Carolina won against Oklahoma. Oklahoma looked slow and plodding, tired. I am somewhat shocked as I thought they would be it for us but we were never really behind the whole game. So we have another one to "look forward to". I'm not sure "look forward to" quite describes it as I feel rather tense watching at this stage in the tournament. Final four time next weekend. Of course, I'm glad we are in it but there is some tension about it.
I slept maybe 3 hours tonight before waking up wide awake. I slept well the last few nights and I took a nap yesterday after church so maybe I am just catching up on sleep from all those months of practically no sleep. Grayson has taken to wanting his breakfast at 4:30 a.m. and I need to get him broken of that habit. Yesterday I tried to make him go away and leave me alone but he just kept coming back and back and back until I finally got up and fed him. That shut him up but he wants tuna or else he is not happy with my menu choice. I bought a boatload of the stuff yesterday so I would have a supply for at least 7 to 10 days. Milo likes it too but sometimes he just walks away from canned food. More evidence that he is different.
I have my Wired 4 Ministry class in only 5 hours and 6 minutes. I might as well try and get a little more sleep if I can.
My hair is coming out really badly now. Doctors don't think it has to do with the craniotomy but I have started the process of investigating its cause. Don dialed the phone to the doctor's office Friday and handed me the phone. I had explained to him how upset I am over this turn of events and he wants it solved for the sake of my mental health and physical health as well. I may have to get a wig if they don't hurry up and come up with a cause and a cure. This and my eyesight deficiency are the only two things so far that have stressed me out about the aftermath of surgery. I am really upset about both but I did have blood tests Friday that may help determine if I have some sort of deficiency that might explain the hair loss. I will call later and ask that my referral to a dermatologist be done as soon as the blood test results come back. I do not want someone sitting on those results. I want to move it along.
My eyesight does not seem to me to be improving although I am sure the eye tests in early May will tell me more. I am getting so used to it now that I might not be the best judge of improvement. It really is a shadowy world on the outer perimeter of my field of vision. Bill was not in class today. We always compare the "results of the week" and he has been suffering with failing sight for longer than I have. He used to teach our class often but hasn't lately because it is too difficult to read the material in preparation. I told him about my Kindle 2 in hopes that might help but the thing is expensive and I don't know if he has the interest in it right now. The Kindle is great though. You can read for a while and if your eyes get tired, then switch it to audio and it will read to you. I am so grateful to be able to read anything, although newspapers are still difficult as the print is so small and sometimes not quite dark enough. I do work crosswords almost every day by shining a flashlight on the clues and figuring it out from there. I love doing those things if the words are not too exotic. I pretty much can do the Charlotte Observer ones in 30 to 45 minutes most days. I know even their exotic words as they repeat them time and again and I have learned them through years of working the puzzles.
Another week of trying to locate two suitable jobs to make application for. I actually got one recommendation from one of these career sites of a job delivering internal mail for a bank. Well, where did they come up with that one. I would have to carry around 25 pounds of mail at a time. I don't believe I will be applying for that one as I don't think I would last the first week. It is either items like this that I get or CPA jobs ad infinitum. I was a Credit Products Analyst in my last job and the computer systems that come up with important phrases to look for have interpreted that I am a CPA based on that acronym. I really don't enjoy weeding out all those job recommendations for which a CPA is a requirement. But I'll be back at it this afternoon or tomorrow. I'd like to get those two apps in by Wednesday afternoon but it is normally Thursday evening before I have made the grade on this. Cheryl says why not apply for some mortgage underwriting jobs. They seem to be out there in bulk but I don't have experience with mortgages. I might apply for one and just say I don't have experience but I could certainly learn. I doubt that would hold water but you never know.
____________
Class was good with a dynamite teacher. She is planning to do a follow-up session that lasts 2 hours. I would be interested in trying it out as well. I wish I had her delivery as I think there would be no learning disabled people if they had teachers like Carol. What a wonderful gift she has.
3/30/09
3/28/09
03/28/2009 Sat
Today, we went and got Charlie cat out of the vets. He has to go back Tuesday for a shot but at least he will not be caged all weekend with hardly anyone around most of the time. He smelled and smelled and explored and explored once he got back to Don's place. It was as if he wanted to be sure no other cats had taken over in his absence. For an 18 year old cat (nearly 19, I believe), he was doing well and even went down the steps to check out downstairs as well. He seemed satisfied that nothing too untoward had gone on while he was away and I saw him climb back up the stairs to finish checking out the upstairs areas. Dr. Green did get results from the (enema) and we are hoping nature will take over now. He did not get his bath as the people there said they were afraid it would stress him to the limit. I did schedule Milo and Grayson for a bath on April 14 and I am curious to see how Milo does with it since he seems now to think water is a good thing and he doesn't seem to mind that the tide sometimes rises while he sits at the back of the shower stall. I now have 7 squirt guns to play squirt gun with him. (Don took the 8th to see if Charlie is similarly enthralled.) Gray doesn't pay any attention to the things. He thinks Milo is weird anyway.
I spent the afternoon (from 1 to 4 off and on) doing homework for a Wired 4 Ministry class I am taking at church on Monday. The class is only 2 and 1/2 hours but I guess spending more time on homework than on the class itself is par for classes in general. I used to spend practically all of my free time on Disciple Bible Study for 4 years and the classes were only one hour per week as I recall. The Wired 4 Ministry homework was interesting but also rather lengthy to do correctly. For the class, a person is looking for his spiritual gifts and the homework starts with 240 questions with answers giving a range from 0 to 4 with 0 being Rarely or never and 4 being Very True, Consistently. You put your ratings on a chart that winds being categorizations of what the questions indicate. You add up the scores per row and voila, your answers reveal the spiritual gifts God has given you (and really wants you to use in everyday life as well as in the life of the church). My highest scores show that my gifts are Mercy, Giving, Helping, and Administration. My lowest scores were Prophecy, Exhortation (or Encouragement) and Discernment. You are supposed to pick out your 3 highest scores and your 3 lowest but my scores for helping and administration were tied and they were 3rd down my list, so I gave myself 4 top gifts. It was amazing looking across the rows how often I had consistent 0's thru 2's on the low end and 3's and 4's on the high end. I think the test is pretty good but you have to know it is going to take a while or you'll be tempted to rush it and get invalid results . And then adding up all those little numbers across 17 rows with 12 columns each. Then, of course, there is reading and spending time pondering what each gift means and how it can be used. I already asked to be put on the hospital visitation team so mercy must have been on my mind even before this. Visits meant so very much to me when I was in the hospital that I figure it is payback time and I hope I get some blessings from it as well. I was once a Stephen Minister and I think that is a very valuable use of one's time but my person was older and one problem kept being replaced by another to the point that there would be no end to it. I loved her and she loved me so I had to just quit being a Stephen Minister and care for her as one person to another. I think hospital visitation will be a better fit for me right now as you can exhibit caring with a few visits and then let it be (I hope). I have also asked to go back to Stephen Ministry but this time, I want to listen to someone with a more solvable problem. And I will need someone who can meet with me at church as I can't ask Don to carry me to their home. Stephen Ministry is about caring, listening, and confidentiality and I think having someone drive you might ruin the confidentiality part of it. But meeting at church could be done anonymously.
Ben has another blog out about animals with pictures that are just hilarious. Here is the address for this particular edition of his blog if you are interested:
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/animal-house-part-three-12-apostles.html
He does, by the way, do so much more than jokes and animals. I hope you have had a chance to read some of his other material.
Carolina won last night and Lawson looked awesome. But Oklahoma looks pretty awesome too. I am nervous about the game coming up tomorrow between them and Carolina. But I'll be watching nonetheless. One of our dear friends is a Syracuse fan and they lost the other night. Last Sunday, he told our SS class he needed to leave early so he could go set up his room for watching a game Syracuse was in last Sunday. I am sorry they lost for his sake. Don is happy as a clam that Carolina is still in the running. Hope it lasts even longer as he has to get by for a solid year on these last 3 games. It is fun and now we are going to get into baseball and golf. Don likes baseball somewhat but golf, no way.
Milo is now sitting on my Wired 4 Ministry homework and he happens to be part of one of my passions - caring for the welfare of animals. He has no worries, I think, but some do.
I spent the afternoon (from 1 to 4 off and on) doing homework for a Wired 4 Ministry class I am taking at church on Monday. The class is only 2 and 1/2 hours but I guess spending more time on homework than on the class itself is par for classes in general. I used to spend practically all of my free time on Disciple Bible Study for 4 years and the classes were only one hour per week as I recall. The Wired 4 Ministry homework was interesting but also rather lengthy to do correctly. For the class, a person is looking for his spiritual gifts and the homework starts with 240 questions with answers giving a range from 0 to 4 with 0 being Rarely or never and 4 being Very True, Consistently. You put your ratings on a chart that winds being categorizations of what the questions indicate. You add up the scores per row and voila, your answers reveal the spiritual gifts God has given you (and really wants you to use in everyday life as well as in the life of the church). My highest scores show that my gifts are Mercy, Giving, Helping, and Administration. My lowest scores were Prophecy, Exhortation (or Encouragement) and Discernment. You are supposed to pick out your 3 highest scores and your 3 lowest but my scores for helping and administration were tied and they were 3rd down my list, so I gave myself 4 top gifts. It was amazing looking across the rows how often I had consistent 0's thru 2's on the low end and 3's and 4's on the high end. I think the test is pretty good but you have to know it is going to take a while or you'll be tempted to rush it and get invalid results . And then adding up all those little numbers across 17 rows with 12 columns each. Then, of course, there is reading and spending time pondering what each gift means and how it can be used. I already asked to be put on the hospital visitation team so mercy must have been on my mind even before this. Visits meant so very much to me when I was in the hospital that I figure it is payback time and I hope I get some blessings from it as well. I was once a Stephen Minister and I think that is a very valuable use of one's time but my person was older and one problem kept being replaced by another to the point that there would be no end to it. I loved her and she loved me so I had to just quit being a Stephen Minister and care for her as one person to another. I think hospital visitation will be a better fit for me right now as you can exhibit caring with a few visits and then let it be (I hope). I have also asked to go back to Stephen Ministry but this time, I want to listen to someone with a more solvable problem. And I will need someone who can meet with me at church as I can't ask Don to carry me to their home. Stephen Ministry is about caring, listening, and confidentiality and I think having someone drive you might ruin the confidentiality part of it. But meeting at church could be done anonymously.
Ben has another blog out about animals with pictures that are just hilarious. Here is the address for this particular edition of his blog if you are interested:
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/animal-house-part-three-12-apostles.html
He does, by the way, do so much more than jokes and animals. I hope you have had a chance to read some of his other material.
Carolina won last night and Lawson looked awesome. But Oklahoma looks pretty awesome too. I am nervous about the game coming up tomorrow between them and Carolina. But I'll be watching nonetheless. One of our dear friends is a Syracuse fan and they lost the other night. Last Sunday, he told our SS class he needed to leave early so he could go set up his room for watching a game Syracuse was in last Sunday. I am sorry they lost for his sake. Don is happy as a clam that Carolina is still in the running. Hope it lasts even longer as he has to get by for a solid year on these last 3 games. It is fun and now we are going to get into baseball and golf. Don likes baseball somewhat but golf, no way.
Milo is now sitting on my Wired 4 Ministry homework and he happens to be part of one of my passions - caring for the welfare of animals. He has no worries, I think, but some do.
3/26/09
03/26/2009 Thr
My sister was here Tues and Wed. We ran to several stores and I am tired today. It was enough to count as exercise since 2 of the stores were Costco and Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart must have been a couple of city blocks long and Costco is huge too.
Today, Don took his 18-year old Charlie cat to the vet and we are hoping his problems are imminently solvable. It would break both our hearts to lose him right now. But my favorite vet in the whole world, Dr. Green, thinks it is unlikely to be a kidney problem or anything too serious since Charlie is moving around okay and seems to have energy. I wonder how he has energy at 5 and one half pounds. Don left him at the vets for a 2-day stay so he can get checked out, (whisper this - given an enema), and then given a bath. We look forward to getting him back on Saturday, all clean and hopefully feeling better. The folks there will love him up though. They are raving about how beautiful he is - he really does have gorgeous blue eyes and I bet his fur will look great once he is bathed. He is a full bred Himalayan and Don has had him since he was a tiny kitten and would carry him around in a hat. Charlie has had a wonderful, loved life and he is luckier than many (probably most) creatures in the world. He lays on Don's computer mouse and Don says Charlie thinks it will hatch someday. If Don is using the mouse, then Charlie gets on top of Don's hand. It is just so very sweet to me.
Milo got to play squirt gun today. I showed him off to Bertha as this is high comedy. He wants so very much to catch a water drop and look at it. This is his favorite game in the world - except for showering with his "mom". I am going to get him bathed on the day he gets his annual physical and shots (April 14). He won't like that much water I don't think. But I hope it will get some of the stray hairs out of his coat as he is shedding all over the place. I brush and brush on him but there are always more hairs coming out of him. I don't know why he isn't bald by now. Poor old Grayson needs a bath but I feel sorry for whoever would have to do it. They would have to snip some claws first for sure and maybe wear armor. But he needs one worse than Milo as he hides in closets and under beds all day. He is just too intimidated by Milo and has had one too many strangers staying in his house over the last few months so he thinks the safe thing is to hide. Maybe I will schedule him a bath too on the same date so we can save some trips to Dr. Green's. I'll just pre-warn them about his cowardice.
Don and I also found my Medical Reimbursement Card 2008 receipts today. We faxed in copies ( and then also mailed them) as we were afraid the US mail might not get them delivered by the March 31 deadline. This took half a day and is another gift from the IRS. I spent all that time earlier in the year searching for proof of tax deductions and now this. Man, a person doesn't have to have anything to do. There are always government requirements to keep a person busy. (And I spend from 1 and a half days to 2 days per week trying to find 2 viable jobs to apply for. That's another government thing and I don't want to apply for just anything I see whether or not I think I could do it. Hence the time spent. If one of these comes to an interview, I don't want to appear completely ignorant. And I want to want the job.)
Bertha came today and her sister is not doing at all well. Bertha is hopeful but trying to prepare herself for bad news. A whole group of doctors are going to consult next week to try and come up with some more viable treatment options. Her sister has had all the chemo and radiation her system can take so these doctors are trying to come up with ideas on how to make her life more comfortable right now and, I am sure, something that will give her a longer life. Poor Bertha. She just recently lost her husband after a long battle as well.
I finally got 2 jobs applied for this week. I actually sent in my resume to another company without applying for a specific job. It seems to be a full-time job just trying to come up with 2 viable jobs that I MIGHT be qualified for and that are not half a world away. I applied for one job tonight that I thought sounded great and once I had spent about an hour and a half on the application and uploading a resume, I got a message back that this job was no longer available. Well, that will make your blood boil at least for a few minutes. I wondered how efficient this place was if they could allow such an oversight. I tried to go to a "contact us" area but decided to let it be. I wanted to tell them to take this job off their site in the first place in order to save the next person a lot of trouble for nothing.
Tomorrow, I hope to exercise at the Y and then eat breakfast with Don and then come home and try to organize a great bunch of paper that is currently sitting in my bedroom just itching to be filed or tossed.
I am tired and my eyes are a little sore from this pc. I'm going to bed and "rest fast" as I have to be up early to meet someone at the YW bright and early (and be warmed up already too). D is picking me up at 8:30 a.m. That is the hour I used to be at work. Goodness me.
One of my dear friends is interviewing for a job tomorrow. I think he wants it badly so keep that in mind if you are praying for people tonight. He got called out of the blue, wasn't even actively looking. Some people are just too lucky! But this job will be closer to his home and I think his whole family will be happier if he gets it.
Milo is sound asleep over here on the floor next to me. I guess I will take him to the bedroom with me and scratch on his head for a bit before I nod off.
Good Night.
Today, Don took his 18-year old Charlie cat to the vet and we are hoping his problems are imminently solvable. It would break both our hearts to lose him right now. But my favorite vet in the whole world, Dr. Green, thinks it is unlikely to be a kidney problem or anything too serious since Charlie is moving around okay and seems to have energy. I wonder how he has energy at 5 and one half pounds. Don left him at the vets for a 2-day stay so he can get checked out, (whisper this - given an enema), and then given a bath. We look forward to getting him back on Saturday, all clean and hopefully feeling better. The folks there will love him up though. They are raving about how beautiful he is - he really does have gorgeous blue eyes and I bet his fur will look great once he is bathed. He is a full bred Himalayan and Don has had him since he was a tiny kitten and would carry him around in a hat. Charlie has had a wonderful, loved life and he is luckier than many (probably most) creatures in the world. He lays on Don's computer mouse and Don says Charlie thinks it will hatch someday. If Don is using the mouse, then Charlie gets on top of Don's hand. It is just so very sweet to me.
Milo got to play squirt gun today. I showed him off to Bertha as this is high comedy. He wants so very much to catch a water drop and look at it. This is his favorite game in the world - except for showering with his "mom". I am going to get him bathed on the day he gets his annual physical and shots (April 14). He won't like that much water I don't think. But I hope it will get some of the stray hairs out of his coat as he is shedding all over the place. I brush and brush on him but there are always more hairs coming out of him. I don't know why he isn't bald by now. Poor old Grayson needs a bath but I feel sorry for whoever would have to do it. They would have to snip some claws first for sure and maybe wear armor. But he needs one worse than Milo as he hides in closets and under beds all day. He is just too intimidated by Milo and has had one too many strangers staying in his house over the last few months so he thinks the safe thing is to hide. Maybe I will schedule him a bath too on the same date so we can save some trips to Dr. Green's. I'll just pre-warn them about his cowardice.
Don and I also found my Medical Reimbursement Card 2008 receipts today. We faxed in copies ( and then also mailed them) as we were afraid the US mail might not get them delivered by the March 31 deadline. This took half a day and is another gift from the IRS. I spent all that time earlier in the year searching for proof of tax deductions and now this. Man, a person doesn't have to have anything to do. There are always government requirements to keep a person busy. (And I spend from 1 and a half days to 2 days per week trying to find 2 viable jobs to apply for. That's another government thing and I don't want to apply for just anything I see whether or not I think I could do it. Hence the time spent. If one of these comes to an interview, I don't want to appear completely ignorant. And I want to want the job.)
Bertha came today and her sister is not doing at all well. Bertha is hopeful but trying to prepare herself for bad news. A whole group of doctors are going to consult next week to try and come up with some more viable treatment options. Her sister has had all the chemo and radiation her system can take so these doctors are trying to come up with ideas on how to make her life more comfortable right now and, I am sure, something that will give her a longer life. Poor Bertha. She just recently lost her husband after a long battle as well.
I finally got 2 jobs applied for this week. I actually sent in my resume to another company without applying for a specific job. It seems to be a full-time job just trying to come up with 2 viable jobs that I MIGHT be qualified for and that are not half a world away. I applied for one job tonight that I thought sounded great and once I had spent about an hour and a half on the application and uploading a resume, I got a message back that this job was no longer available. Well, that will make your blood boil at least for a few minutes. I wondered how efficient this place was if they could allow such an oversight. I tried to go to a "contact us" area but decided to let it be. I wanted to tell them to take this job off their site in the first place in order to save the next person a lot of trouble for nothing.
Tomorrow, I hope to exercise at the Y and then eat breakfast with Don and then come home and try to organize a great bunch of paper that is currently sitting in my bedroom just itching to be filed or tossed.
I am tired and my eyes are a little sore from this pc. I'm going to bed and "rest fast" as I have to be up early to meet someone at the YW bright and early (and be warmed up already too). D is picking me up at 8:30 a.m. That is the hour I used to be at work. Goodness me.
One of my dear friends is interviewing for a job tomorrow. I think he wants it badly so keep that in mind if you are praying for people tonight. He got called out of the blue, wasn't even actively looking. Some people are just too lucky! But this job will be closer to his home and I think his whole family will be happier if he gets it.
Milo is sound asleep over here on the floor next to me. I guess I will take him to the bedroom with me and scratch on his head for a bit before I nod off.
Good Night.
3/21/09
03/21/2009 Sat
Gee, finally some news about someone else that is dramatic and interesting. My brother-in-law was on the train that collided with the truck carrying Mercedes-Benz cars somewhere. He was not injured, thank Goodness. (No serious injuries are being reported.) Don and I went out to try and rescue him but got within yards of the train and the conductor ran everyone off saying he was taking the train back to the station momentarily. So David wound up getting back to his car and driving back home anyway. He had his cell phone cut off because the battery was low so we couldn't call to ask him to get off the train. We wanted to surprise him and I guess we did that job too well.
David said the truck driver was just beyond help mentally. He was running around in circles, beating the ground and was inconsolable. The police carried him off, we think to help him, not to arrest him. He got stuck on the tracks because the truck was low-lying and had called 911 for help when the train came and hit his truck. I feel sorry for him as I know he has months of questions coming his way and this was probably his only means of making a living. And to lose all that inventory of Mercedes. I hope they were insured heavily. The driver was someone local as I heard a man telling a policeman about the guy last night while Don was trying to ask another policeman about going up to the train to help get someone off.
The next portion of the blog is intended to be humorous. I hope everyone takes it that way. Otherwise, Milo is in big trouble with all of you.
Last weekend, John and Lauren visited and enjoyed watching Milo play with water from his favorite game, "water pistol". John called my babe "she" several times so I just wanted to say that my "babe" is an adult male and wants to be identified as such. This is what I wrote John and Lauren a little while ago:
"About Milo, he has been upset with me for allowing John to think HE is a girl kitty. He is most definitely a boy cat and a macho one at that. Grayson is normally scared of him because Milo has ATTITUDE. John, I also think he is pretty but I have to call him handsome out loud or he gets insulted - I also make the mistake of calling him my baby when he is a fully-grown adult. Sometimes, I am molly-coddling him and he just turns around and bites (a nip really) me for my efforts. Guess he only likes the babying sometimes.
He is getting way more brazen about the shower business, sometimes sleeping in the shower stall because (I guess) he does not want to miss the morning shower. I just bought myself a shower bench which he thinks is convenient for use as a bed at night and also as a shelter from the shower in the morning. Now, when I am ready to start the shower, he gets right under the nozzle and stares at it intently as if he can figure out how to catch that water if he could just be closer when the water starts to come out. So far, I am protecting him from the full water impact but one of these days, that young man is going to get a bath, water, shampoo and all. I am playing water pistol with him again. He has been reminded of that game and he doesn't want to give it up. I am glad the three of you got to see that comedy as it gives me lots of joy to see him want to play a game". Water pistol is his favorite game. He tries to catch the water with his front paws and is frustrated that it never works. He just can't catch it. But he jumps all around on the floor trying with all his might to succeed in catching some of the water drops.
End of the funny papers.
________________________
You might already know that we (Dr. Asher and me) may have to get a doctor to stitch my scalp back together in one spot at least. He and LeAnn are afraid the skin around the wound is dead and will NEVER heal without intervention. I am hoping very hard that they are wrong and that the thing will start some fast healing. I am trying to get the scabbing to give way without force so someone can see what lies beneath (I hope it is bone and not brain - just kidding of course). Picture this for a humorous thought: I am supposed to put a wet wash cloth on my head atop the bad area for 20 minutes or so before a shower to try and soften the scabbing, then gently massage that area during the shower with the palm of my hand. We hope this will loosen up the scab and it will come off naturally. We don't really want a bleeding event. The scabbing feels pretty deep in that one spot but I am trying this method as often as I have time or rather make time to do. Milo thinks going around with a washcloth on your head is a sign of mental illness. You should see the looks. He almost runs away from me but decides it is too amusing to miss.
The Carolina women are up 10 points in their tournament right now. There is 5:45 left to play in the second half. Go girls. The men play at 5:45 tonight and Duke plays even later. I am wondering how one could even make the decision on whether Lawson should play. If I were the coach I believe I would leave it up to the player - if he can do any good at all for the team. When I have had foot injuries and surgeries before, I sure couldn't have had all that impact or I would have been screaming in pain. Now the girls are up 11 points but Sylvia Hatchell (the coach) looks really angry about some call. The other team is at the free throw line and has made their 2 free throws so now Carolina is 9 points ahead with 4:43 to play. Man, you would have to be in such good shape to play this game. Marathons might be easier. The women have won 85 to 80. A win is a win.
Now the men have won also. What a good day for me and Don! He is sooooo very happy. Lawson played but I think he was in some pain especially the second half. Still he did a great job. Duke is playing now. I usually peter out before the end of these late games but I will hang in as long as I can. I have to be up early for church tomorrow so I may have to catch a few highlights in the middle of the night or tomorrow.
So much for my stories so far today. I'll be back another time with more.
David said the truck driver was just beyond help mentally. He was running around in circles, beating the ground and was inconsolable. The police carried him off, we think to help him, not to arrest him. He got stuck on the tracks because the truck was low-lying and had called 911 for help when the train came and hit his truck. I feel sorry for him as I know he has months of questions coming his way and this was probably his only means of making a living. And to lose all that inventory of Mercedes. I hope they were insured heavily. The driver was someone local as I heard a man telling a policeman about the guy last night while Don was trying to ask another policeman about going up to the train to help get someone off.
The next portion of the blog is intended to be humorous. I hope everyone takes it that way. Otherwise, Milo is in big trouble with all of you.
Last weekend, John and Lauren visited and enjoyed watching Milo play with water from his favorite game, "water pistol". John called my babe "she" several times so I just wanted to say that my "babe" is an adult male and wants to be identified as such. This is what I wrote John and Lauren a little while ago:
"About Milo, he has been upset with me for allowing John to think HE is a girl kitty. He is most definitely a boy cat and a macho one at that. Grayson is normally scared of him because Milo has ATTITUDE. John, I also think he is pretty but I have to call him handsome out loud or he gets insulted - I also make the mistake of calling him my baby when he is a fully-grown adult. Sometimes, I am molly-coddling him and he just turns around and bites (a nip really) me for my efforts. Guess he only likes the babying sometimes.
He is getting way more brazen about the shower business, sometimes sleeping in the shower stall because (I guess) he does not want to miss the morning shower. I just bought myself a shower bench which he thinks is convenient for use as a bed at night and also as a shelter from the shower in the morning. Now, when I am ready to start the shower, he gets right under the nozzle and stares at it intently as if he can figure out how to catch that water if he could just be closer when the water starts to come out. So far, I am protecting him from the full water impact but one of these days, that young man is going to get a bath, water, shampoo and all. I am playing water pistol with him again. He has been reminded of that game and he doesn't want to give it up. I am glad the three of you got to see that comedy as it gives me lots of joy to see him want to play a game". Water pistol is his favorite game. He tries to catch the water with his front paws and is frustrated that it never works. He just can't catch it. But he jumps all around on the floor trying with all his might to succeed in catching some of the water drops.
End of the funny papers.
________________________
You might already know that we (Dr. Asher and me) may have to get a doctor to stitch my scalp back together in one spot at least. He and LeAnn are afraid the skin around the wound is dead and will NEVER heal without intervention. I am hoping very hard that they are wrong and that the thing will start some fast healing. I am trying to get the scabbing to give way without force so someone can see what lies beneath (I hope it is bone and not brain - just kidding of course). Picture this for a humorous thought: I am supposed to put a wet wash cloth on my head atop the bad area for 20 minutes or so before a shower to try and soften the scabbing, then gently massage that area during the shower with the palm of my hand. We hope this will loosen up the scab and it will come off naturally. We don't really want a bleeding event. The scabbing feels pretty deep in that one spot but I am trying this method as often as I have time or rather make time to do. Milo thinks going around with a washcloth on your head is a sign of mental illness. You should see the looks. He almost runs away from me but decides it is too amusing to miss.
The Carolina women are up 10 points in their tournament right now. There is 5:45 left to play in the second half. Go girls. The men play at 5:45 tonight and Duke plays even later. I am wondering how one could even make the decision on whether Lawson should play. If I were the coach I believe I would leave it up to the player - if he can do any good at all for the team. When I have had foot injuries and surgeries before, I sure couldn't have had all that impact or I would have been screaming in pain. Now the girls are up 11 points but Sylvia Hatchell (the coach) looks really angry about some call. The other team is at the free throw line and has made their 2 free throws so now Carolina is 9 points ahead with 4:43 to play. Man, you would have to be in such good shape to play this game. Marathons might be easier. The women have won 85 to 80. A win is a win.
Now the men have won also. What a good day for me and Don! He is sooooo very happy. Lawson played but I think he was in some pain especially the second half. Still he did a great job. Duke is playing now. I usually peter out before the end of these late games but I will hang in as long as I can. I have to be up early for church tomorrow so I may have to catch a few highlights in the middle of the night or tomorrow.
So much for my stories so far today. I'll be back another time with more.
3/19/09
3/19/2009 Thr
Don went to his men's group while I did my workout at the YW. I spent a long time doing it as I was trying to work on technique today. Then I ate a packed lunch and worked today's crossword from the Char. Observer. I will try and get to the USA Today one later but I need to look online for a couple of job applications right now. Sometimes that takes a day and a half by the time I find something suitable.
Monday was pretty full as I recall. It started with a regular dental appointment with cleaning and checkup. I haven't been to the dentist in about a year as I missed a regular appointment during my brain episode. Tuesday, we worked on installing Quicken on my pc and getting some of my on-line accounts hooked into the Quicken program. This was easier than we thought it would be but it did take some time. Don moved the entries for the year from his pc to mine because he can access his pc from my house. I think this saved hours of frustration and effort. However, I am sure he spent hours on getting the system down pat on how to get this hook-up accomplished. Fortunately, that had already been done so we just linked the two pc's up and somehow copied the transactions over that he had input into Quicken so far this year.
Yesterday, Wednesday, we set up my VCR/DVD players for the correct time and for learning how to record (at least VCR tapes) on them. I have't done a DVD recording yet, but want to try a couple sometime.
Now, we are watching Carolina play in the NCAA first round. Sure hope they get by this game okay as we want to look forward to more games in the next days and weeks.
LeAnn (from the surgeon's office) called and is more concerned about the sore still on my scalp than she originally seemed. She says we will give it 2 or 3 more weeks but I need to try and get the scabbing in one area to soften and fall away. I am to put a wet washcloth on the area where this thick scab is and see if it will soften enough to give way by itself over the next couple of weeks. Otherwise, we might need a doctor's intervention to get the skin to knit back together. She and Dr. Asher are afraid the skin is dead around the edges of this wound and won't knit back by itself - ever. If that is the case, then I think we will need to pursue some extra help. Something else to think about.
Carolina is ahead right now by 9 points, 36 to 27 with 5:22 left in the first half.
I finally found 2 jobs that seemed feasible for my experience and I applied on-line. Not that anyone seems to get replies to these applications but I am relieved to have finally located 2 this week that I thought were possibilities.
Monday was pretty full as I recall. It started with a regular dental appointment with cleaning and checkup. I haven't been to the dentist in about a year as I missed a regular appointment during my brain episode. Tuesday, we worked on installing Quicken on my pc and getting some of my on-line accounts hooked into the Quicken program. This was easier than we thought it would be but it did take some time. Don moved the entries for the year from his pc to mine because he can access his pc from my house. I think this saved hours of frustration and effort. However, I am sure he spent hours on getting the system down pat on how to get this hook-up accomplished. Fortunately, that had already been done so we just linked the two pc's up and somehow copied the transactions over that he had input into Quicken so far this year.
Yesterday, Wednesday, we set up my VCR/DVD players for the correct time and for learning how to record (at least VCR tapes) on them. I have't done a DVD recording yet, but want to try a couple sometime.
Now, we are watching Carolina play in the NCAA first round. Sure hope they get by this game okay as we want to look forward to more games in the next days and weeks.
LeAnn (from the surgeon's office) called and is more concerned about the sore still on my scalp than she originally seemed. She says we will give it 2 or 3 more weeks but I need to try and get the scabbing in one area to soften and fall away. I am to put a wet washcloth on the area where this thick scab is and see if it will soften enough to give way by itself over the next couple of weeks. Otherwise, we might need a doctor's intervention to get the skin to knit back together. She and Dr. Asher are afraid the skin is dead around the edges of this wound and won't knit back by itself - ever. If that is the case, then I think we will need to pursue some extra help. Something else to think about.
Carolina is ahead right now by 9 points, 36 to 27 with 5:22 left in the first half.
I finally found 2 jobs that seemed feasible for my experience and I applied on-line. Not that anyone seems to get replies to these applications but I am relieved to have finally located 2 this week that I thought were possibilities.
3/15/09
03/15/2009 Su
We went to church, then communion, then SS, then breakfast. Our usual Sunday routine which I love so much. No wonderful soloists in class today. I checked on rejoining Stephen Ministry this morning but the people manning the booth said someone would have to call me since I had been out for several years. It might mean retraining.
They announced the NCAA lineups this evening and Carolina and Duke both play in Greensboro. Carolina got the number one seed for the South Conference so we are happy about that. I hope Lawson will be able to play but I also hope Coach doesn't allow him to play if he is risking further injury. It just would not be right, I think. Without him, I think we can't compete up to the level we have played all season. It breaks my heart and Don's too but it is the way we see it. We were happy to have won one game in the ACC tournament this weekend. Man, Duke really beat Florida State today and Duke won the ACC Tournament as a result. It was never even close.
My niece and her husband are leaving tomorrow from Greensboro. Their weekend has been rather cold and wet - this, after a perfectly beautiful weekend last week. I am so sorry they picked this weekend but it is luck of the draw. They have enjoyed the visit anyway. And I found out Lauren still goes to her eye doctor down here so she will be going in tomorrow for that visit. My sister says this doctor is about to retire so Lauren will need to find herself another doctor closer to her home.
I made chocolate pudding today - the kind you cook, not the instant. It is really good too. I could make a pig of myself eating it, but have kept it to a reasonable serving so far. It might be lunch tomorrow, though, since we have my dentist appointment, a funeral, the Year Through the Bible talk tomorrow evening and DR has a blood test that gets run once a month to make sure he is staying in a range of readings. It makes me glad he is taking care of himself a little too. So it is a full day.
They announced the NCAA lineups this evening and Carolina and Duke both play in Greensboro. Carolina got the number one seed for the South Conference so we are happy about that. I hope Lawson will be able to play but I also hope Coach doesn't allow him to play if he is risking further injury. It just would not be right, I think. Without him, I think we can't compete up to the level we have played all season. It breaks my heart and Don's too but it is the way we see it. We were happy to have won one game in the ACC tournament this weekend. Man, Duke really beat Florida State today and Duke won the ACC Tournament as a result. It was never even close.
My niece and her husband are leaving tomorrow from Greensboro. Their weekend has been rather cold and wet - this, after a perfectly beautiful weekend last week. I am so sorry they picked this weekend but it is luck of the draw. They have enjoyed the visit anyway. And I found out Lauren still goes to her eye doctor down here so she will be going in tomorrow for that visit. My sister says this doctor is about to retire so Lauren will need to find herself another doctor closer to her home.
I made chocolate pudding today - the kind you cook, not the instant. It is really good too. I could make a pig of myself eating it, but have kept it to a reasonable serving so far. It might be lunch tomorrow, though, since we have my dentist appointment, a funeral, the Year Through the Bible talk tomorrow evening and DR has a blood test that gets run once a month to make sure he is staying in a range of readings. It makes me glad he is taking care of himself a little too. So it is a full day.
3/14/09
03/14/2009 Sat
We went to breakfast this morning which I enjoy and enjoyed very much. Then we went by Barnes and Noble and looked through some books. I got one on Religions of the World by Huston Smith. I was wanting one that compared different religious ideas and I hope this one will fit the bill.
Carolina lost today and Duke won in the semi-final round of the ACC Tournament. I forgive our guys since they are having to play without Lawson (the ACC player of the year) due to his being injured. Maybe they can still go to the NCAA but it is a great liability obviously if Lawson can't return. I think he has bone fractures so I have my doubts that his return is possible for this year. Don seemed fairly well off when I talked with him a moment ago. I was afraid he would be upset to the point of not talking to me but he seems to be taking this in stride.
I did find out that one of our ministers went to undergrad UNC and is a great fan of our sports teams. I am so proud of him for saying so and have volunteered for one of his volunteer groups where they need help. I will see if it is something I can keep up as it is hospital visitation and I think you get people so ill, they hardly know you are there all the way to people who could not be happier that someone from church came by to see them. I was among the latter so I am hoping this can do people a lot of good.
I have a sinus infection but did go to the doctor yesterday and get some meds. It seems to be working pretty well. I do feel better today after having several doses.
John, Lauren, and David were here yesterday and we had a great time visiting. We didn't do anything special, just sat around and told funny stories. John's workplace rigs his computer with a practical joke every Friday so that he never knows what he will find on Mondays when he comes in. I hope it doesn't get out of hand but he seems to have a good sense of humor about it.
Carolina lost today and Duke won in the semi-final round of the ACC Tournament. I forgive our guys since they are having to play without Lawson (the ACC player of the year) due to his being injured. Maybe they can still go to the NCAA but it is a great liability obviously if Lawson can't return. I think he has bone fractures so I have my doubts that his return is possible for this year. Don seemed fairly well off when I talked with him a moment ago. I was afraid he would be upset to the point of not talking to me but he seems to be taking this in stride.
I did find out that one of our ministers went to undergrad UNC and is a great fan of our sports teams. I am so proud of him for saying so and have volunteered for one of his volunteer groups where they need help. I will see if it is something I can keep up as it is hospital visitation and I think you get people so ill, they hardly know you are there all the way to people who could not be happier that someone from church came by to see them. I was among the latter so I am hoping this can do people a lot of good.
I have a sinus infection but did go to the doctor yesterday and get some meds. It seems to be working pretty well. I do feel better today after having several doses.
John, Lauren, and David were here yesterday and we had a great time visiting. We didn't do anything special, just sat around and told funny stories. John's workplace rigs his computer with a practical joke every Friday so that he never knows what he will find on Mondays when he comes in. I hope it doesn't get out of hand but he seems to have a good sense of humor about it.
3/13/09
03/13/09 Fri
Well, we got to another Friday the 13th. Today Lauren and John come in from far-off places to spend the afternoon with me. Then they go to Greensboro for the remainder of the weekend. Looks like beautiful weather has turned sour on us. But then, who thought 80 degree weather would last during March.
My sinuses are giving me a fit last night and this morning. I guess I will wait until Monday to see if they improve but I think I am headed for a doctor visit with this as it has gotten worse as the week went by. Maybe the weather today makes them feel even worse. I called the doctor's office and left a message to see if there is any kind of medicine they can recommend or call in without my coming in. I don't even know if my doctor is working today though so we'll just wait and see if anything comes of the call. I have seen doctors ad infinitum since surgery and I really hate to have to ask someone to take me yet again, but I may have to in order to get any relief. (No, my doctor is not in and the one who is in says she will need to see me. John and Lauren and David, I guess, are going to get me in at 3 p.m. I hope it takes moments and not an hour or two. Maybe it will be fast since it is a Friday and I am sure they try to see as few people as possible in order to get out for the weekend....at least, that is the way I hope it will go.)
Yesterday, I worked on the computer a lot and straightened up on the house. I wish it were a little straighter but I feel too tired to do much more with it. I hope to watch the Carolina game later but only if they are winning. I am a wimp about watching them lose.
I think I have done all the "must do's" for the week so I can rest until the "kids" get here.
I went to take my shower a little while ago and Milo did not come so I looked outside in the hallway of the entrance to my condo and there he sat, just waiting for me to figure out he was outside. He must have sneaked out when I got the paper and I am glad he wasn't all the way outside. I don't really believe he could fend for himself in the world. He missed his beloved shower, however. That was the first thing he went to check when I got him back in. I think he thought, "Oh, shucks, I missed it."
My sinuses are giving me a fit last night and this morning. I guess I will wait until Monday to see if they improve but I think I am headed for a doctor visit with this as it has gotten worse as the week went by. Maybe the weather today makes them feel even worse. I called the doctor's office and left a message to see if there is any kind of medicine they can recommend or call in without my coming in. I don't even know if my doctor is working today though so we'll just wait and see if anything comes of the call. I have seen doctors ad infinitum since surgery and I really hate to have to ask someone to take me yet again, but I may have to in order to get any relief. (No, my doctor is not in and the one who is in says she will need to see me. John and Lauren and David, I guess, are going to get me in at 3 p.m. I hope it takes moments and not an hour or two. Maybe it will be fast since it is a Friday and I am sure they try to see as few people as possible in order to get out for the weekend....at least, that is the way I hope it will go.)
Yesterday, I worked on the computer a lot and straightened up on the house. I wish it were a little straighter but I feel too tired to do much more with it. I hope to watch the Carolina game later but only if they are winning. I am a wimp about watching them lose.
I think I have done all the "must do's" for the week so I can rest until the "kids" get here.
I went to take my shower a little while ago and Milo did not come so I looked outside in the hallway of the entrance to my condo and there he sat, just waiting for me to figure out he was outside. He must have sneaked out when I got the paper and I am glad he wasn't all the way outside. I don't really believe he could fend for himself in the world. He missed his beloved shower, however. That was the first thing he went to check when I got him back in. I think he thought, "Oh, shucks, I missed it."
3/10/09
03/10/2009 Tues
Yesterday, my dentist put the cap back on my tooth. At least we didn't have to start from scratch which probably saved a ton of $$$. Then I have my regular dental exam on Monday the 16th. I missed an exam during the time I was down and out and I am hoping this one goes okay. I have been brushing my teeth many many times per day of late. Seems like it perks me up.
We had an archeologist speak in our Year Through the Bible Series last night at church. Someone needed to have impressed upon him the one hour limit we agreed to for these talks. At one hour and 10 minutes, he was still saying he would talk about certain subjects later in his talk. Then he asked how much longer he had and one of our ministers diplomatically answered, "5 minutes." Long story short, it went on for about one and one half hours. It would have been okay another time, but the time change had us all jet-lagged and he wasn't the easiest person to understand. He did not enunciate well and some of the words he used were not in my vocabulary to start with. I think everyone could tell he really loved his subject and knew his material well. I think he also had a valid idea for his conclusions about one dig he was telling us about but by then, everyone was fidgeting to leave so I am not sure it had quite the impact it would have if the speech had been a little shorter or if someone had told us up front it would be longer than usual.
Oh, gee, I have the appointment to get my scalp examined this morning (not my head, my scalp). I hope it has healed enough to allow it to continue to heal without intervention. I think it has healed a great deal in the last 6 weeks or so. But I'll do as they say. I am not a great diagnostician. (It turned out well. LeAnn agreed to give it 3 to 4 more weeks and if it is not substantially improved yet again, then we are to call her and she will see me again. I hope it will be pretty much healed over by then.) Someone please tell me how you can have the very first appointment of the day and still have to wait 20 minutes past appointment time to be called back! "I do declare" as my mother would have said.
I cut some chunks of hair off Gray last night and I butchered his hairstyle. I think Milo has bitten on him and gotten his hair wet and matted down his back. I couldn't get the chunks combed out so I just cut them out. I hope his hair grows back fast and starts to look more normal since I hate for Dr. Green to see this handiwork. Gray has an appointment in mid-April for his annual checkup and shots so I may need a voodoo doctor to say a few words over him to see if that will make his hair grow back fast.
Milo now stays in the shower stall while I shower. He is rather stubborn about it as I have tried to nudge him out but he just squirms all around my foot and insists on staying in the shower. He still does not want to get thoroughly wet which makes it hard on me trying to shower myself with him in there. I was looking at a cat book at Park Road today and one of the clerks told me she has a cat who goes in the shower with her and her husband and gets himself wet as can be. She said one day, he jumped into the tub when it had water in it and the cat just sat there like "I really don't mind this." If Milo gets that attuned to water, he will be getting bathed by his mom. I would love to give that little fellow a bath. I know that long hair picks up all kinds of dust and dirt and it needs washing every now and then. I might just take that shower head someday and some baby shampoo and have at it. I'll ask Dr. Green first about the shampoo. I would think baby shampoo would be all right, though. Gray wanted to lay next to me last night and Milo sulked about it. He went to one corner of the bed and turned his rear toward me and Gray and I could almost hear steam coming out of his ears. He was mad and wanted me to know it. I did get the general idea of what he thought about the situation. I told him I loved him but he has not had his coronation yet so he is going to have to live in shared space with Gray (who is the grand old man of the household anyway).
My sister's dog is not doing well. Poor old Biscuit has not had the best life. She is a stray that my nephew brought home because he is so kind he couldn't stand to see her wandering a parking lot day after day. She is huge and kind of scary until you get to know her. She wants to gain your favor since she doesn't want to jeopardize her new life of being cared for. Unfortunately, she seems to have hurt her back or pulled a ligament ...or something. My sister is taking her back to the vet today and see if ex-rays might show them what is wrong. I think she fears cancer as this will break her son's heart. I hope it is something temporary so the dog can have a little bit of happiness in this world and not drive us all nuts trying to cure what may not be curable. I'll hear more about the vet results later today.
Tomorrow, personal trainer and unemployed group at Church. Someone who wrote a book about job searching is to be our speaker.
We had an archeologist speak in our Year Through the Bible Series last night at church. Someone needed to have impressed upon him the one hour limit we agreed to for these talks. At one hour and 10 minutes, he was still saying he would talk about certain subjects later in his talk. Then he asked how much longer he had and one of our ministers diplomatically answered, "5 minutes." Long story short, it went on for about one and one half hours. It would have been okay another time, but the time change had us all jet-lagged and he wasn't the easiest person to understand. He did not enunciate well and some of the words he used were not in my vocabulary to start with. I think everyone could tell he really loved his subject and knew his material well. I think he also had a valid idea for his conclusions about one dig he was telling us about but by then, everyone was fidgeting to leave so I am not sure it had quite the impact it would have if the speech had been a little shorter or if someone had told us up front it would be longer than usual.
Oh, gee, I have the appointment to get my scalp examined this morning (not my head, my scalp). I hope it has healed enough to allow it to continue to heal without intervention. I think it has healed a great deal in the last 6 weeks or so. But I'll do as they say. I am not a great diagnostician. (It turned out well. LeAnn agreed to give it 3 to 4 more weeks and if it is not substantially improved yet again, then we are to call her and she will see me again. I hope it will be pretty much healed over by then.) Someone please tell me how you can have the very first appointment of the day and still have to wait 20 minutes past appointment time to be called back! "I do declare" as my mother would have said.
I cut some chunks of hair off Gray last night and I butchered his hairstyle. I think Milo has bitten on him and gotten his hair wet and matted down his back. I couldn't get the chunks combed out so I just cut them out. I hope his hair grows back fast and starts to look more normal since I hate for Dr. Green to see this handiwork. Gray has an appointment in mid-April for his annual checkup and shots so I may need a voodoo doctor to say a few words over him to see if that will make his hair grow back fast.
Milo now stays in the shower stall while I shower. He is rather stubborn about it as I have tried to nudge him out but he just squirms all around my foot and insists on staying in the shower. He still does not want to get thoroughly wet which makes it hard on me trying to shower myself with him in there. I was looking at a cat book at Park Road today and one of the clerks told me she has a cat who goes in the shower with her and her husband and gets himself wet as can be. She said one day, he jumped into the tub when it had water in it and the cat just sat there like "I really don't mind this." If Milo gets that attuned to water, he will be getting bathed by his mom. I would love to give that little fellow a bath. I know that long hair picks up all kinds of dust and dirt and it needs washing every now and then. I might just take that shower head someday and some baby shampoo and have at it. I'll ask Dr. Green first about the shampoo. I would think baby shampoo would be all right, though. Gray wanted to lay next to me last night and Milo sulked about it. He went to one corner of the bed and turned his rear toward me and Gray and I could almost hear steam coming out of his ears. He was mad and wanted me to know it. I did get the general idea of what he thought about the situation. I told him I loved him but he has not had his coronation yet so he is going to have to live in shared space with Gray (who is the grand old man of the household anyway).
My sister's dog is not doing well. Poor old Biscuit has not had the best life. She is a stray that my nephew brought home because he is so kind he couldn't stand to see her wandering a parking lot day after day. She is huge and kind of scary until you get to know her. She wants to gain your favor since she doesn't want to jeopardize her new life of being cared for. Unfortunately, she seems to have hurt her back or pulled a ligament ...or something. My sister is taking her back to the vet today and see if ex-rays might show them what is wrong. I think she fears cancer as this will break her son's heart. I hope it is something temporary so the dog can have a little bit of happiness in this world and not drive us all nuts trying to cure what may not be curable. I'll hear more about the vet results later today.
Tomorrow, personal trainer and unemployed group at Church. Someone who wrote a book about job searching is to be our speaker.
3/9/09
03/09/2009 Mon
The daughter of a friend of ours sang The Lord's Prayer in Sunday School yesterday as a solo. It was absolutely so beautiful that tears welled up in my eyes. (We have a great pianist who accompanied her.) The soloist's mother was a little nervous beforehand but it went very very well. I wish she would do it again and again.
We went to the Duke game yesterday and WE WON, WE WON, WE WON.
And we saw the couple who sit in front of us at football games. They have been following my recovery progress and could not have been sweeter to me.
Not only did we win the game but we won the regular season ACC championship. I saw 3 people the whole day who had Duke t-shirts on and of course one of them sat right in front of Don - a big guy dating a Carolina girl and both of them behaved very well, thank you very much. Don thought the guy smelled a little funky. I can't smell so it didn't bother me. It did bother Don so we switched seats. I was glad the guy behaved as I would have had to smart-mouth off to him probably if he had acted up. Some lady to my left shouted out to him when he arrived that if he kept his mouth shut, he might live to go home. She did say it in a kidding voice and he took it very well. I had a feeling they knew one another. The guy and his girlfriend left early, by the way. Of course, to me and Don, the end was the best part. We planned to stay to the sweet end but maybe not to the bitter end ourselves.
Since we won, Milo can get over the women's loss on Saturday. He was so bummed about it especially since he had spent his valuable time watching it (on his mom's lap). Now his men have won so he is better.
We had a good day, getting there before the Bowles room opened and staying for the senior celebration and cutting down of the net as this was the last regular season game and represented the regular season ACC championship to UNC. Hansbrough cried and could barely do his speech, he was so emotional. I wanted to go hug him and tell him everything was going to be all right. On the way home, Don told me how cutting down the net got started in the late 40s to early 50s. He really does know everything about football and basketball. Lots of history there and he is always prepared for final exams on the subjects.
I loved every minute of the day - well, almost every minute. We did get in a traffic jam on the way home and one of my many caps came out on the way to the game. (Dentist time. I had and still have an appointment for a check-up on the 16th and I'll have to see if he can see me this week instead or maybe in addition. Luckily, it does not hurt.)
Don was allowed to drop me off near the line to get into the Bowles room and then we got a cart to drive us PART of the way up the hill to the car once we left the game and after-game events. We were a little worried about the walk to and from the game but I managed just fine especially since Don made every effort to let me rest periodically as well as get me as close as possible using university vehicles that were always willing. (It is amazing what a little brain surgery will get you!) Even so, there were lots of stair steps on the way back to the car but that was the path that appeared shorter than walking on land the whole way up. I have had such a difficult time with stairs that it is amazing to go up all those steps with confidence. I do still hold onto railings as I need that extra balance and security but I am not just pulling myself up steps with my arms as I once had to do.
On the ride home there was a traffic jam near Lexington. We never did see a "for sure" cause for the jam-up. But it took about an hour to go .6 of a mile. Both of us were tired by then so it was hard on the nerves but we finally un-jammed and then things went smoothly all the way back home. Don and I are becoming expert waiting people. After that night in the emergency room for 9 hours or so, we decided we need a certificate for being masters of waiting. So we always tell ourselves that after the ER wait, we can handle any wait life can dish out to us. It gets us through.
Milo and Gray weathered my absence just fine but they were ready for some "real" food - (canned instead of dry) - as it was 11:09 pm when we got back to my place. Gray always demonstrates his hunger to me by licking on the kitchen floor as if he is so hungry he could just eat dirt. There was not a morsel remaining of the dry food I left out for them. I did give Milo his med before I went to bed so we now have day one under our belt and it has stayed down so far. He did look a little shocked that I was doing this to him a second time in one day and he now recognizes the little stopper that contains the liquid medicine. Uh oh. That is not good since we have 9 days to go. I feel bad about giving him this liquid med because I can tell it tastes bad to him but I have had pills before for cats and "whoa, Nellie". After the first couple of doses, it is really difficult to get the rest of the pills down whereas you put this liquid as far back in their mouth as possible, squeeze the stopper to push the liquid into their mouth and they are practically forced to swallow it. These little guys catch on fast to meds and pills and I am afraid Milo will be no exception. (But he might be an exception. You know he still gets in the shower every day even though he runs out once the first big drop of water hits him. Then he is right back in there the next day - even races to get to the shower stall for fear he is going to miss out on the big event. Then he gets out and peers in every now and then or bats his paws at drops of water that happen to hit near his "entrance" to the stall. You gotta love him. No matter how mad I get with him over his rude treatment of Gray, I just look at that little "mushed in" face and I say "But you are cute" and I let him continue to live. He always gives me this look of "I knew you couldn't do what you threatened." Poor old Gray races to me when he dares come out into the living room because he knows I will protect him from "that mean thing." What did I ever do with my time in pre-cat life. I think I owned dogs and that will really keep you hopping.)
We went to the Duke game yesterday and WE WON, WE WON, WE WON.
And we saw the couple who sit in front of us at football games. They have been following my recovery progress and could not have been sweeter to me.
Not only did we win the game but we won the regular season ACC championship. I saw 3 people the whole day who had Duke t-shirts on and of course one of them sat right in front of Don - a big guy dating a Carolina girl and both of them behaved very well, thank you very much. Don thought the guy smelled a little funky. I can't smell so it didn't bother me. It did bother Don so we switched seats. I was glad the guy behaved as I would have had to smart-mouth off to him probably if he had acted up. Some lady to my left shouted out to him when he arrived that if he kept his mouth shut, he might live to go home. She did say it in a kidding voice and he took it very well. I had a feeling they knew one another. The guy and his girlfriend left early, by the way. Of course, to me and Don, the end was the best part. We planned to stay to the sweet end but maybe not to the bitter end ourselves.Since we won, Milo can get over the women's loss on Saturday. He was so bummed about it especially since he had spent his valuable time watching it (on his mom's lap). Now his men have won so he is better.
We had a good day, getting there before the Bowles room opened and staying for the senior celebration and cutting down of the net as this was the last regular season game and represented the regular season ACC championship to UNC. Hansbrough cried and could barely do his speech, he was so emotional. I wanted to go hug him and tell him everything was going to be all right. On the way home, Don told me how cutting down the net got started in the late 40s to early 50s. He really does know everything about football and basketball. Lots of history there and he is always prepared for final exams on the subjects.
I loved every minute of the day - well, almost every minute. We did get in a traffic jam on the way home and one of my many caps came out on the way to the game. (Dentist time. I had and still have an appointment for a check-up on the 16th and I'll have to see if he can see me this week instead or maybe in addition. Luckily, it does not hurt.)
Don was allowed to drop me off near the line to get into the Bowles room and then we got a cart to drive us PART of the way up the hill to the car once we left the game and after-game events. We were a little worried about the walk to and from the game but I managed just fine especially since Don made every effort to let me rest periodically as well as get me as close as possible using university vehicles that were always willing. (It is amazing what a little brain surgery will get you!) Even so, there were lots of stair steps on the way back to the car but that was the path that appeared shorter than walking on land the whole way up. I have had such a difficult time with stairs that it is amazing to go up all those steps with confidence. I do still hold onto railings as I need that extra balance and security but I am not just pulling myself up steps with my arms as I once had to do.
On the ride home there was a traffic jam near Lexington. We never did see a "for sure" cause for the jam-up. But it took about an hour to go .6 of a mile. Both of us were tired by then so it was hard on the nerves but we finally un-jammed and then things went smoothly all the way back home. Don and I are becoming expert waiting people. After that night in the emergency room for 9 hours or so, we decided we need a certificate for being masters of waiting. So we always tell ourselves that after the ER wait, we can handle any wait life can dish out to us. It gets us through.
Milo and Gray weathered my absence just fine but they were ready for some "real" food - (canned instead of dry) - as it was 11:09 pm when we got back to my place. Gray always demonstrates his hunger to me by licking on the kitchen floor as if he is so hungry he could just eat dirt. There was not a morsel remaining of the dry food I left out for them. I did give Milo his med before I went to bed so we now have day one under our belt and it has stayed down so far. He did look a little shocked that I was doing this to him a second time in one day and he now recognizes the little stopper that contains the liquid medicine. Uh oh. That is not good since we have 9 days to go. I feel bad about giving him this liquid med because I can tell it tastes bad to him but I have had pills before for cats and "whoa, Nellie". After the first couple of doses, it is really difficult to get the rest of the pills down whereas you put this liquid as far back in their mouth as possible, squeeze the stopper to push the liquid into their mouth and they are practically forced to swallow it. These little guys catch on fast to meds and pills and I am afraid Milo will be no exception. (But he might be an exception. You know he still gets in the shower every day even though he runs out once the first big drop of water hits him. Then he is right back in there the next day - even races to get to the shower stall for fear he is going to miss out on the big event. Then he gets out and peers in every now and then or bats his paws at drops of water that happen to hit near his "entrance" to the stall. You gotta love him. No matter how mad I get with him over his rude treatment of Gray, I just look at that little "mushed in" face and I say "But you are cute" and I let him continue to live. He always gives me this look of "I knew you couldn't do what you threatened." Poor old Gray races to me when he dares come out into the living room because he knows I will protect him from "that mean thing." What did I ever do with my time in pre-cat life. I think I owned dogs and that will really keep you hopping.)
3/8/09
03/08/2009 Sun
Slept better last night but am still a little tired. I gave Milo his antibiotic this morning. I did reduce the dose and gave him about 2/3 of what I was giving him. He seems to be keeping it down this time but it is early in the game. He wasn't much interested in eating earlier but he did eat some and went to his dry food bowl and ate a few kernels of that. He has also rallied enough to chase his brother, Grayson, all over the house. If Milo were human, he would want to be a football player. He likes contact sports and doesn't realize he is a bit too small for all that rough and tumble. He has attitude though and Grayson buys into his attitude and runs away from him. Grayson doesn't realize he is a cat, having been raised by humans his entire life so he doesn't know what that thing, Milo, is. He figures it is best to get away from "it". So I intervene most of the time to help Grayson out.
I am going to start getting ready for a full day out. I am looking forward to it. I always love Dr. Howell's sermons, my SS class chooses great books to discuss, I love Sunday morning breakfast, and I have missed my trips to Chapel Hill sorely. I am used to going to games all the time and haven't been to one since the first football game last year. This is not my normal life. I think this tumor made Don miss lots of games too and this is not a good thing. Neither I nor anyone else we meet thinks there could be a bigger fan of a sport than Don is of football. It can be anyone playing and he wants to see the game. I have come to look upon it as a strategy thing and that makes it interesting. I thought for a time last year football games ought to be the way countries go to war. At least there are rules although I believe part of the strategy is bullying someone else on the field. I have seen fists pointed at other players faces AFTER the play was over. It is like fans now. It is getting a little too rough and I hope people can start putting games into perspective. There can be too much buildup and emotion about A GAME. I still like to see the football players dance when they are happy with a play though. But I think even that can get out of hand and come across as rubbing it in to the opposing team. So, win by one point and get safely out of town is my motto for an away game. There are some of those that are too rich for my blood. I will just watch those on tv. I want to be out of town already when the game ends. Too intimidating.
I am going to start getting ready for a full day out. I am looking forward to it. I always love Dr. Howell's sermons, my SS class chooses great books to discuss, I love Sunday morning breakfast, and I have missed my trips to Chapel Hill sorely. I am used to going to games all the time and haven't been to one since the first football game last year. This is not my normal life. I think this tumor made Don miss lots of games too and this is not a good thing. Neither I nor anyone else we meet thinks there could be a bigger fan of a sport than Don is of football. It can be anyone playing and he wants to see the game. I have come to look upon it as a strategy thing and that makes it interesting. I thought for a time last year football games ought to be the way countries go to war. At least there are rules although I believe part of the strategy is bullying someone else on the field. I have seen fists pointed at other players faces AFTER the play was over. It is like fans now. It is getting a little too rough and I hope people can start putting games into perspective. There can be too much buildup and emotion about A GAME. I still like to see the football players dance when they are happy with a play though. But I think even that can get out of hand and come across as rubbing it in to the opposing team. So, win by one point and get safely out of town is my motto for an away game. There are some of those that are too rich for my blood. I will just watch those on tv. I want to be out of town already when the game ends. Too intimidating.
3/7/09
Slideshow at the top right
I wanted to identify the players in the slideshow that has been out on the upper right side for a while on this blog.
(1) It usually starts with Jennifer standing beside me with her arms crossed. She is one of the Physical Therapists, who is a tried and true Carolina fan. We gave her tickets to a game and she was thrilled. It is nice to make someone that happy every now and then. I wanted her to be my main therapist but that did not happen because Jennifer was certified to work with children and the PT unit has to use those folks for the children mostly. Not every therapist is certified to work with children so the unit has to use their time to best advantage to accommodate the many children who need help.
(2 & 3) Then comes LeAnn and then LeAnn again. She is Dr. Asher's nurse in whom he places a lot of confidence. I guess so, she (at least she tries to) cajoles people into thinking a fall on solid concrete is nothing to worry about.
(4 & 5) Dr. Asher and Me, Dr. Asher and me. Cutie pie - him, not me. What a great surgeon and how lucky I feel to have happened across him.
(6) Then comes Teri, the 6 foot tall office manager who still wears her high heels. She gets things done so if I ever have trouble getting to the right person, I call her. She'll get me there.
(7) Then comes LeAnn again,
(8 & 9) then the appointment card for the scalp inspection, and again the appointment card,
(10) then me alone,
(11, 12, & 13) then info that is in the office on Dr. Asher, and more info on Dr. Asher and again more info on Dr. Asher.
I love and admire these people for what they are capable of doing, I will miss them if I ever get finished with them. I think I might have to have periodic MRIs though as I had no real definable symptoms all the years I must have been growing a tumor in my head. The only thing that really told the tale was the MRI that Dr Bullock recommended be done. I was evidently not behaving as if I was interested in much of anything and Don says I was downright ignoring of him - and rude, to boot. I walked off once when he was telling me about a surgery he was about to have. Fine example I am, huh? I didn't mean to be mean to anyone, but evidently these things in the front of your head cause you to be oblivious to what your actions are doing to other people. I had to be dragged back in to the doctor practically. I had just had a physical with result that nothing showed up as being abnormal so I thought this extra bit was ridiculous and unnecessary. So, ladies and gentlemen, get an MRI occasionally as this might save your very life or at least your eyesight. Listen to those who might tell you that you are not yourself lately. Maybe you are not and maybe there is a reason. You won't know but they will. (I also lost my sense of smell before the surgery but I thought it was just that I had recurring sinus infections that must have damaged my ability to smell. So much for self-diagnosis. It was the tumor.) And now I have real trouble with my eyesight as a result of the surgery. I have no peripheral vision and that makes things difficult to focus on and makes it hard to read, impossible to drive, makes me very cautious about walking outside on sidewalks, grass, gravel, etc., and I am convinced hurts my ability to balance when exercising or walking. I really do feel myself veering to the right or left often and I have to steady myself for a moment when this happens.
I think I am going to get through the Bible well before year-end and maybe before June 30th. I am finished with Lamentations and have begun Ezekiel. Wow, Jeremiah and Lamentations are sad and horrifying. God got so mad with the tribe of Judah that He told them He would make things so bad and desperate for them that they would eat their own children and each other. And He did too. Now, God is deciding to keep his promise to make them a great nation and is blessing them once again. I guess all of us are prone to taking a country mile when offered an inch or becoming complacent, as opposed to thankful, when we are used to more blessings than troubles. I know I felt I was sailing along pretty well and then, BAM, big trouble. I really do know what it means to turn things over to God and others. Anytime I think I can impact a result, I am in there fighting but this time, I saw nothing I could do to effect a positive outcome except to trust the doctors.
Happy Easter (soon anyway).
I will keep plowing away with reading the Bible all the way through (or rather listening to it on tape). I am listening to the King James version but now have on my Kindle 2, the NIV and the English Standard Versions. Kindle 2 will read to you if you push a certain button. Amazon sent me the ESV for free. I went out and looked at "Amazon's recommendations for Linda", clicked on it and up came a description of this ESV Bible which said the cost was $0.00, a savings of $9.99. So guess what, I ordered it. I can handle free and I like it too. I guess I will be checking those recommendations more often from now on. As much as the Kindle 2 cost, they can afford to send me a free book every now and then. I can also order periodicals, newspapers, magazines, certain Blogs on the Kindle 2 but I think I prefer most of those on paper. I would like Ben Witherington's blog on Kindle but I didn't see it as one that was offered. Here are a couple of really funny ones from his blog that also goes along with the Old Testament (well sort of).
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-things-get-squirrelly-at-church-or.html
and
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/human-behavior-finally-explained.html
Type at you another time.
(1) It usually starts with Jennifer standing beside me with her arms crossed. She is one of the Physical Therapists, who is a tried and true Carolina fan. We gave her tickets to a game and she was thrilled. It is nice to make someone that happy every now and then. I wanted her to be my main therapist but that did not happen because Jennifer was certified to work with children and the PT unit has to use those folks for the children mostly. Not every therapist is certified to work with children so the unit has to use their time to best advantage to accommodate the many children who need help.
(2 & 3) Then comes LeAnn and then LeAnn again. She is Dr. Asher's nurse in whom he places a lot of confidence. I guess so, she (at least she tries to) cajoles people into thinking a fall on solid concrete is nothing to worry about.
(4 & 5) Dr. Asher and Me, Dr. Asher and me. Cutie pie - him, not me. What a great surgeon and how lucky I feel to have happened across him.
(6) Then comes Teri, the 6 foot tall office manager who still wears her high heels. She gets things done so if I ever have trouble getting to the right person, I call her. She'll get me there.
(7) Then comes LeAnn again,
(8 & 9) then the appointment card for the scalp inspection, and again the appointment card,
(10) then me alone,
(11, 12, & 13) then info that is in the office on Dr. Asher, and more info on Dr. Asher and again more info on Dr. Asher.
I love and admire these people for what they are capable of doing, I will miss them if I ever get finished with them. I think I might have to have periodic MRIs though as I had no real definable symptoms all the years I must have been growing a tumor in my head. The only thing that really told the tale was the MRI that Dr Bullock recommended be done. I was evidently not behaving as if I was interested in much of anything and Don says I was downright ignoring of him - and rude, to boot. I walked off once when he was telling me about a surgery he was about to have. Fine example I am, huh? I didn't mean to be mean to anyone, but evidently these things in the front of your head cause you to be oblivious to what your actions are doing to other people. I had to be dragged back in to the doctor practically. I had just had a physical with result that nothing showed up as being abnormal so I thought this extra bit was ridiculous and unnecessary. So, ladies and gentlemen, get an MRI occasionally as this might save your very life or at least your eyesight. Listen to those who might tell you that you are not yourself lately. Maybe you are not and maybe there is a reason. You won't know but they will. (I also lost my sense of smell before the surgery but I thought it was just that I had recurring sinus infections that must have damaged my ability to smell. So much for self-diagnosis. It was the tumor.) And now I have real trouble with my eyesight as a result of the surgery. I have no peripheral vision and that makes things difficult to focus on and makes it hard to read, impossible to drive, makes me very cautious about walking outside on sidewalks, grass, gravel, etc., and I am convinced hurts my ability to balance when exercising or walking. I really do feel myself veering to the right or left often and I have to steady myself for a moment when this happens.
I think I am going to get through the Bible well before year-end and maybe before June 30th. I am finished with Lamentations and have begun Ezekiel. Wow, Jeremiah and Lamentations are sad and horrifying. God got so mad with the tribe of Judah that He told them He would make things so bad and desperate for them that they would eat their own children and each other. And He did too. Now, God is deciding to keep his promise to make them a great nation and is blessing them once again. I guess all of us are prone to taking a country mile when offered an inch or becoming complacent, as opposed to thankful, when we are used to more blessings than troubles. I know I felt I was sailing along pretty well and then, BAM, big trouble. I really do know what it means to turn things over to God and others. Anytime I think I can impact a result, I am in there fighting but this time, I saw nothing I could do to effect a positive outcome except to trust the doctors.
Happy Easter (soon anyway).
I will keep plowing away with reading the Bible all the way through (or rather listening to it on tape). I am listening to the King James version but now have on my Kindle 2, the NIV and the English Standard Versions. Kindle 2 will read to you if you push a certain button. Amazon sent me the ESV for free. I went out and looked at "Amazon's recommendations for Linda", clicked on it and up came a description of this ESV Bible which said the cost was $0.00, a savings of $9.99. So guess what, I ordered it. I can handle free and I like it too. I guess I will be checking those recommendations more often from now on. As much as the Kindle 2 cost, they can afford to send me a free book every now and then. I can also order periodicals, newspapers, magazines, certain Blogs on the Kindle 2 but I think I prefer most of those on paper. I would like Ben Witherington's blog on Kindle but I didn't see it as one that was offered. Here are a couple of really funny ones from his blog that also goes along with the Old Testament (well sort of).
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-things-get-squirrelly-at-church-or.html
and
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/human-behavior-finally-explained.html
Type at you another time.
03/07/2009 Sat evening
We went to a birthday party in Myers Park tonight and the house was really beautiful. The food was excellent and they kept refilling the shrimp as it got used up. I just wanted to take the whole platter and go somewhere with it so I could eat it up. Of course, I didn't.
Our women lost their ACC basketball game to Maryland this afternoon. Milo sat on my lap for a good portion of the last half and was content as could be. But he was sad when they lost. He is a Carolina fan no matter the sport. I am going to start back his medicine tonight and I half way dread it as it was making him a little sick before. I am going to cut back the dose just a smidge and give him his dose in 2 or 3 little efforts rather than all at once. Maybe he was almost choking on such a big mouthful. I hope so as I don't want to torment him for 10 days or so, but I do want to try and get him well. Don told me that I was going by Bertha's theory that her cholesterol had improved so she no longer needed the medicine that made it better. I am just going to try and toe the line and get this stuff down him and see if there is not significant improvement in his congestion. Both Dr. Green and this newer vet have said this might just be a chronic and recurring condition with him and if so, we will just have to live with it. They can't keep giving him antibiotics over and over again. I love animals but sometimes they are a real worry. It makes me sad when there isn't really anything to be done to relieve their problems. Marlene is already having major problems with their only remaining dog after having just been through a year or more of extraordinary effort with their Tess dog - only to lose her in the end. Kudos to Daniel for trying to give this current dog some quality of life after she was a stray for so long. It just broke his heart seeing her wander a parking lot day after day. Poor Marlene, she gets to do the hard work of caring for her as she seems to be the only one so far having any luck getting her medicine to go down.
Not much else went on today. I changed a few clocks (the ones I am pretty sure don't change themselves AND that were fairly easy to figure out), straightened up on the house, watched the women's basketball game, finally dressed, and went to the party. I am going to bed in a moment and hope I can sleep more than the 3 or 4 hours I slept last night. Next week, I have my trainer 2 days and a dentist appointment. I also have the appointment to let someone look at (and maybe do something about) my scalp to see if it is finally healing on its own or if we need to stitch it back up. Please pray with me that it is healing on its own at long last. I haven't just purely dreaded many of these appointments but this one scares me a little. I am not much of a person who is interested in painful experiences. I have had one too many accidental ones of late. (I did dread getting the staples - over 50 of them - removed but that wound up being pretty much a non-event. It really did not hurt unless she pulled out some hair with the staple. Maybe this will be the same, worrying over nothing.)
I WORE MY PIERCED EARRINGS TONIGHT. IT IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD EARRINGS ON SINCE OCTOBER AND I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED MY EAR PIERCINGS HAD NOT GROWN BACK TOGETHER. MAYBE I HAD IT DONE SO LONG AGO THAT THAT IS UNLIKELY. AND IF MY HEAD LACERATIONS WON'T HEAL, WHY WOULD MY EARLOBES GIVE ME A DIFFERENT RESULT.
Good night and happy birthday, Bertha Gerald and Margaret Schrum. May you both have long, happy, and prosperous lives. You are both charming and wonderful people.
Our women lost their ACC basketball game to Maryland this afternoon. Milo sat on my lap for a good portion of the last half and was content as could be. But he was sad when they lost. He is a Carolina fan no matter the sport. I am going to start back his medicine tonight and I half way dread it as it was making him a little sick before. I am going to cut back the dose just a smidge and give him his dose in 2 or 3 little efforts rather than all at once. Maybe he was almost choking on such a big mouthful. I hope so as I don't want to torment him for 10 days or so, but I do want to try and get him well. Don told me that I was going by Bertha's theory that her cholesterol had improved so she no longer needed the medicine that made it better. I am just going to try and toe the line and get this stuff down him and see if there is not significant improvement in his congestion. Both Dr. Green and this newer vet have said this might just be a chronic and recurring condition with him and if so, we will just have to live with it. They can't keep giving him antibiotics over and over again. I love animals but sometimes they are a real worry. It makes me sad when there isn't really anything to be done to relieve their problems. Marlene is already having major problems with their only remaining dog after having just been through a year or more of extraordinary effort with their Tess dog - only to lose her in the end. Kudos to Daniel for trying to give this current dog some quality of life after she was a stray for so long. It just broke his heart seeing her wander a parking lot day after day. Poor Marlene, she gets to do the hard work of caring for her as she seems to be the only one so far having any luck getting her medicine to go down.
Not much else went on today. I changed a few clocks (the ones I am pretty sure don't change themselves AND that were fairly easy to figure out), straightened up on the house, watched the women's basketball game, finally dressed, and went to the party. I am going to bed in a moment and hope I can sleep more than the 3 or 4 hours I slept last night. Next week, I have my trainer 2 days and a dentist appointment. I also have the appointment to let someone look at (and maybe do something about) my scalp to see if it is finally healing on its own or if we need to stitch it back up. Please pray with me that it is healing on its own at long last. I haven't just purely dreaded many of these appointments but this one scares me a little. I am not much of a person who is interested in painful experiences. I have had one too many accidental ones of late. (I did dread getting the staples - over 50 of them - removed but that wound up being pretty much a non-event. It really did not hurt unless she pulled out some hair with the staple. Maybe this will be the same, worrying over nothing.)
I WORE MY PIERCED EARRINGS TONIGHT. IT IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD EARRINGS ON SINCE OCTOBER AND I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED MY EAR PIERCINGS HAD NOT GROWN BACK TOGETHER. MAYBE I HAD IT DONE SO LONG AGO THAT THAT IS UNLIKELY. AND IF MY HEAD LACERATIONS WON'T HEAL, WHY WOULD MY EARLOBES GIVE ME A DIFFERENT RESULT.
Good night and happy birthday, Bertha Gerald and Margaret Schrum. May you both have long, happy, and prosperous lives. You are both charming and wonderful people.
03/06/2009 Fri
Finally, the first of my sessions with a trainer at the YWCA. Joe set me up with a female member of his employees. She is very good and I asked her if she was a physical therapist since she can tell in an instant when your legs are not turned correctly or your back is too stiff. She said she was in training to become a physical therapist but that was different than her trainer responsibilities. (She does not have to be as conservative in her expectations as a trainer). Surprisingly, a lot of these exercises are variations on yoga that I took years ago and loved. I had to do a bridge today and hold it for two and a half minutes. That was the exercise I offered one thereapist money to forget about. It must be extraordinarily good for you as it was the first thing she wanted me to do today. But she was careful to ask me to let her know if something was too much right now. Then we did our session where she assessed my strength and was pleasantly surprised to learn I could do everything she asked of me even to levels she would not ask on the first day. She had expected I would have more trouble. I know I am getting stronger. I can now walk up and down steps alternating legs and not ALWAYS holding on to the railing. On Thursday, I walked twice - each time for about 40 minutes round trip. I think I am going to take a break from exercise tomorrow or rather what is now today. I need to clean on the house and catch up on bills, etc. Then we are going to the Carolina-Duke game on Sunday after church and breakfast. There will be a lot of strenuous walking there but Don has told me we will take our time going up and down those hills (almost cliffs really). I am looking forward to the trip and spending a day doing only things I love doing. (I even had a friend of mine tell me she would just come get me if Carolina loses since my company might be in a bad mood for the drive home if there is a loss.) I think even a loss will be somewhat bearable since the season is over enough to know there will be an ACC game and the NCAAs are out there as well. Lots of great basketball this time of year. I am glad we are in the ACC. Don is invited to go to Atlanta but he doesn't have a ticket to the games. I imagine there will be plenty for sale at a price if he wants to go badly enough. My niece and her husband are flying in next Friday to spend an afternoon with me so I will be here in Charlotte. They will then go to Greensboro and spend the rest of the weekend. It is nice to see them every now and then. I should have remembered about the tournament before they booked their flight but maybe they will want to watch if Carolina plays while they are here. I can make do with looking in on the game every now and again and trying to keep up with the score - if Carolina plays while they are with me. Poor little Lauren tried to reschedule the visit but couldn't get a refund on the tickets she had already bought. It made me want to cry that she tried so hard. I just can't let her down and love her and John too much to want them worrying. It was my fault anyway for not thinking hard enough before she booked the flight.
Don finally got the last info he needed for his taxes so that looks like it will work out without an extension being necessary. (Nothing like making your tax prep last months longer than it has to.) I have already sent mine off to the state and the IRS. I don't know why but I seem to get refunds from the federal but owe the state a little almost every year. Same thing this year. (And I found a mistake on the forms that my tax prep person filled out. It turned out to be a mistake in the program used by tax prep people so I think I discovered something pretty big. Did you know tax prep people get programs unavailable to us common folk? Evidently they do!!! There was a mistake in the way it picked up itemized deductions vs standard deduction. I noticed because Don and I spent hours finding proof for all those deductions and it looked like standard deduction was used. But no, the number did not match either itemized or standard so I asked what the number represented. Well, there was not a logical explanation so we re-did the forms which led to redoing the state return as well. I was glad to learn that itemized won out so we didn't spend all that time for naught.)
I am having another sleepless night. I may take an ambien Monday night if I don't get some sleep in the next couple of nights. I still don't see how one can be so very tired and yet be unable to sleep. I was really tired tonight even though I did get an hour nap this afternoon - exercise is a great sedative. Anyway I slept great for about 3 hours and have been awake since then. Time changes tonight and we lose an available hour of sleep. It will not likely matter to me as I usually spend most of the night awake anyway. I don't need to be sedated though when we will need to be at it bright and early on Sunday morning. In order to go to church and eat breakfast before we leave, we really must go to the 8:30 a.m. service. I don't want to sleep late and one of the only times I took ambien to get sleep, I slept for 11 hours - probably a result of the drug plus my own exhaustion. I just don't want to trade one problem for another but I am told that sleep is one of the main healers so I really do need to get it one way or another. Don and I have discussed it and decided that when I am going through a long string of nights without sleep, I should pick a couple of nights during the week when I don't have a morning appointment and take the pill. I also am going to ask a pharmacist about Tylenol p.m. or even other over-the-counter solutions. I tried Benadryl but that didn't seem to do it for me. Hydrocodon (sp?) puts me out but that is dangerous to use for purposes other than extraordinary pain since it contains a high concentration of tylenol and can cause liver damage, I learned. Also, in the hospital, the nurse gave me one and had to wait and watch me take it as she says some people hoard them in order to get the narcotic out and use it to make illicit drugs. (For Heavens sake - not my style or expertise.) Anyway, I'm staying away from that too unless the pain gets dreadful. Don was really suspicious of that one, but every time I go in for another visit to the surgeon, someone is asking if I need some more of those pain pills. I must be one of the few that refuse them as they are always asking if I am sure I don't need them. I'll make do with the Tylenol I can get at the drugstore. The remaining pain is primarily a soreness on the outside of my head, probably aggravated by the fall I took on Dec. 29. I don't have inside-my-head pain or headaches. I wish the sores on my head would make some significant healing progress. I think LeAnn is going to stitch me up this week unless they judge that the healing is finally underway on the skin atop my head. Marlene and I think that it has made progress at long last. I hope so because who knows what LeAnn might think appropriate. She wanted me to go home and wait a couple of days to see what happened after I fell. Right, LeAnn!! There was only bleeding inside my brain. What if I hadn't been awake to let her know in a couple of days. I swear it is one her main jobs to run people off and she has about succeeded with me.
Almost Saturday daylight. We have a birthday party to go to today for a lady in our Sunday School class. It is also Bertha's birthday and Don and I have already handled that one. She is so easy to make happy. She loves to be remembered and deserves it too so we try and make a deal out of it. She lost her husband last year after a long illness and now her sister has had her cancer return. Bertha is pretty resilient but I worry about all the stress that comes down on her. She is now skinny Minnie and wonders why the weight won't stay on. She does go to doctors but then won't keep on her meds. She thinks her cholesterol problem is cured since the cholesterol drug brought her numbers down. I told her it won't stay cured if she doesn't stay on the med but no soap. She is not going to continue taking it.
Ben's blog about getting squirrels out of the churches in this one town was hilarious. I hope you got to view it. I believe his sister sent it to him since he thanks her for it in his blog. And I hope you know that usually his blogs are much more serious but when he does one of his cat stories or squirrel stories, he gets lots of comments since they are so fun. Here's the address for the story if you want to look at it.
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-things-get-squirrelly-at-church-or.html
Some of you might want to know how Milo is. He has got lots of head congestion again - it appears to be a chronic problem with his little stubbed off nose. Last night he got mad at me for brushing him and hissed at me, then ran to the bathroom with the shower stall and slept in the stall right over the drain. Today there was a bird on the balcony and he raced across the room intent on getting to that bird - and ran right into the glass door. Sometimes I think he is hearing impaired and also has a learning disability. But he is my little boy and I love him even with all his flaws. He does have a stubborn streak and if I let him know I don't like something he is doing, he wants to try it all the more. One of his favorites is to get in front of the computer screen so I can't continue working on the pc. He is IN THE WAY.
Bye to all. I am going to give sleep another try.
Don finally got the last info he needed for his taxes so that looks like it will work out without an extension being necessary. (Nothing like making your tax prep last months longer than it has to.) I have already sent mine off to the state and the IRS. I don't know why but I seem to get refunds from the federal but owe the state a little almost every year. Same thing this year. (And I found a mistake on the forms that my tax prep person filled out. It turned out to be a mistake in the program used by tax prep people so I think I discovered something pretty big. Did you know tax prep people get programs unavailable to us common folk? Evidently they do!!! There was a mistake in the way it picked up itemized deductions vs standard deduction. I noticed because Don and I spent hours finding proof for all those deductions and it looked like standard deduction was used. But no, the number did not match either itemized or standard so I asked what the number represented. Well, there was not a logical explanation so we re-did the forms which led to redoing the state return as well. I was glad to learn that itemized won out so we didn't spend all that time for naught.)
I am having another sleepless night. I may take an ambien Monday night if I don't get some sleep in the next couple of nights. I still don't see how one can be so very tired and yet be unable to sleep. I was really tired tonight even though I did get an hour nap this afternoon - exercise is a great sedative. Anyway I slept great for about 3 hours and have been awake since then. Time changes tonight and we lose an available hour of sleep. It will not likely matter to me as I usually spend most of the night awake anyway. I don't need to be sedated though when we will need to be at it bright and early on Sunday morning. In order to go to church and eat breakfast before we leave, we really must go to the 8:30 a.m. service. I don't want to sleep late and one of the only times I took ambien to get sleep, I slept for 11 hours - probably a result of the drug plus my own exhaustion. I just don't want to trade one problem for another but I am told that sleep is one of the main healers so I really do need to get it one way or another. Don and I have discussed it and decided that when I am going through a long string of nights without sleep, I should pick a couple of nights during the week when I don't have a morning appointment and take the pill. I also am going to ask a pharmacist about Tylenol p.m. or even other over-the-counter solutions. I tried Benadryl but that didn't seem to do it for me. Hydrocodon (sp?) puts me out but that is dangerous to use for purposes other than extraordinary pain since it contains a high concentration of tylenol and can cause liver damage, I learned. Also, in the hospital, the nurse gave me one and had to wait and watch me take it as she says some people hoard them in order to get the narcotic out and use it to make illicit drugs. (For Heavens sake - not my style or expertise.) Anyway, I'm staying away from that too unless the pain gets dreadful. Don was really suspicious of that one, but every time I go in for another visit to the surgeon, someone is asking if I need some more of those pain pills. I must be one of the few that refuse them as they are always asking if I am sure I don't need them. I'll make do with the Tylenol I can get at the drugstore. The remaining pain is primarily a soreness on the outside of my head, probably aggravated by the fall I took on Dec. 29. I don't have inside-my-head pain or headaches. I wish the sores on my head would make some significant healing progress. I think LeAnn is going to stitch me up this week unless they judge that the healing is finally underway on the skin atop my head. Marlene and I think that it has made progress at long last. I hope so because who knows what LeAnn might think appropriate. She wanted me to go home and wait a couple of days to see what happened after I fell. Right, LeAnn!! There was only bleeding inside my brain. What if I hadn't been awake to let her know in a couple of days. I swear it is one her main jobs to run people off and she has about succeeded with me.
Almost Saturday daylight. We have a birthday party to go to today for a lady in our Sunday School class. It is also Bertha's birthday and Don and I have already handled that one. She is so easy to make happy. She loves to be remembered and deserves it too so we try and make a deal out of it. She lost her husband last year after a long illness and now her sister has had her cancer return. Bertha is pretty resilient but I worry about all the stress that comes down on her. She is now skinny Minnie and wonders why the weight won't stay on. She does go to doctors but then won't keep on her meds. She thinks her cholesterol problem is cured since the cholesterol drug brought her numbers down. I told her it won't stay cured if she doesn't stay on the med but no soap. She is not going to continue taking it.
Ben's blog about getting squirrels out of the churches in this one town was hilarious. I hope you got to view it. I believe his sister sent it to him since he thanks her for it in his blog. And I hope you know that usually his blogs are much more serious but when he does one of his cat stories or squirrel stories, he gets lots of comments since they are so fun. Here's the address for the story if you want to look at it.
http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-things-get-squirrelly-at-church-or.html
Some of you might want to know how Milo is. He has got lots of head congestion again - it appears to be a chronic problem with his little stubbed off nose. Last night he got mad at me for brushing him and hissed at me, then ran to the bathroom with the shower stall and slept in the stall right over the drain. Today there was a bird on the balcony and he raced across the room intent on getting to that bird - and ran right into the glass door. Sometimes I think he is hearing impaired and also has a learning disability. But he is my little boy and I love him even with all his flaws. He does have a stubborn streak and if I let him know I don't like something he is doing, he wants to try it all the more. One of his favorites is to get in front of the computer screen so I can't continue working on the pc. He is IN THE WAY.
Bye to all. I am going to give sleep another try.
3/1/09
03/01/2009
We decided to go to a wedding down close to Hilton Head and Savannah (Bluffton, SC) this weekend and it rained so hard going down and coming back that we could barely see cars in front of us on the interstate. It was nerve-racking and tiring. The wedding was in a beautiful place. And the wedding was traditional and beautiful. However, it was extremely difficult to find the chapel since the Yahoo map instructions must have used old road names (and lots of the roads don't have signs that even mention a road name!!!!!!) It is a good thing that we forfeited watching the Carolina game to find this spot earlier in the day. I think we would have used the whole wedding time locating the place had we not been familiar with the route by the time we left to go. The wedding was in a chapel down this tree-lined (the trees were laden with hanging moss) road and the chapel had a wonderful arched picture window overlooking a view of water that was just breathtaking. Overall I'm glad we went and am sorry it was such a rain-filled weekend. I hope the couple is happy for a lifetime.
http://donredding.smugmug.com/gallery/7490564_2BChR
http://donredding.smugmug.com/gallery/7490564_2BChR
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
