it--
"You call that food?"
I was instantly nauseous. I got up, collected purse and coat, and headed to the medical supply store and got my meter and testing supplies. Unfortunately, I was not in my right mind, and only listening to my tummy tell me things I did not want to hear--like, "You're gonna die, right here, right now, because you're not paying attention!"
So I didn't test myself to see if I was seriously LOW--but I believe I was.
I drove to Quizno's and got a sub sandwich--I only ate half, and by the time I got to my PT, I was still a little wiped out, but otherwise, I was fine.
A few hours later, I tested myself. It took a while to find the right setting for the sticker--but I finally did, and click, little bit o blood, and on the test strip, and wait...wait..
384.
And I had wheat bread for the sandwich too.
There wasn't anything else in the sandwich that could spike my sugar, so apparently, I either can't have bananas or I can't have wheat bread. Which is too bad, because I love both.
So I'm waiting until dinner time, and will check my sugar just before I take my first bite, to see what level I'm at--it will be at least 6 hours after my last food, so I'm expecting it to be lower, but not by much, as I haven't really done anything for exercise.
So, that's about it...of course, my boss knows nothing of my feeling so sick--that's how out of it I was. So I'll have to explain things tomorrow and hope that I don't...
get sick
Again.
Ever
Because I'm tired of not feeling well.
Tenna's Turn to Cry
Okay, I figure I've got the best husband in the world. My body is playing some really nasty tricks on me these days, and I suppose that my biggest fear is that I'm going to die from all this crap, but my hubby? He's giving me this big supportive hug this morning that I never in a million years expected, and now, all I can do is cry.
As I said, my body is playing some really nasty tricks. I went to the doctor this week, not so much complaining, but just telling him what my body was doing lately...
Symptomology: Thirsty all the time, so much that I can quench it with even a quart of water. Feet are bothering me, potty all the time--and white fuzzy stuff growing in the stool that I just cleaned a day or so ago...
Try to be a woman and tell that to a man doctor...
Exhausted all the time, can't seem to get anything done--no energy, general malaise..you getting a picture here?
He pricked my finger. He put it on a meter.
384
He wrote me up for a fasting blood sugar exam the next morning, which I did faithfully.
Two hundred fifty something.
He diagnosed me with diabetes now.
You need to understand something very important. I am not a pill taker. It was impossible to keep me on birth control. I'd forget the pill, and have another monthly cycle after a few days. I figured it was causing more harm forgetting than to take it, so I stopped taking it and started to practice a rhythmic cycle, which didn't sit really well with my second husband, and probably was the biggest leader to our divorce (along with his constant unfaithful behavior and going nutzoid on my son--but I digress)...so now, doctor has me taking all this STUFF...
Nexium for my tummy issues
Thyroid medication
Cholestrol medication (because that's high too)
Diabetes medication
Claritin (for the nasal issues, which I hope will go away sometime soon)
An Antibiotic to clean up the last of this crud I've had for nearly two months.
The biggest part of my concern is that everyone that I knew with diabetes is gone. As in DEAD? So now you get the full panorama of my fear. I'm scared this crap is gonna kill me. FAST. And the doctor? He's not a lot of help in that area. He's talking about heart issues such as congestive heart failure and well, let's face it--while he said that he thought that I could live into my 90's even with diabetes, historical data doesn't really bear that out. Know what I mean? So I'm terrified of dying.
I'm also terrified that food becomes my master.
Never have been one of those types of people who allowed anyone or anything to get in the way of doing what I want to do, diabetes just changed all that in an instant. I can't "skip breakfast" because I have to get to the office--no! I have to eat, and that takes up time in my day that I just don't have to spend! Which means I get up earlier to make something good to eat, and when you're tired to begin with, sometimes getting out of bed is a TRIP that you just can't seem to manage--especially on cold winter days when you're exhausted from working all day the day before. And all the salty, crackery snacks are a thing of the past now. I can't eat half a bag of doritoes instead of dinner.
And let's talk about dinner.
Who the heck has time to make dinner? I will tell you! People who stay home for the day! Mothers who stay home with the kids, for instance. I work a 40 hour week--more if I have to leave for a doctor appointment, and when I get home, making dinner is the LAST thing on my mind. All I can think about is sit in my chair, knit or watch television. I hate eating. I hate messing up the kitchen. I hate trying to figure out what to make, too.
I need a live in house-keeper. Somebody who does nothing but take care of me. I used to eat because I was hungry, and I would probably grab the easiest thing on the shelf, just so that I wouldn't have to waste time that could be spent unwinding from a hectic day at the office. Yes, work definitely cuts into my free time a little too much. You could remove the word "little" there, and have a more accurate description, I think.
And my heels hurt.
MY HEELS HURT.
This is my body telling me slow down, sit down, unwind. You are carrying too much body weight and you're killing me.
The sitting down part isn't what bothers me--it's that the dog needs to go for a walk. Dinner needs to be made for my hubby--and of course, that's become a real issue here. Since I don't give a flying squirrel butt whether I eat or not most days, he's eating more bad stuff for HIM because HE doesn't want to spend his free time planning/cooking/cleanup for his own dinner, so he'll grab the easiest thing on the shelf, too.
And let's not even start about the stress at the office. I'm hearing that my supervisor is planning on me answering another phone line. I'm already doing two people's jobs--and she wants me to three people's jobs. Can you say 'MAJOR MELTDOWN'? I knew you could. It's on it way, and by golly, if I go off like Mount Vesuvius, it won't surprise me--but some other people may not "get it", and end up with the attitude "Let's leave Tenna alone for a while, shall we?" When really what I need is somebody to take care of me!!!!
I need my mommy!
Or a mommy substitute.
You know, I think I could take care of myself if I didn't have to take care of everyone else in the universe. God help me, that *IS* how I feel sometimes. I think that feeling is common among people who work in human services. You come home, and you're just all helped out, and you realize that you have to go into the office tomorrow and do it all over again.
And Christmas is coming. I can't even think about Christmas--at least not for any great length of time. No one knows what they want for Christmas until the last minute. I know what I want the day after Christmas (which, by the way is my birthday, which is SO convenient for a person who knows what they want 365 days from now, because you still have 24 hours to go out and get it, right?).
So, the stress level just jumped from about 10 to 20 out of 10, and I'm feeling the strain. I cried to my hubby about it last night, and he told me to call my mother and read a book. So I went to bed at 8pm and didn't notice when he climbed in, and ignored him all night. This morning I get a nice supportive hugging. The hugging was terrifically nice, but seriously, people--shouldn't he have hugged me last night when I was going through FRANTIC? I don't know--maybe it was a surprise to see me simply fall apart and it scared him?
Well, folks, I've about drained out the tear ducts, and have to dress for work. I'm already late, but you know, I actually DID find something to eat for breakfast, except for a fruit, which I'll pick up at the office (banana, probably), which will make a nice snack, and
Like I said. Food is my master.
Sigh.
As I said, my body is playing some really nasty tricks. I went to the doctor this week, not so much complaining, but just telling him what my body was doing lately...
Symptomology: Thirsty all the time, so much that I can quench it with even a quart of water. Feet are bothering me, potty all the time--and white fuzzy stuff growing in the stool that I just cleaned a day or so ago...
Try to be a woman and tell that to a man doctor...
Exhausted all the time, can't seem to get anything done--no energy, general malaise..you getting a picture here?
He pricked my finger. He put it on a meter.
384
He wrote me up for a fasting blood sugar exam the next morning, which I did faithfully.
Two hundred fifty something.
He diagnosed me with diabetes now.
You need to understand something very important. I am not a pill taker. It was impossible to keep me on birth control. I'd forget the pill, and have another monthly cycle after a few days. I figured it was causing more harm forgetting than to take it, so I stopped taking it and started to practice a rhythmic cycle, which didn't sit really well with my second husband, and probably was the biggest leader to our divorce (along with his constant unfaithful behavior and going nutzoid on my son--but I digress)...so now, doctor has me taking all this STUFF...
Nexium for my tummy issues
Thyroid medication
Cholestrol medication (because that's high too)
Diabetes medication
Claritin (for the nasal issues, which I hope will go away sometime soon)
An Antibiotic to clean up the last of this crud I've had for nearly two months.
The biggest part of my concern is that everyone that I knew with diabetes is gone. As in DEAD? So now you get the full panorama of my fear. I'm scared this crap is gonna kill me. FAST. And the doctor? He's not a lot of help in that area. He's talking about heart issues such as congestive heart failure and well, let's face it--while he said that he thought that I could live into my 90's even with diabetes, historical data doesn't really bear that out. Know what I mean? So I'm terrified of dying.
I'm also terrified that food becomes my master.
Never have been one of those types of people who allowed anyone or anything to get in the way of doing what I want to do, diabetes just changed all that in an instant. I can't "skip breakfast" because I have to get to the office--no! I have to eat, and that takes up time in my day that I just don't have to spend! Which means I get up earlier to make something good to eat, and when you're tired to begin with, sometimes getting out of bed is a TRIP that you just can't seem to manage--especially on cold winter days when you're exhausted from working all day the day before. And all the salty, crackery snacks are a thing of the past now. I can't eat half a bag of doritoes instead of dinner.
And let's talk about dinner.
Who the heck has time to make dinner? I will tell you! People who stay home for the day! Mothers who stay home with the kids, for instance. I work a 40 hour week--more if I have to leave for a doctor appointment, and when I get home, making dinner is the LAST thing on my mind. All I can think about is sit in my chair, knit or watch television. I hate eating. I hate messing up the kitchen. I hate trying to figure out what to make, too.
I need a live in house-keeper. Somebody who does nothing but take care of me. I used to eat because I was hungry, and I would probably grab the easiest thing on the shelf, just so that I wouldn't have to waste time that could be spent unwinding from a hectic day at the office. Yes, work definitely cuts into my free time a little too much. You could remove the word "little" there, and have a more accurate description, I think.
And my heels hurt.
MY HEELS HURT.
This is my body telling me slow down, sit down, unwind. You are carrying too much body weight and you're killing me.
The sitting down part isn't what bothers me--it's that the dog needs to go for a walk. Dinner needs to be made for my hubby--and of course, that's become a real issue here. Since I don't give a flying squirrel butt whether I eat or not most days, he's eating more bad stuff for HIM because HE doesn't want to spend his free time planning/cooking/cleanup for his own dinner, so he'll grab the easiest thing on the shelf, too.
And let's not even start about the stress at the office. I'm hearing that my supervisor is planning on me answering another phone line. I'm already doing two people's jobs--and she wants me to three people's jobs. Can you say 'MAJOR MELTDOWN'? I knew you could. It's on it way, and by golly, if I go off like Mount Vesuvius, it won't surprise me--but some other people may not "get it", and end up with the attitude "Let's leave Tenna alone for a while, shall we?" When really what I need is somebody to take care of me!!!!
I need my mommy!
Or a mommy substitute.
You know, I think I could take care of myself if I didn't have to take care of everyone else in the universe. God help me, that *IS* how I feel sometimes. I think that feeling is common among people who work in human services. You come home, and you're just all helped out, and you realize that you have to go into the office tomorrow and do it all over again.
And Christmas is coming. I can't even think about Christmas--at least not for any great length of time. No one knows what they want for Christmas until the last minute. I know what I want the day after Christmas (which, by the way is my birthday, which is SO convenient for a person who knows what they want 365 days from now, because you still have 24 hours to go out and get it, right?).
So, the stress level just jumped from about 10 to 20 out of 10, and I'm feeling the strain. I cried to my hubby about it last night, and he told me to call my mother and read a book. So I went to bed at 8pm and didn't notice when he climbed in, and ignored him all night. This morning I get a nice supportive hugging. The hugging was terrifically nice, but seriously, people--shouldn't he have hugged me last night when I was going through FRANTIC? I don't know--maybe it was a surprise to see me simply fall apart and it scared him?
Well, folks, I've about drained out the tear ducts, and have to dress for work. I'm already late, but you know, I actually DID find something to eat for breakfast, except for a fruit, which I'll pick up at the office (banana, probably), which will make a nice snack, and
Like I said. Food is my master.
Sigh.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day
Nice surprise at work yesterday. I get Election Day off! Hadn't expected THAT to happen, but it's a nice surprise. I'll go vote early as I usually do, come home and take care of some business, then I have the whole day to myself.
I went to the doctor yesterday--and a not so nice surprise. Not only is my cholesterol high, but my sugar was up to 384!!! So I am fasting for a blood draw today--and they'll take readings on whether my oil is contaminated or not.
I'll likely end up on diabetes medication--not insulin, because my diabetes can probably be controlled with a diet change--no, wait, a DRASTIC diet change, but I have always hated having food be a controlling factor in my life, so it makes me REALLY mad that I have to control my intake now--after all these years of MCDONALD'S which I LOVE. My one and only comfort food--and now I can't have it at all.
So drastic changes are in the air. I'll probably need to go on a diabetic diet, where there's no taste and no starches and no sugars...and while I'm not too keen on sweets anyhow, I will miss the starches so much that I'll be crying within a week--begging for mercy. I wish I had a buddy to commiserate with--I couldn't even get hold of my own mother yesterday to tell her the bad news!
So this morning, I am drinking water, instead of coffee--which I will be drinking MORE of once I start this undesirable change--because I believe that it will be the only comfort food left that I can still have. Lord! I have to have at least ONE bad habit, don't I?
So at knit-night, I talked a bit about it, and everyone commiserated with me for about 10 seconds (not too much love lost on a person who's blood runs thick with french fries, right?), and I sat down to knit and fume. Since it's Election Day today, my friend who hosts knit-night wanted everyone out earlier because she gets up at 4am to work at the township hall and actually volunteers for the voting area--so I came home and finished another hat. Here's Prince with the latest addition to the hat-bag!
Since I was at the doctor's office yesterday, I also talked with him about this constant cough and how I really had to get rid of it FAST because my father in law is in the hospital with an infection of some sort, because he's on chemo, and the white blood cell count is so low, so they won't let me near him to see him because they're all afraid that I'm going to infect him with the bubonic plague (and his eyes got really wide when I said that, too--nearly as wide as Prince's eyes!) should I cough on him, and that I didn't want to infect him with something, even though I didn't believe that I was infectious to begin with, but that I was afraid that he would die before I got a chance to actually see him!
See, it's all about me, right?
So he gave me another antibiotic and some claritin. To his credit, the cough is MUCH less, even after only one dosage, but I am not taking anymore until I get the blood drawn. I can't get the blood drawn until 9am, so I'm going to vote first, and I'll probably cough in line as I wait to vote.
And the antibiotic is HUGE. An elephant's vitamin wouldn't be this big! And the Claritin pill is the size of an apple seed. So how is it that the little pill seems to work the best? The Claritin cleared up (read that dried up) my sinuses, so I didn't drip at all last night (song lyrics?) and the antibiotic? Well, that remains to be seen. This morning, I'm suffering with a runny nose, and wish I could take the Claritin--but on an empty tummy, would not be wise. So I'll wait till later. It won't be a long wait--and maybe if I don't cough my head off, my hubby will take me to see his dad later--
And that would be a good thing. I can get a picture of him with his hat on! I wonder if his hair will grow back? I mean, he didn't have much before he went on the chemo to begin with--so there's some real doubt there.
Well, off to blow my nose and begin another hat.
I went to the doctor yesterday--and a not so nice surprise. Not only is my cholesterol high, but my sugar was up to 384!!! So I am fasting for a blood draw today--and they'll take readings on whether my oil is contaminated or not.
I'll likely end up on diabetes medication--not insulin, because my diabetes can probably be controlled with a diet change--no, wait, a DRASTIC diet change, but I have always hated having food be a controlling factor in my life, so it makes me REALLY mad that I have to control my intake now--after all these years of MCDONALD'S which I LOVE. My one and only comfort food--and now I can't have it at all.
So drastic changes are in the air. I'll probably need to go on a diabetic diet, where there's no taste and no starches and no sugars...and while I'm not too keen on sweets anyhow, I will miss the starches so much that I'll be crying within a week--begging for mercy. I wish I had a buddy to commiserate with--I couldn't even get hold of my own mother yesterday to tell her the bad news!
So this morning, I am drinking water, instead of coffee--which I will be drinking MORE of once I start this undesirable change--because I believe that it will be the only comfort food left that I can still have. Lord! I have to have at least ONE bad habit, don't I?
So at knit-night, I talked a bit about it, and everyone commiserated with me for about 10 seconds (not too much love lost on a person who's blood runs thick with french fries, right?), and I sat down to knit and fume. Since it's Election Day today, my friend who hosts knit-night wanted everyone out earlier because she gets up at 4am to work at the township hall and actually volunteers for the voting area--so I came home and finished another hat. Here's Prince with the latest addition to the hat-bag!Since I was at the doctor's office yesterday, I also talked with him about this constant cough and how I really had to get rid of it FAST because my father in law is in the hospital with an infection of some sort, because he's on chemo, and the white blood cell count is so low, so they won't let me near him to see him because they're all afraid that I'm going to infect him with the bubonic plague (and his eyes got really wide when I said that, too--nearly as wide as Prince's eyes!) should I cough on him, and that I didn't want to infect him with something, even though I didn't believe that I was infectious to begin with, but that I was afraid that he would die before I got a chance to actually see him!
See, it's all about me, right?
So he gave me another antibiotic and some claritin. To his credit, the cough is MUCH less, even after only one dosage, but I am not taking anymore until I get the blood drawn. I can't get the blood drawn until 9am, so I'm going to vote first, and I'll probably cough in line as I wait to vote.
And the antibiotic is HUGE. An elephant's vitamin wouldn't be this big! And the Claritin pill is the size of an apple seed. So how is it that the little pill seems to work the best? The Claritin cleared up (read that dried up) my sinuses, so I didn't drip at all last night (song lyrics?) and the antibiotic? Well, that remains to be seen. This morning, I'm suffering with a runny nose, and wish I could take the Claritin--but on an empty tummy, would not be wise. So I'll wait till later. It won't be a long wait--and maybe if I don't cough my head off, my hubby will take me to see his dad later--
And that would be a good thing. I can get a picture of him with his hat on! I wonder if his hair will grow back? I mean, he didn't have much before he went on the chemo to begin with--so there's some real doubt there.
Well, off to blow my nose and begin another hat.
Monday, November 3, 2008
You mean to tell me?
Hubby asked me if I had copied that key he gave me, to which I reminded him that I hadn't been able to do so, because it says on the key "do not copy". Then he told me what the key was for--his security key lockout for work, and I asked him why GM wasn't replacing that key, and he tells me "because it takes forever to get that done".
So you mean to tell me that you're asking me to do something that a huge company like GM has rules and regulations about these things--you want me to do something illegal?
It's not illegal, he tells me. The lock holds the press in the up position, and then he can safely climb around in the press without worry that it will fall on him and crush his little bones to bits--sort of like 'fee feye fow fum' in Jack and the Beanstalk?
Oh! Says I. Imagining him flattened like road kill. I see. Well, if it's GM's lock, then they need to replace the lock.
Well, he was sure that he gave me the lock along with the key, but he hadn't ever given me the lock, and I tell him so this morning. So now, I guess the lock is missing.
I'll return the key to him tonight, as he was on his way out the door.
I finished the third hat in my quest for "hats for my family" project. This hat is like popcorn, says
the yarn Harlot, and I have to agree--you get to knitting on this hat, and before you can say "popcorn", the hat is done and on your head! I had some leftover grey from the two hats I made in grey, and decided to give the red hat a little stripe. The only trouble was there was just shy of 4 rows left, but I figure "It's just a hat! Who's gonna care?"
I like how this colorway of Moda Dee "Tweedle Dee" changes color. There aren't a lot of colorways in this yarn, but one skein makes two hats easily. The next hat will be all red, and the next grey one will have a wider red stripe. Use up my scraps, I guess until I can make the last hat. I'll switch to another color and not bother you with pics of the next grey one--but rather just the one with the red stripe, so you can feast your eyes. Next hat will be #4.
I finally caught a nuthatch in the bird feeder. They are very skittish birds. The picture isn't very clear because it's enlarged so much that it's fuzzy, and taken through the window screen so that he couldn't see me as well. As I took this, moments after the flash, he deserted the feeder.
I'm a little surprised about the nuthatches this year--they actually prefer the feeder to the hanging suet. Usually, they will eat the suet until it's gone (something like the way the goldfinches will sit on the finch seed sack until the seed is gone). But these little guys (there are two, but they fight), sit at the feeder, and fly out to the tree, then fly back when there's another nuthatch stealing a bite--just like the hummingbirds did with the hummer leaker.
Yesterday, I heard a blue jay, but since we put up drapery on the windows, I don't see when the birds are at the feeder, so pictures are a rarer thing these days--since if I move the drape--poof! They're gone.
---
There is a radio personality that I like and listen to. His name is Rich Michaels. I listen to his radio show nearly every morning. He's very opinionated (like me), and I think that's why I like him so much. He's married with children and step-children, with a house and a mortgage, and all the other stuff that comes with all that. But he's very "First Amendment" oriented, and doesn't really care what other people have to say about that, but apparently figures that he's above society's rules, and every so often, one of those words that's a no-no on the air leaks out of his mouth, and he ends up with a week's suspension for it. He's also very "pro Rich Michaels", and argues his point every so often.
Well, last week, he leaked another no-no, and the next thing I know, he's off the air again. The issue could be his partner--who doesn't say "Rich, you can't say things like that!" like his last partner did, so these "leaks" happen more often. It's used to be that instead of the word used for man's genitalia, he would say "hmm-hmm" probaby because his partner didn't like the "P" word, and he didn't get booted off the show. The last couple of months, he's used the P word twice. The last time, he ended up with a week's suspension. I missed him. I missed the radio. I'm not really liking his latest partner for my morning commute. So when he came back, I breathed a sigh of relief, then last week, he used the P word again.
I really hope that he didn't do it on purpose. I can see him discussing it with his family...
"I'll work the P word into my day today on the air, and then we can take that 3 day vacation we've been talking about!"
But I miss him when he's gone. When he moved to Ohio, I didn't listen to radio at all. And I'm not sure why I like him so much, other than we seem to have the same opinions on certain things, I'm quite sure we would drive each other nuts. Maybe I just admire his outspoken quality. He can argue any point and still maintain his composure, which is something that I'm not able to do very often.
I have a doctor's appointment this morning at 8:40, so I'm up way early for work, having forgotten the appointment, and I think that I then have a doctor's appointment at 11:15, also. I will have to check my calendar at the office.
So you mean to tell me that you're asking me to do something that a huge company like GM has rules and regulations about these things--you want me to do something illegal?
It's not illegal, he tells me. The lock holds the press in the up position, and then he can safely climb around in the press without worry that it will fall on him and crush his little bones to bits--sort of like 'fee feye fow fum' in Jack and the Beanstalk?
Oh! Says I. Imagining him flattened like road kill. I see. Well, if it's GM's lock, then they need to replace the lock.
Well, he was sure that he gave me the lock along with the key, but he hadn't ever given me the lock, and I tell him so this morning. So now, I guess the lock is missing.
I'll return the key to him tonight, as he was on his way out the door.
I finished the third hat in my quest for "hats for my family" project. This hat is like popcorn, says
the yarn Harlot, and I have to agree--you get to knitting on this hat, and before you can say "popcorn", the hat is done and on your head! I had some leftover grey from the two hats I made in grey, and decided to give the red hat a little stripe. The only trouble was there was just shy of 4 rows left, but I figure "It's just a hat! Who's gonna care?"I like how this colorway of Moda Dee "Tweedle Dee" changes color. There aren't a lot of colorways in this yarn, but one skein makes two hats easily. The next hat will be all red, and the next grey one will have a wider red stripe. Use up my scraps, I guess until I can make the last hat. I'll switch to another color and not bother you with pics of the next grey one--but rather just the one with the red stripe, so you can feast your eyes. Next hat will be #4.
I finally caught a nuthatch in the bird feeder. They are very skittish birds. The picture isn't very clear because it's enlarged so much that it's fuzzy, and taken through the window screen so that he couldn't see me as well. As I took this, moments after the flash, he deserted the feeder.
I'm a little surprised about the nuthatches this year--they actually prefer the feeder to the hanging suet. Usually, they will eat the suet until it's gone (something like the way the goldfinches will sit on the finch seed sack until the seed is gone). But these little guys (there are two, but they fight), sit at the feeder, and fly out to the tree, then fly back when there's another nuthatch stealing a bite--just like the hummingbirds did with the hummer leaker.
Yesterday, I heard a blue jay, but since we put up drapery on the windows, I don't see when the birds are at the feeder, so pictures are a rarer thing these days--since if I move the drape--poof! They're gone.
---
There is a radio personality that I like and listen to. His name is Rich Michaels. I listen to his radio show nearly every morning. He's very opinionated (like me), and I think that's why I like him so much. He's married with children and step-children, with a house and a mortgage, and all the other stuff that comes with all that. But he's very "First Amendment" oriented, and doesn't really care what other people have to say about that, but apparently figures that he's above society's rules, and every so often, one of those words that's a no-no on the air leaks out of his mouth, and he ends up with a week's suspension for it. He's also very "pro Rich Michaels", and argues his point every so often.
Well, last week, he leaked another no-no, and the next thing I know, he's off the air again. The issue could be his partner--who doesn't say "Rich, you can't say things like that!" like his last partner did, so these "leaks" happen more often. It's used to be that instead of the word used for man's genitalia, he would say "hmm-hmm" probaby because his partner didn't like the "P" word, and he didn't get booted off the show. The last couple of months, he's used the P word twice. The last time, he ended up with a week's suspension. I missed him. I missed the radio. I'm not really liking his latest partner for my morning commute. So when he came back, I breathed a sigh of relief, then last week, he used the P word again.
I really hope that he didn't do it on purpose. I can see him discussing it with his family...
"I'll work the P word into my day today on the air, and then we can take that 3 day vacation we've been talking about!"
But I miss him when he's gone. When he moved to Ohio, I didn't listen to radio at all. And I'm not sure why I like him so much, other than we seem to have the same opinions on certain things, I'm quite sure we would drive each other nuts. Maybe I just admire his outspoken quality. He can argue any point and still maintain his composure, which is something that I'm not able to do very often.
I have a doctor's appointment this morning at 8:40, so I'm up way early for work, having forgotten the appointment, and I think that I then have a doctor's appointment at 11:15, also. I will have to check my calendar at the office.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Morning Already!
It was a short night, believe me. Hubby worked a double shift yesterday, and like a good wifey, I had supper waiting for him when he got home.
I was so tired--it was, after all, nearly 1am when we hit the sack--of course, due to daylight savings time, it was REALLY 2am--So this morning, while it's 7am (REALLY 8am) I am still tired and wishing I could return to slumber, but what would be the point? I'm only having nightmares anyway.
I finished another hat last night. I'm still coughing, but not as much, and I'm hoping that I can get another hat in today, since I bought more yarn for it yesterday. I should really knit on the piggie socks, but I'm enjoying these quick and easy hats so much, it's almost like I think I can make over a dozen of them for the whole family, and not bat an eye--well, we'll just see about that.
I have zero scheduled to do today, other than clean up doggie sickness on the floor again. I bought her IAMS pet food this time, and I'm thinking it's not mild enough, so a trip to McCord's in Ionia might be in the picture. Mandy is outside, yelping to be let in, but I'm ignoring her for the moment.
I obtained a USP adapter and hooked it up, but I'm having trouble with it, I think. Everything on my computer is underlined now. EVERYTHING. And the computer is seriously slow. Probably because I installed an antivirus program, and of course, you know that affects speed. I deleted Norton to speed up my puter. I almost wish that I could have a small external hard drive with the anti-virus sofware on it and plug it into the computer only when I need it...but then my internet security wouldn't be there. So I suppose it's not worth my time to uninstall it.
Since the first scan caught 2 virus files, and while they were just in my temp folder, it's likely that they could have done some damage at some point or other--as both were trojans. Call me blessed.
I was so tired--it was, after all, nearly 1am when we hit the sack--of course, due to daylight savings time, it was REALLY 2am--So this morning, while it's 7am (REALLY 8am) I am still tired and wishing I could return to slumber, but what would be the point? I'm only having nightmares anyway.
I finished another hat last night. I'm still coughing, but not as much, and I'm hoping that I can get another hat in today, since I bought more yarn for it yesterday. I should really knit on the piggie socks, but I'm enjoying these quick and easy hats so much, it's almost like I think I can make over a dozen of them for the whole family, and not bat an eye--well, we'll just see about that.
I have zero scheduled to do today, other than clean up doggie sickness on the floor again. I bought her IAMS pet food this time, and I'm thinking it's not mild enough, so a trip to McCord's in Ionia might be in the picture. Mandy is outside, yelping to be let in, but I'm ignoring her for the moment.
I obtained a USP adapter and hooked it up, but I'm having trouble with it, I think. Everything on my computer is underlined now. EVERYTHING. And the computer is seriously slow. Probably because I installed an antivirus program, and of course, you know that affects speed. I deleted Norton to speed up my puter. I almost wish that I could have a small external hard drive with the anti-virus sofware on it and plug it into the computer only when I need it...but then my internet security wouldn't be there. So I suppose it's not worth my time to uninstall it.
Since the first scan caught 2 virus files, and while they were just in my temp folder, it's likely that they could have done some damage at some point or other--as both were trojans. Call me blessed.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Back to My World!
Instead of "Welcome to My World, which I suppose would be equally intriguing, but what I mean to say is that I am back home from my tramping and ready to get back on hat #2!
Ray's a happy camper and now has learned a valuable lesson--but he tramped all over the state with me, and now he's back to joining the citizenry on the world wide web.
I still have yet to introduce him to blogging--he may never get that far, but for what it's worth, at least he's willing to give it the old college try.
Speaking of college--Michigan State University won by one point against Wisconsin today, and WHAT A BARNBURNER!! Such an exciting game. They won by the skin of their teeth (obviously), but the last several minutes were like...
Well, like when you're in labor, and they wheel you into the delivery room, and you're pushing, and the head pops out..sort of like that.
So Ray and I watched those last few moments on the television when we got back from Tramping.
I picked up my wool from Zielinger's.
We then drove to Saginaw, and stopped at Best Buy, where I got a wireless router, a USB port extender, some ink for my printer, and a new printer..
Hold it right there. Did you just say you bought another printer? You betcha. This one's got lots of bells and whistles, and it's wireless too. And now, my hubby can connect to my machine and connect to the internet. He'll be so happy.
Sort of an early Christmas present if you know what I mean.
From Best Buy we stopped at Michael's where I picked up some more of the yarn I'm using to make the hats for everyone--I got a bit more grey, as I believe that I'm going to run out, and I got a couple of balls of a reddish-purplish...and I got a recharging station for size AA Energizer batteries, and some rechargable batteries.
From there, Ray and I drove to Meijer's where I picked up a few things for the groceries, and then I got an air filter for my car...
And then we drove back to Ray's house and watched the last bit of the game on tv. We listened to most of the last half on the radio, and were stunned when we found out that MSU was behind! After how they "nailed" U of M to the wall? This just did not compute--but in the final analysis, MSU won the day.
Then I got in my car and drove home.
It's a long way to Ray's house, when you're on your way back, and antsy to get back into your chair and knit...so I'm home now. I have my chips and salsa, and I'm off to my chair to enjoy them.
I hope you all have a splendid day.
Ray's a happy camper and now has learned a valuable lesson--but he tramped all over the state with me, and now he's back to joining the citizenry on the world wide web.
I still have yet to introduce him to blogging--he may never get that far, but for what it's worth, at least he's willing to give it the old college try.
Speaking of college--Michigan State University won by one point against Wisconsin today, and WHAT A BARNBURNER!! Such an exciting game. They won by the skin of their teeth (obviously), but the last several minutes were like...
Well, like when you're in labor, and they wheel you into the delivery room, and you're pushing, and the head pops out..sort of like that.
So Ray and I watched those last few moments on the television when we got back from Tramping.
I picked up my wool from Zielinger's.
We then drove to Saginaw, and stopped at Best Buy, where I got a wireless router, a USB port extender, some ink for my printer, and a new printer..
Hold it right there. Did you just say you bought another printer? You betcha. This one's got lots of bells and whistles, and it's wireless too. And now, my hubby can connect to my machine and connect to the internet. He'll be so happy.
Sort of an early Christmas present if you know what I mean.
From Best Buy we stopped at Michael's where I picked up some more of the yarn I'm using to make the hats for everyone--I got a bit more grey, as I believe that I'm going to run out, and I got a couple of balls of a reddish-purplish...and I got a recharging station for size AA Energizer batteries, and some rechargable batteries.
From there, Ray and I drove to Meijer's where I picked up a few things for the groceries, and then I got an air filter for my car...
And then we drove back to Ray's house and watched the last bit of the game on tv. We listened to most of the last half on the radio, and were stunned when we found out that MSU was behind! After how they "nailed" U of M to the wall? This just did not compute--but in the final analysis, MSU won the day.
Then I got in my car and drove home.
It's a long way to Ray's house, when you're on your way back, and antsy to get back into your chair and knit...so I'm home now. I have my chips and salsa, and I'm off to my chair to enjoy them.
I hope you all have a splendid day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)