NEW YEARS'S EVE PARTY

We were invited to a New Year's Eve party tonight but we are not going. Brenda has not been feeling well. There is something going around.  I just don't feel like partying.  I have been crying and feeling kinda down.  I really want to take a bath but I am not allowed with my leg still bleeding.  I just want to curl up with a hot cocoa.

Until tomorrow...

GOING BACK ON ENBREL TODAY

I have been off Enbrel since my bike accident.  After my bike accident I didn't do my shots because I had a concussion.  Then I didn't do the shots because I had so many bruises that I couldn't find a spot to stick myself that was not bruised.

Then I cut my leg and was on antibiotics.  So I didn't go back on Enbrel.  I can't be on Enbrel when I am on antibiotics because I tend to get infections.  I just got my stitches out and now I can go back on Enbrel. 

My joints have been pretty good through out all these incidents.  I can't figure out why.  I guess I am hurting other places so my joints don't seem to hurt so bad.  Ha!  I don't know.

So tonight I do the shot.

Until tomorrow...

SAID GOODBYE TO MY RA DOC

Today was my last appointment with my beloved RA doc.  She has been with me since the beginning. I know she needs to retire and I feel for her. She has had a lot of things happen in the last year but I don't want her to go and leave me with a strange doctor.

She is not just a doc who checks your joints and your labs but she notices if you are down or sad or happy or sick without asking.  That is rare in a doc these days. She is old school. Maybe that is why she has to retire. She just can't keep up anymore.  Computers in the exam rooms, electronic files, and 10 minutes appointments. Those aren't her style.

I am sad in a month where there is too much for me to be sad about.   Let's hope the new RA doc is good!

Until tomorrow...

END OF YEAR

Suddenly it is the end of the year.  I can't believe it is almost here.  I feel like the end of the year should be like two or three weeks away.  I think I have been in a fog for the last few weeks and somehow missed a week or so. 

Suddenly now all my clients are in a crunch and want everything done by 12/31.  That is Wednesday.  Today is Sunday.  Are there enough hours in the next three days to get it all done?  I will have to see.  Then I will have to see if I will be able to keep my eyes open long enough to see the ball drop! 

I think I will go to sleep now. Yawn!

Until tomorrow...

WILD- THE MOVIE

I promise not to say too much if you have not seen the movie yet.

I thought the movie kept pretty close to the book. There were parts that I went wait that happened too quickly.  They didn't show as much of the commeraderie on the PCT.  They didn't show the angst Cheryl went through about not having money.  When her box didn't show up on time once and she had to wait for days to get money to eat, her feelings about always being without money.  I also think they did not represent her naïveté about her equipment and the experience as well as the book.

Other than that I thought it was good.  Brenda liked it too.

Until tomorrow...

A MUCH NEEDED LAUGH

As you know we have not been in much of a Merry mood after the death of our friend.  A month ago we bought tickets to a Jewish Chinese Dinner Comedy event that benefits one of my clients. We thought it would be a fun non-traditional thing to do for the holidays. We invited some friends to come along to share the experience.

Because of circumstance we ended up going in separate cars. My friends got there first. The seating was assigned by table. We were assigned to the Farklempt table.  For those of you who don't know it is a Yiddish word meaning choked up with emotion.

Anyway, our friends got to the table and sat down. Another family got to the table and took all the other seats except one. Brenda and I arrived to find one seat. We explained the situation to a person in charge and boy, that started something. One after another people with more authority showed up to check all the tickets. After 10-12 minutes we were told that the other family didn't buy their tickets together and not all their tickets were at the same table. One person had to move. They were putting up a HUGE fuss and refused to get up. Finally the guy in charge said he would kick them out unless one person got up.

It was quite awkward.  Especially since once the guy got up, I had to sit in his seat. Yay! We got to sit with the folks who were glaring at us.  After a few minutes they apologized and explained they were not mad at us.

Then came the food. One of their men was allergic to shrimp.  So what did the server do? He put all the clean serving spoons on the shrimp platter.  As we know I am vegan and the folks at the table began mixing the spoons from platter to platter, using their personal forks to scoop food (which I find to be disgusting when you are sharing food with people you don't know!) and slopping food all over. I ate rice and some eggplant I got to before anyone else touched it.   It was comical.

The comics were hysterical and made the whole night worth the trouble.  I have not laughed so hard in a long time. Each one was funnier than the last.  I really needed a good laugh.

The whole night was funny and awkward and weird.  I came home and ate dinner!!

Until tomorrow...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

After a crazy day of work, getting my stitches removed, haircut, and getting caught in a downpour, I finally got around to wrapping Brenda's presents and setting up our teeny tiny tree.  It is a tree I used to have in my office when I worked a job job.  It is 12" tall.

Now I am going to sleep. I wish you a very Merry Christmas!!

Until tomorrow...

STITCHES IN MY LEG

Tomorrow my stitches come out.  I am not sure the wound is ready.  I don't have a medical degree but the wound is still bleeding. That doesn't seem like a good time to take out stitches.  Anyway, I can't wait to get them out.  They are a bother.  Plus I want to start exercising again and I can't with the stitches. 

Until tomorrow...

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

I decided to go Christmas shopping.  I got up early and hit the mall by 10:30 am.  I was surprised when I got a parking spot 4 spots from the front door.  Where was everyone?  I have no idea.  I felt like I should try to make an effort and buy Brenda something for Christmas. 

We don't have a tree or any lights up on the house.  I should buy a wreath for the door.  I just can't get in the spirit.  For someone who is a Christmas-aholic like me, it feels weird to not have any decorations up or not be wearing any Christmas clothes. 

We aren't even planning to cook anything special for Christmas day.  I just can't get into it this year.

Until tomorrow...

WENT TO A DESSERT PARTY AND TALKED ABOUT NATALIE

I went to a very lovely dessert party tonight and all I could think about was my friend passing away.  I felt like what was I doing at a party when my friend died?  I also felt that my neighbors had invited me and I should make an appearance.  I only stayed about 1 hour and then I begged off and went home.  Brenda could not even begin to think about going.

Until tomorrow...

NATALIE TOMPKINS RIP

Natalie Tompkins 12/24/2002

Yesterday we got a phone call to tell us that our dear friend Natalie Tompkins had passed away on December 8, 2014.  It was the most devastating and unexpected news.  

Natalie was a force of nature.  She filled a room with her presence and her booming laugh.  When she was in a room, people were drawn to her.  She had a contagious and easy smile that just made you want to smile back.

Natalie threw gatherings that had people from all types of backgrounds.  You knew if you were going to Natalie's that you were going to meet interesting people.  She had a clawfoot bathtub in her living room filled with colorful pillows way before people thought this was trendy.  Everyone wanted to lounge in the bathtub at gatherings.

When Natalie moved away, she bought a farm and started farming.  She seemed happy with her goats and plants.  It was harder to keep in touch once she moved away but when we got on the phone it was like we were never apart.

Natalie will be missed by all those she came in contact with.  I will miss her so much, I still can't express it.

Until tomorrow...

DOC VISIT ABOUT MY STITCHES

Today I went to see my primary about my stitches in my leg.  I wanted to make sure they are not infected.  I was worried because my stitches are still bleeding and the area hurts a lot.

The doc says the wound looks good and there is no infection.  This is good news.  We are on schedule to get the stitches removed on Christmas Eve.  Yay!

Until tomorrow...

GETTING LUCKY HELP

There was an altercation between Lucky and Happi.  Lucky didn't like that Happi was in a certain dog bed.  Lucky had just gotten out of that dog bed and I guess she thought she should be able to be able to get it back.  Anyway, I doggy argument ensued.  Since it was in the middle of the night, it sounded awful and woke Brenda up.  Neither dog touched the other since I grabbed Lucky before anything happened but the damage was done.  Brenda woke up and started in about how the dogs are not getting along and Lucky needs to be given away.

It got ugly and not what I needed.  I am trying to get Lucky help.  The local animal shelter can't get me an appointment with the behaviorist until January.

I called to get my February appointment and was told I lost the appointment!  The next appointment is March.  I told them I can't wait until March.  The dog is tearing this family apart.  I used my last resort.  I called my friend (the vet that saved Happi) and asked her to help me.  Okay, I was crying my eyes out and begged her to help me.  She had someone call me back in 30 minutes with an appointment on January 5th.  I was so grateful.  Help is on the way.

Until tomorrow...

NOT A BIRTHDAY, NOT A CHRISTMAS, NOT A NEW YEARS PARTY

Tonight we went to a Not a Birthday, Not a Christmas, Not a New Year's Party.  It was nice.  I guess I was not in the mood for a party.  My leg was aching and I had to keep it away from everyone so it didn't get banged.

It was nice to see folks I only get to see once a year because they are not my direct friends.  They are the hosts friends so I don't really see them anywhere but at his parties. We do the usual catch up, how is work, how are your holidays, how is your family?

Until tomorrow...

TREE OR NO TREE

This year I have a decision to make.  Well, a couple of decisions.  Do I want to buy a Christmas tree? It has been raining and I have a convertible. So that is basically impossible. I have to put the tree in the car with the top down to get the tree home. Can't do it in the rain.

Do I want to put up our small Charlie Brown Christmas tree?  I am really busy. As you can see I am far behind in my blogging because I am so busy. I am not sure I have time to put up decorations.

So tree or no tree?  Today I say no tree but let's see what tomorrow brings.

Until tomorrow...

SENSOR LIGHTS

 When we did the renovation on our house, we put in some sensor lights. We have them in our bathroom and our hallway going to the garage.  In the hallway we had to do something special because at the time they didn't make the type we needed.

What we have is a hallway with doorways. At each end of the hallway there is a sensor.   In the middle we have a regular light switch. We have to put one light on  "sensor" and the other light just "on".  Then we have to leave the light switch "on".

A few weeks ago some workers came and someone messed with the lights. We didn't notice this right away.  The sensor stopped turning on.  At first I thought the sensor had died. Then it took me days to sort out which light needed to be turned on and which light needed to be put to sensor. Now it is working fine.  Please no one touch our sensitive sensor lights!  We love them.

Until tomorrow...

NEW GIG

About a week ago I got a new gig. A new client. Between my five clients they are keeping me hopping. I have very little free time.  A bunch of the work is at home so that is good. I can stay in my PJs and I can sleep in.

So far I really like these folks and really like the work.  It seems like they may keep me around for awhile.

Until tomorrow...

CHRISTMAS POSTCARDS

This year we decided to send out postcards instead of cards. There were a couple of reasons:

1. I am really busy with my clients.
2. I wanted to take the photo we use for the card.  I took the photo of our local Christmas tree.
3. Since I am so busy, I want a project that was low stress.  Post cards only take stamps and address labels.  Cards take that plus stuffing and sealing and return address labels. Many more steps.
4. I finished writing, labeling and stamping the postcards in one night. 

The postcards turned out great and we are happy.

Until tomorrow...

DAY AFTER STITCHES

Today I went to work for a few hours.  I am supposed to keep my leg elevated but I did ask the doc if I could go to work if I kept it up. She said okay.

I have to clean the wound twice a day and put antibiotic cream on it.  I have to keep it covered at all times.  I have to take antibiotics three times a day.  I also have to be very careful not to bang it against anything.  The doc says she is not going to be happy if she has to stitch it up again.

I didn't know that it is very easy to get infections in wounds below the knee.  So I have to keep off the leg as much as possible and keep it elevated.

The pain has decreased but it still stings.  I hear that is the nerves regenerating.

Until tomorrow...

CUT MY LEG

This is going to be short. Tonight I was sprinting to answer the front door and I cut my leg on the sharp corner of the ottoman.  I didn't realize it cut was deep and bleeding until after I answered the door. By then my sock was soaked.

I yelled for Brenda. She got me a towel to wrap around it and called our neighbors.  They rushed over to take me to the ER.  Yes, it was the same neighbors.

The ER was not busy at all so I got in straight away.  After a shot of lidocaine I got about 8-10 stitches (or maybe it just felt that way.)  An antibiotic and a wrap and home I went.  The whole trip was 1.5 hours. A record for my ER visits.  Now I have to keep my leg elevated.  Another scar.

Until tomorrow...

IMMINENT STORM

The whole area is battening down the hatches.  A storm is approaching.  A big storm.  They are showing it on the doppler radar and everything.  For days it has been the top story.

Schools are closing for tomorrow.  People are being told to stay home from work.  People are at the store buying food, batteries and water.  The city even ran out of sandbags.  We have sandbags in our city?  I didn't know.  And I went out and bought sand to fill the umbrella holder for my picnic table!

I am trying not to laugh.  As a person who grew up in the Northeast, it is quite funny to hear that schools are announcing they will be closed tomorrow when not one raindrop has fallen. 

When we were kids we trudged to school through snow and rain.  It had to be really snowy for our school to be called off.  We walked to school when there were torrents of rain.  I remember getting school with wet clothes where my raincoat stopped and my boots began. 

I guess we were tougher in those days. 

I don't really understand it here because the kids either take the bus or their parents drive them.  They don't even touch the rain.  So, why do the administrators need to call off school?  I guess having less people driving on the road is a good thing.  People out west don't know how to drive in the rain.  They hardly get any so they don't get enough practice! 

Well, I have to go search out my extra batteries and charge up my electronics!

Until tomorrow...

RECIPES AND SHOPPING LIST

Today I was all set to trash my recipe and shopping list app.  I have been using Ziplist for years.  I did a lot of research to choose the right app.  I put all my recipes on it.  I spent HOURS uploading my recipes. 

Then a few weeks ago I get an email saying Ziplist is dying.  Well not dying, it is bought over by Epicurious and Ziplist will stop being an app.  I had two choices.  I could upload my recipes to Epicurious or I could save a data file to my computer and do with it what I wanted.

Of course I put it off.  Then I began researching options.  I checked out other recipe apps.  None of the other apps has the ability to upload a Ziplist file.  Meanwhile the reviews for Epicurious were dismal. People were writing in that their recipes were not uploading to Epicurious and they were having all sorts of problems.  Why would I want to put my recipes on a site that had such bad reviews?

This morning I realized that it was 12/9.  Tomorrow was the day that my Ziplist account would go dark.  I had to make a decision today.  First I saved a back up file of my recipes.  Then I moved my recipes over to Epicurious.  I opened up the My Recipes icon and guess what?  No recipes. 

I was so upset.  I wrote to the support team and asked them very politely if they could fix it.  A few hours later I got an email back stating I should log in again.  Tonight I did and Voila!  My recipes were all there!  I am now a happier camper.  It isn't as streaklined as Ziplist but it will do for now and my recipes are intact. 

Maybe some company in a few months will come up with a way to transfer recipes from Epicurious to their app.  Then I will be ready with all recipes.  I have no idea why a company would get rid of a great product for an inferior one.  Seems crazy to me.

Until tomorrow...

THINGS TO DO TODAY LIST

I have this great Things To Do Today list pad.  I just love it.  I have used them for years.  The pad has a wire binding along the top.  A place for the date along the top.  Then it has rows to write the things to do.  There are columns to mark off when each item is completed and to rank each item with a Priority (A, B, C).  Along the bottom of the page there is a place to write notes.

I love this pad and as much as I search the internet, I can't find another.  It bums me out.  I have to find another pad I like just as much.  Meanwhile I am using each and every page of this pad.

To things that have disappeared and we miss them.  Sob...

Until tomorrow...

PAIN IN THE MORNING

I woke up at 5 am today with some horrible pain.  It took me right out of my sleep.  The shoulder blade on the shoulder that I hit when I fell off my bike was in terrible pain.  I could not get comfortable.  There was no position that I laid in that was comfortable. 

I took a painkiller and tried to get to sleep.  I flipped and turned.  Dozing on and off.

It got better during the day but now it is hurting again.  My friends think it is a pinched nerve.  If it is still hurting tomorrow I will contact the doctor. 

Until tomorrow...

FAKE MEAT

Today I bought a new product that is fake meat.  Usually I just buy the fake chick'n patties or chick'n nuggets but today I decided to branch out and try this new item.  It looks like beef pieces but it is made out of soy protein. 

It is frozen and to cook it I had to put it in a frying pan and sear it.  Then I put some Teriyaki sauce on it.  I was very nervous and after tasting it, I see why.  I really don't want to taste anything that tastes remotely like beef.  Although Brenda tasted it and said it didn't taste anything like beef, so that is good.  It just tasted bad.

It was interesting to try.  These new products are getting better.  Now the chick'n patties come in Buffalo flavor.  I have not tried them yet but I have some in the freezer. 

It is fun to have other things to eat than Garden Burgers!

Until tomorrow...

TOASTMASTERS

I have two friends who are members of Toastmasters.  They have asked me to accompany them to a future meeting.  I am thinking about it. 

Years ago I had an employee who was very shy and unable to lead a meeting.  I suggested he go to Toastmasters.  After a few months of attending meetings, I could see a significant change in his behavior.  He was more confident and outgoing.  He said it was because of the Toastmaster meetings helped him speak in front of groups.

I don't really have a problem speaking in front of groups if I am prepared.  I have a harder time when someone throws a microphone in front of my face and I am not prepared.  I had this happen a number of years ago when I was an activist.  A news crew put a camera in my face and asked me a question on live TV while I had a headset on with the Chief of Police on the other end.  I obviously could not talk to both the TV crew and the Chief of Police.  I sort of stared into the camera.  It was a defining moment.  How embarrassing!  Thank goodness my partner was next to me and jumped in and spoke to the media.  She got her moment in the limelight and made the evening news.

Maybe some time at Toastmasters would help me overcome my humiliation.

Until tomorrow...

TOO MUCH RAIN?

Okay, we have a drought.  It is a bad drought.  I get it.  I have been saving water and pumping it into my pond.  I have been taking short showers.  I have not washed my car or my backyard.

But now it is raining.  A lot.  They say it is not really making a dent in the drought but it is annoying how much it is raining.  The rain is just coming down in torrential downpours.  My neighbors basement got flooded the other day.  Our street became a river.  Trees are falling over because the roots are too saturated.  It is just too much rain at once.

I guess those rain dances worked!  We are expecting a major rain storm again on Wednesday - Saturday.  

Until tomorrow...

BAD DREAMS

Don't you hate when you have a bad dream?   Some people call them nightmares.   I had a dream that is still haunting me.

The dream went like this: I opened our front dour and gate and Happi got outside.  At first Happi was just happily walking down the stairs and down the street.  Sniffing the sidewalk and the plants.  Then she got almost to the end of the block and she spotted another dog on the other side of the street.  The street is really busy.  Happi takes off barking and running toward the other dog and the moving cars.  I wake up.

It was awful. I could not fall back to sleep.  Bad dreams are so disturbing. When I woke up I gave Happi a big hug and kiss.

Until tomorrow...

WHITE CHRISTMAS TREE

I have always wanted one of those white Christmas trees. You know what I mean. One of those fake trees from the 60's that is neon white.  I would put pink lights on it.  I think that would be cool.

We had a building manager years ago who was even more crazy about Christmas than I am. He always had a Christmas party called a redneck Christmas party.  He served Cheese Whiz, Beef Jerky, Beer, pork rinds, etc. he had no less than 15 Christmas trees of all sizes in his apartment. But the best tree was his authentic 1960's aluminum tree.  I fell in love.

I keep hoping I can talk Brenda into getting one.  They aren't as expensive as I thought they would be. $180 for a six foot tree.  Plus it is pre-lit with 500 lights.

Getting ready for Christmas.

Until tomorrow...

CONCUSSION

I saw my primary doc today. I guess my concussion was a bit worse than in the ER. I am supposed to not do anything to stressful, no exercise, no TV, nothing that will make it worse.  My brain needs to heal. Which is all good news to me. I thought I was starting to go crazy. I can't concentrate, I keep mixing things up. I am wicked tired.  I feel out of it.  Those are all the effects of the concussion.

My knee injury is an old injury probably from when I fell on the cruise ship. I knew I hurt my knee.

He thinks I cracked the cartiledge in my rib age not a rib. He says "still hurts as much".
I go back in a few weeks.

Until tomorrow...