Thanksgiving News

First, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, as we did. We assembled this year at the home of Wonderful Niece and her Wonderful Husband, who were delightful hosts, and we all brought food and all of it was kick-ass. My sister sat somewhat in a fog, but she was there. Sitting across the table from her, I could really see that she is not in good shape. She says it's the fibromyalgia that makes her foggy; while I don't doubt that, I have it too and it's just manifesting differently in me. I'm not in a fog, I just have pain, and I'm limited in what I can take for it. She takes meds that eliminate most of the pain, but it's as if she's always moving through molasses. We all need time to work things out, I guess.

The big news, which R shared with us all Friday morning, is that after she and her Gentleman Friend got home from our Thanksgiving dinner, he proposed and gave her a lovely ring, an aquamarine, which she wanted in place of a diamond. My baby is engaged! YAY! WOW! We could not be happier. They're thinking of a wedding next October or November, so we have a long way to go with that, and knowing my kid, it will be non-traditional in many ways. She's already looking at non-traditional wedding gowns. That's my kid, all the way.

My FIL is still in the hospital, although improving, I believe; I think he's now in a room that's the last step before being released to a rehab facility. Even so, it seems that he still thinks he's in charge, and tells them that he won't take certain meds or do certain exercises, and they let him get away with it. In the meantime, yesterday the Hubs and I and his sister and her husband took the MIL to see a new community to consider moving to. It's twenty minutes away from us and fifteen minutes away from them and it is GORGEOUS. I would move there now if I could. I'll go into more detail should they decide to go there, but let me just say that it is perfect in every single way, other than leaving their current friends behind, but this new place is all about community, and the ILs are very social people, so they'll have no trouble making new friends, as they did when they moved to where they are now. I hope hope hope it all works out and they go there. It would be the perfect place for her to be when his time comes, and she's without him.

We were having the most perfect weather, not a bit of cold, all through Thanksgiving night, and then we woke up yesterday to chilly wind and lower temps. It's nasty outside, although it's beautifully sunny today, unlike yesterday. On Thursday, I didn't even throw a jacket over my t-shirt/denim shirt uniform, and I didn't even need it when we left to come home. Today, not so much. I go outside for a minute, and my short, short hair is all standing up, like I'm in a Little Rascals movie and I just stuck my finger in a socket. Not attractive.

Okay, so I'm going to change a wash and see what else is going on. No stores for me this weekend except the supermarket.




watching L/O :: ENTRY #2136
READING: New York by Edward Rutherfurd

Gone Missing

LA asked in a comment if I'd gone missing, and in a way, I have, although not intentionally. It's more a matter of not having the wherewithall to do anything in the evenings when I'm home. By seven, the latest, I'm usually under a blanket with a heating pad on my feet. I've only started reading again, really, this week.

I miss writing, although I'm keeping up with reading you all. Every day, I think, I need to write today, but what to write? Where to start? What to include? I've always wondered about those diarists I read who stop writing for so long that I think they've given up, and one day there they are again, just a regular entry; it makes me feel as if they've been writing somewhere all along, and I've missed it. You know, I haven't read anything in a year, and they start with something like "Let me tell you how it turned out with Bob when he was here last week" or something else absurdly current, and I'm "Huh?" That is not my plan.

It is also not my plan to make this a list of my medical complaints, as you know, but it sometimes turns into that, and I'll include some of that here, just because it's so weird. But first, a bit of recap:

I am not depressed, which is always nice, but a little weirded out by what's going on. (See below.)

Still no job for K, but a nice interview last week at a museum, fingers crossed.

The FIL is still in the hospital, I'm sure I've mentioned that already. He had congestive heart failure, and is now, I understand, refusing to take some of his medication because presumably he believes he knows better than all the doctors. We also heard yesterday that they had to change his room because he was yelling at his roommate. If this is true, then he also has dementia, but it doesn't seem like it can be true because it's not like him, unless the roommate was bothering him first.

Okay, here's my story. I feel the same, no better, no worse. Some days I gots pain, some days, not so much. I saw Resnick last week (the G.I.) and he says I have something called "anemia of disease" which is a kind of anemia you get with chronic illnesses. My iron is high, so I totally don't understand this. He says that just to be sure, he wants a hematologist to review my labwork. So I said to him "Hmm. When I think heamatologist, I think oncologist." He says, oh no no, he sees no sign of that in my bloodwork and he's 95% sure it's this anemia of disease, but he's sending me to THE BEST hematologist and he'll tell us for sure. Okay, says I, who is this guy? He gives me the doctor's name.

The doctor who was my mother's oncologist.

Yes, all oncologists (that's cancer specialists) are also hematologists (that's blood specialists), although not always vice-versa. This guy does both, apparently, and I already know him and he's one of my favorite doctors of all time. But I'm having a post-traumatic stress thing going on here at the thought of going back into that office. I do not have happy memories associated with going there, although I love this doctor. So that's next Wednesday.

Oh, and did I mention that the brain tumor was diagnosed 18 years ago THIS WEEK? That I spent the morning before Thanksgiving -- essentially now -- in school, at the big pep rally, running out into the hall in tears every five minutes? Of course, I was waaaay better as soon as I got home from school and decided that my sister and I would go to Disney World the upcoming April, which we did. But this week holds lots and lots of stressful memories for me too.

In other news, I have overcome the most recent money crisis, which I think was also keeping me from writing, because it was much on my mind, and tomorrow is Thanksgiving, held this year at the home of Wonderful Niece. I start my cooking tonight. So far, it looks like our traditional meal with a few new things thrown in, but nothing left out. After a few false starts, my sister has given up trying to remake it in some weird image. Looking forward to a great day.

Reading. I'm going to post this from my phone, so I won't have my normal entry #/what I'm watching/reading at the bottom. I've read Homer and Langley this week, the new book by E.L. Doctorow, which I liked, and two YA dystopia books by Suzanne Collins, the first two books in a trilogy: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Liked them both. Also The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs, who is funny. And now, of all things, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, which my sister has been trying to get me to read for years, and I'm liking it very much. I'm building up my strength to read New York: The Novel, by Edward Rutherfurd, which is some 900 pages long and I've got it as an ebook. So I'll be at it for some time.

Well, I'm back, baby. A wonderful Thanksgiving to you all, remember, it's my favorite holiday, and I hope it's a nice one for you as well. See you again soon.


-- Post From My iPhone

Meme

I took a meme from the lovely Bitchypoo


The Strange Question Meme, Part 1.

1. What is the color of your toothbrush? It might be blue and white, or it might be purple and white. It's an Oral-B spinbrush of some kind, which I keep in the medicine cabinet, and not out on the counter, so I don't see it unless I'm using it. I never have my glasses on when I'm brushing my teeth. (Although I can see colors without my glasses. I'm just saying.)

2. Name one person who made you smile today. It's still early.

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? I was in the library, watching the crowd of early morning kids rush out as the first bell was just ringing.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Hah. 45 minutes ago it was 8 am.

5. What is your favorite candy bar? Oh, so hard to say. I love me a Butterfingers, but my teeth don't so much like them anymore, so I haven't had one in ages. I like a Nestle's Crunch bar, too. But if I pick up a candy bar in an impulse buy, it's usually a Three Musketeers.

6. Have you ever been to a strip club? I've certainly never had even the opportunity to go to one, let alone to actually go.

7. What is the last thing you said aloud? "No, the computer lab's only open today periods 1 and 6." (I had just been asked about period 3.)

8. What is your favorite ice cream? I'll always go for vanilla, but I'm very fond of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? I just finished a mug of white tea. Not bad.

10. Do you like your wallet? I do. In fact, I have two nice Vera Bradley wallets, one more like a clutch with its own strap, and one that fits in my back pocket. I change off between them whenever the mood strikes. They're in the same pattern, so I think of them just as variations on one wallet.

11. What was the last thing you ate? When I got into the library this morning, I nuked a little tortilla with American cheese in it.

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? Not a one.

13. The last sporting event you watched? I cannot even imagine. I didn't watch any baseball this year at all.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? I like plain, hot popcorn, maybe with a little salt. Of course, I also enjoy it drenched in real butter, but I don't go out of my way for that.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? The Sibs, last night.

16. Ever go camping? Yes, but not for a long time. Both of the girls were little, maybe K was four. Although I may have gone with Girl Scouts after that, a few years after.

17. Do you take vitamins daily? Every evening.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday? What church would have me? No, seriously: of course not.

19. Do you have a tan? Almost never, and certainly not now.

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? Depends on the mood, but I'm quite fond of both.

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? I drink almost all cold drinks with a straw. It's easier for me that way than worrying about what might be dribbling out of the paralyzed side of my mouth.

22. What did your last text message say? It says "Whatsup?"

23. What are you doing tomorrow? What I'm doing today, presumably: working from seven to three, more or less. And then getting my nails done.

24. Favorite color? Purple.

25. Look to your left; what do you see? To my immediate left, the stuff on the left side of my desk: files, post-its, clock, pencil cup, picture of my parents, book return basket.

To my far left, four library tables in a row, and beyond that, the Big White Wall, which we use to project stuff on.

November 12

I didn't write yesterday, what else is new, but I did think about my father a great deal, what with it being Veterans' Day and all, and I watched something on PBS last night about some American airmen who were shot down over Borneo during World War II and were rescued by the indigenous people, very interesting. I thought I would write, but I didn't.

During third period this morning, I took myself from the library, and after a brief pit-stop, headed over to the office where I had to discuss some budget details. I turned the corner to pass through the big cafeteria, and saw that it was full of people, almost every table full. Now, this happens sometimes, for one reason or another, and I slowed down to see if I could figure out what the event was that was going on there. And I began to realize that at each table sat one or two very old men (at one table an old man and an old woman), and that they were talking to the kids seated around them. Most of the kids were listening politely; at some tables, the kids were fascinated, couldn't take their eyes off their guest speaker. All of the elderly visitors were wearing VFW caps or jackets or both. It was one of the most moving Veterans Day celebrations I've ever seen. I stood at the side, watching, for several minutes. At some tables, the kids were laughing at a funny story that had just been told, at some tables, I could see expressions of amazed understanding on their faces. The veterans, our heroes, were animated, fascinating. I wanted to go ovver to one of them, anyone of them, and thank them for what they'd done for us, but I couldn't bear to interrupt anyone, so I just watched. At one table, there was a man I knew, close to my age, who was a Vietnam vet, but most of them were from World War II, maybe a few from Korea. I thought of my father again; I could almost see him sitting at a table with kids and telling his stories. My kids or my sister's would have been so proud to have him come into school and do that, but no one thought of it then. Anyway, it was just a beautiful thing that I'm very happy to have seen.





watching L/O :: ENTRY #2134
READING: Slept Away by Julie Kraut

Politics

I haven't ranted politically for some time. I want to talk about health care. I'm a health care success story, not because I'm healthy, but because I'm not dead.
I was lucky growing up in that my father owned his own business, with a partner, and the business bought the health insurance for both families. I'm lucky that I became a teacher, and in New Jersey, that comes with health care. And that when I retire after 37 years, I'll have that health care for life.
Otherwise, I would be dead, for sure. My brain tumor, although not malignant, would have grown so large that it caused other brain functions to stop. That was about $65k, as I recall, 18 years ago. No brain tumor? I could never afford the $700 a month of Crohn's meds that keep me from bleeding to death. And if I didn't already have insurance, I'd never get it, not with this history. I am very, very lucky.
I want to know who doesn't deserve health care. I want to know why there are politicians (who have excellent health care, btw) think that there are some people who just don't deserve it. Who chooses? There are your death panels: politicians and insurance companies who decide who gets health care, that is, who lives and who dies. They already exist.
If we are the wonderful country we want to believe we are, we need to protect all of us, especially those who need protecting the most. Thete is no possible justification for anything otherwise.





-- Post From My iPhone

My Week in Review

Friday already?

So this is the second of my two days off, and what can I say? I LOVE THIS. I don't love it enough to retire yet, but I love it plenty. I slept nice and late yesterday, although I woke up with the alarm this morning due to a doctor's appointment. (Meds adjusted, no big deal.) But then I took a nap from 11:45 to 2:45!!! YAY!! Go me!

So it's that kind of lazy time off. The biggest project I worked on was getting all my pictures uploaded to Picasa; I'm not sure why or what I'm going to do with them there. Tag them, I guess, so I can find stuff.

My desk is neat, my bills are are ready to go as soon as someone gives me some money. (And it's on its way, I'm happy to say.) I have laundry to do, but not urgently.

K has gone to visit an old roommate in DC for a few days, from yesterday to Sunday, so the house is quiet -- it's always quite, actually; I never once had to tell a kid to turn down music -- but it's neater when she's gone. No dishes in the sink, no jackets on the couch, and so on.

Oh, btw, I apologize to the rest of the country for the moron New Jersey elected as its governor the other day. A big, stupid idiot-oaf, a former prosecutor who, according to his campaign ads, doesn't understand some basic law. Heaven knows what rights he will attempt to take away from us; he's a conservative buffoon, as opposed to the financial genius (former CEO of Goldman Sachs) who was our incumbent. We always elect liberal senators in New Jersey, but every so often, the electorate settles on some fascist for governor. Ah well, time will tell.

I'm much better than I was last week, but the post nasal drip is still kicking my butt. I'm on multiple nasal sprays now, and am guzzling tea like there's no tomorrow.l




watching PROJECT RUNWAY :: ENTRY #2132
READING: Slept Away by Julie Kraut

La di dah

La di dah, here I am, back in the library again. I'm feeling much, much better than I was last week, or even Saturday. In the absence of actual classes to teach today, I've resumed my shelf-shifting project, which is moving reference books from shelf to shelf, compacting them, changing the shelf height, and so forth. Fun for me today!

I was just looking over an application to become a Google certified teacher. Yes, there is such a thing. I know someone who's been to the training, and there's a workshop coming up in DC in December, which is within my reach. I doubt that I'll be accepted -- they only take 50 per session from many hundreds of applications -- but it occurs to me that this is something I could do in retirement: give training in the google education apps at various schools. Anyway, part of the application is a one minute video about either "Motivation and Learning" or "Classroom Innovation." I don't have to be in the video, I just have to make it, and make it good. The deadline is November 9, which is, oh, hey, in a week. So I may or may not. I have to think about it. But it would be an interesting thing to do, and a day off from school, I guess. I could take the train, I like trains.

I brought in the leftover candy from Saturday and have it here on my desk at school for kids to take, but of course, I'm eating it as well. Talk about not well thought out, and I do it every year.

I have a short work week due to Thursday and Friday off for New Jersey teachers convention. Don't get me started; I think it's a scam, too, but it's a forever-long tradition in the state. For me, that means a doctor on Friday and a haircut and pedi on Thursday, and some sleeping late, I hope. I've been sleeping so strangely since the clock change. I never really understand that whole thing, I just go along with what's going on, but I don't really get it, the way I don't really get quarts and pints, or math. But it was nice that it wasn't dark when I left for work this morning. This evening, however, is gonna suck.

I think I'm going to give the new pain med a try again tomorrow. *deep breath* I'm only going to take a half pill, so I don't think I'll get stoned, but now that I'm off everything I was doing for the cold, including the round the clock tylenol followed by three or four days of advil -- bad me! -- well ... everything kinda hurts. I know it's just a matter of testing everything out until I find what works and in what amount. Today it's mostly the elbows and knees that hurt. (Hey, maybe I should go sit on a low stool and move more big heavy reference books!) I already warned the school nurse that I'll be doing this, so she'll have a place ready for me to lie down and sleep it off, if it comes to that (which it won't. I did once accidentally take sleeping pills in the morning and not realize it until I got to school, and I slept in the nurse's office for the first three hours of the day.)

Later that same day ...

Oy, I'm tired and achy all over. I need drugs! Okay, maybe just drug. Just one.

I have about forty minutes to go until the bell, and then a faculty meeting, with MANDATORY attendance. I usually just skip them, but I have to go today. Review to follow.