And Now It's January, They Tell Me

Hello. I have one more day off before I have to go back to work. Isn't it funny how when I was first sick with the Crohn's -- three years ago right now -- all I wanted to do was go back to work? Now all I want to do is sleep late.

My latest annoyance is that, come February, our cable system is going to eliminate showing all non-HD channels they have HD channels for. So when you go to channel 2, for example, which is CBS, you're gonna get HD whether you want it or not. Now, I have an HD TV here in the family room, and an HD cable box, but I NEVER watch TV in HD. Why is that? Because once I got it all set up, I discovered that on an HD broadcast, the closed captions are too small too read. Which wasn't a big deal when I had an alternative. Now it's going to be a big deal. I mean, it's not as if I don't have the TV on all the time. Anyway, I just talked to the cable company -- we're the ones that lost the Food Network and HGTV on January 1, not the ones who were in danger of losing Fox -- and explained my situation to the lovely young man on the phone.

I did many errands today, including a short mall visit with the Sibs, who got her first look at my colored hair and liked it very much. I can't imagine how many people will comment on it at school on Monday, but after a day or two it will be over, I hope. I'm wondering if I need highlights to soften it a little, but the Sibs says it's good.

I'm reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, an interesting read, and curiously, another small print thing with me. I bought the book a couple of years ago, but I couldn't read it because the print was too small, no matter what glasses I wore. So I gave it to the library. But I just got it the other day as an ebook, so the print is my standard setting, and quite readable for me. Oy, the accommodations! Did I mention I even got a catalog the other day with stuff in it to help you open doors, and tie your shoes, and all that other stuff that people need help with when they *ahem* mature? I just hope I never start wearing the velcro shoes. Then they can put me in the home.

Food shopping tomorrow, with major couponage.

After All

today was another day. (with apologies to Scarlet O'Hara)

So. I really did let myself get out of hand yesterday, but I got my control back, with a little help from my daughter friends, and today was a much better day, in general. We did go dress shopping, but before we went to J.Crew and the like at the mall, we went to Target, where K got two dresses, the same but with different prints, and she'll try them on and see which one looks better. Which was good, because the mall was a big fat zero.

She's like a different person, pulled all the way out of the doldrums. (Still needs to see someone, I think, but after the trip. Me, too.) She's not worried about the dress; if these aren't good, she has a few days to look, and is, after all, not employed, so she has the time. Does that mean everything works out? I don't know, I'm just happy she's happy. And I specified adjoining rooms at the hotel, and we have three seats together on the flight down. (We have no assigned seats on the flight back for any of us yet.)

In other news, I really cannot say what is going on with me health-wise, other than the Crohn's seems to be very nicely controlled. Other than that, I'm in a lot of pain all over most of the time. The worst pain is in my arms, shoulders to fingertips, and my feet. And of course, not wishing to be left out, my back went into spasms a few hours ago, and that's been nasty, too. I assume arthritis, but we shall see; more doctors to see after the trip. My sister was recently diagnosed with a form of arthritis, but with the pain, she gets a kind of debilitating fatigue. I don't have that; in fact, I'm less tired than I usually am. Go figure.

Despite the book title I have down there -- I'm still working on that -- I've been reading a YA fantasy series, The Olympians, by Rick Riordan. There are definitely some similarities to Harry Potter, but it is not at all a copy, and it's fun to read. (Twelve year old boy discovers that his father is Poseidon, has to save the world, yada yada yada. But it's written with humor and contemporary references and reads fast. I'm on book three out of five, with a mission to finish it by tomorrow night so I can get it back to school on Monday.)

My plan for tomorrow is to work on doing my hair better, with some new products I got. And a possible visit to or from R. And yes, now I'm fully packed for Friday's trip. Really.




watching L&O:SVU :: ENTRY #2116
READING: The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Catching Up

I haven't really written much since I've been back, mostly because I wasn't comfortable with some of the things going on here, but either they're better now or I am, so I can write a bit about it.

Disney World, as much as I love it, is a physically demanding adventure, and none of us who went along are spring chickens. We were all in pain to some degree the whole time. It did occur to us to get wheelchairs on the third day; we got two, and switched off from time to time. I don't think we could have made it otherwise. Next time I go, I will definitely get a scooter (a motorized wheelchair-like thingy), but that's for another time.

When we would get back to our rooms at night, we were beat. I would do what I had to do pretty quickly, which is my nature: put the dirty clothes in a laundry bag, take out clean clothes for the next day, get my shoulder-bag ready for the next day, and collapse. I had two great nights' sleep there, one awful, and two okay. But my sister would take hours to get herself together, both at night and in the morning, and slept badly every night, and that for only a few hours. She was in a lot of pain during the day, and medicated herself for it. She had migraines three days out of five, but kept on going.

When I talked to her Sunday evening, she had been sleeping off an on all day and didn't sound great. She was still in a lot of pain, an arthritis flare-up. On Monday, she told that this was all my fault, and that I should have taken better care of her while we were away. I cried off an on for the next few hours, and she hasn't spoken to me since, although I think we're on better terms after texting last night and during the day today. Obviously, this was not my fault, and she gave no indication while we were away that she needed more help than I gave her. I myself was limping and using a cane when I wasn't in the wheelchair or pushing her in it (I was still limping, but no cane when pushing the wheelchair, which was actually better than the cane.) None of us were in great shape. Even so, the particulars aren't important; I don't know where she got this crazy idea, and it really threw me off for a few days. Not that I thought for a minute that she was right, but it made me very sad, and also made me really question myself: if she thinks that I'm capable of that, of not taking care of her for some capricious reason, what else does that say? That I'm not the person I think I am? That she, of all people, can't read me the way I think others can, and if so, who am I?

So I've been dealing a lot with that issue, and even though I've decided that the issue is hers -- maybe her husband's, but I don't want to go there with her -- it's been hard. Here, it's my last week before school starts, I've had a lot to do, and this was hanging over me.

In the meantime, K still has no job. A good possibility was supposed to call her back today either way, but of course, they didn't. So she's still left hanging. But that district doesn't start until after Labor Day, so she should still hear from them either way early next week. It would be a wonderful job in many ways. Still keeping everything crossed.

My knee was much worse, so I went to the orthopedist yesterday and got a better brace for it. He also gave me an anti-inflammatory creme for my elbows and various aches; so far, it's done nothing, but he wanted me to try it before I go back for the cortisone shots in my elbows. He also gave me some exercises for the plantar fasciitis, which is much worse after all that walking last week. I can pretyy much only wear Crocs now, which is okay, I guess.

Believe it or not, I'm also partially packed for the next trip, back to Florida, on September 11. That's only a two night trip, and not much walking. I'm hoping that R will be willing to do the driving, at least at night. I'm so glad she's going with me. On this one, we're both taking small suitcases and not checking them through, so everything is nice and compact, the way I like it. I've already got my dressies packed to wear to the Bar Mitzvah, and even my underwear and socks. All that's left is two days of day clothes, make-up, and meds.

Speaking of dressies, we have another damn party to go to this Sunday night, for the Hubs' aunt's 75th birthday. This family just loves to have big parties at their country club; every party is there, and so, is identical to the last one. And 5:30 on a Sunday night? How do they think of these things? So we have to drive to the ILs first and pick up the MIL; the FIL is not attending, and then drive back there later to take her home. It adds time, but I have no problem with that. I also told her that I will happily either attend the party or stay with the FIL, if she wants me to; either choice is fine with me, she just needs to tell me how to dress ahead of time. R and the GF, who live closer to the ILs, are also going to offer to stay with the FIL, so I may have to after all, but I have no idea what I'm wearing, of course, since my dressies are, as I said, packed. On the other hand, how much do I care? I'll find something.

Speaking of people who don't return calls -- I was somewhere, yes? -- once again, my principal had totally blown me off. When he didn't see me on Tuesday, I emailed him with all my free time this week, and I got no reply. So let's see. School starts Tuesday, Wednesday for the kids. It appears that there will be two new members of my staff, but I don't know what their jobs are and they haven't been hired yet. It will be my job to determine what their jobs are, and train them. Clerks or aides or something, but I don't know, and I don't know what their hours will be. As it stands, I have no assigned lunch period, other than the one mandated by my contract, which means I have to have one, but as far as I know, no one is assigned to cover the library during either lunch period. I may have to close the doors when I go. I guess. I have no idea what to do, or if he will tell me what to do before Wednesday. Although I'm sure that if I lock the doors during a lunch period, it'll get back to him. I guess I'll have to find a union person on Tuesday to tell me what to do. *sigh* As I recall, this was supposed to be the year I was excited about starting over and doing everything new. Well, this is new. I just so hate to be unprepared.

I've been reading an interesting scifi YA series by Scott Westerfield called Uglies, which is also the name of the first book. It's not what I expected, but I like it a lot. I'm on the third book of the trilogy, but then he wrote a fourth as a follow-up, I guess because it was popular, so I have that next.

Well, there you go, the entire contents of my brain spilled out on the screen. Hoping to see R tomorrow, or possibly Sunday. It's a rainy day and rainy weekend ahead, actually colder outside than in, today. Looks like some frozen White Castle cheeseburgers for dinner for me.



watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2110
READING: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Looking ... Up?

Okay, so here's where today stands:

I went to the cardiologist this morning for an annual visit, and all seems fine to him, although he wants me to have another stress test. (Two years since the first one.) I made the appointment for September 28, which, for the faithful, is Yom Kippur, but since I'm not one of the faithful, it's a day off work, so I don't have to take a working day off to go. I expect no issues to surface. He asked me if I exercise, but said nothing about weight, which is part of what makes him such a nice doctor.

I have a firm date to go in and visit OldFriend, which is the Monday after I get back from Disney World. I'm taking the train this time, and K will maybe go with me and maybe not, depending.

Last night, she got an email to set up an interview that would have been a real blow not to get. Will she get the job? Anything is possible, so she might. If she doesn't, well, I'm just really, really glad she got the interview. More on that in the future, depending on what comes of it. In the meantime, she sent in yet another application today to yet another school district.

We've had this little mini-drama going on, my sister and I, over this big box of pictures that I got from Wonderful Niece, but today, I talked to WN and everything is peaceful and serene. I get the feeling that my sister was reading more into something than was there, and as a result, was making me a little crazy, but WN assures me that all is well, and that my feeling -- that the pictures belong to all of us, she's just their keeper for now -- is exactly the way she feels. Good.

Reading. I cannot make myself finish that damn book, even though I really want to read it. I have at least a half dozen ready to go on the iPhone, but I'm trying not to dig into those at least until we're in the air next week. (I don't want to read them all and then have nothing with me when I'm away.)

Away. One week from this very moment, I will be dining at Cap'n Jack's at Disney's Marketplace, or whatever they call that little mall they have there. We're not going to the part where they have the nightclubs and such because we are, after all, four old bats, crazy perhaps, but hardly wild. We'd rather go shopping. Which we will, before and after dinner, I'd guess. Our flight and our cousins' flight from Denver arrive about a half hour apart next Monday afternoon (theoretically), so we should be at the hotel by three or three-thirty, I think.

Speaking of which, I believe I am fully packed now. Yeah, yeah, no one here believes it, either. But I think the suitcase is good. Stuffed, but good. I have a short list of what is yet to go in the carry-on, which is already stuffed as well, so I may have to carry some medication in one of those draw-string back-sacks, or whatever they're called. (It's school colors, and has the team name in huge letters across the front. These days, aren't all of us whose school name isn't Trojans thankful for that small favor? Our school name makes no particular sense, but it is funny, in a way that took me 35 years to get, which I'll happily explain to you all when I retire.)

The Hubs is now cooking an entire head of cauliflower using some method that is going to make me start sneezing uncontrollably in a matter of minutes. Time to post.




watching FAMILY GUY :: ENTRY #2101
READING: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

I Have the POWER!!

Mary wrote something yesterday about bad dreams, and I left her a comment about bad dreams in general, and about a really creepy dream I had a couple of days ago about waking up with ants crawling all over me. (Yes, it was a terrible dream, prompted by some ants in the real-life kitchen, makes me so sick.) Anyway, I often have a dream in which I am in a big building, a college building or hotel or dorm or office building, and I am lost in it, going up and sideways on its elevators that don't work right, and often, either the elevator or part of the building is being renovated and is a mess. So, sometime during last night, I dreamed I was on an elevator, and the doors opened onto a corridor with planks leaning against the walls, dropcloths over everything, and an bucket of paint on the floor, and Dream Me looked out at it from the elevator and said loudly and with confidence "OH NO. I AM NOT HAVING THIS DREAM NOW." And I didn't. I didn't even wake up, I just morphed into another dream. Who knew you could do that?

I just read a graphic novel version of Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, not based on the movie's animation, just like a regular comic book's illustrations. It was quite good, an interesting, since I re-read The Wizard of Oz yesterday and it's similar in that they're both written to be modern fairy tales.

I finished the little Shrinky Dink key tags today and they look very cute. I'll post a picture once I have chains or ribbons or whatever I decide on them. I almost can't believe this worked out as well as it did.

I decided to use this afternoon to record some things onto DVD that I've had on the DVR for a long time. So far, I've done two things from the History Channel on the Revolution, and now one from PBS on the conquistadores, and let me tell you, this is BORING. These are for K, of course, to use in what we hope will be the history classes she'll be teaching -- nothing on that yet -- but I was doing other things, so I didn't care. I didn't so much mind the History Channel shows, but this one is deadly. After this, I have a Twilight Zone episode she recorded in the last marathon -- July 4 -- abut a futuristic society where people have lost their rights. And then I'm done with that, at least for today. I may set things up to record when we're out tomorrow.

Where are we going tomorrow?

To meet the machatunim.

No, R is not engaged (unless we hear new tomorrow), but this is clearly it for her and the GF; they are serious and they are clearly in it for life. Tomorrow, they're having a bit of a brunch to which we are invited (the Hubs, K, and I) as well as the GF's mom and dad. (No siblings there.) So this is an occasion, I think, since these are people we are going to be somehow tied up with for the rest of our lives, no? Isn't that how it works? (If you didn't check the link, machatunim is the Yiddish word that means the parents of your own child's spouse. Either woman in the mix is the machatenesta, either man is the mahouten. There are no words in English that mean the same.) I'll report back tomorrow or Monday.

What else? Oh, the couponing thing is driving me crazy. This has got to be more trouble than it's worth. Even so, I shall persevere.

Dinner has arrived, so I'm off.




watching something awful :: ENTRY #2094
READING: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

HEY!

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

You might say that it has just sunk in. I finally picked up all the paperwork from the travel agent, who didn't have it until last night, and then I came home and packed. Yessiree bob, I packed for a trip that I'm leaving on in ... let me check ... 18 days. (I have a countdown on the phone.) And my carryon in packed too, more or less. I have a short list of what's left to be packed, and then they just have to point me in the right direction.

I have not been as excited about this trip, I think, because, let's face it, I have no money. The trip is already paid for, but I could certainly have used that money for other things (not to mention the other trip to Florida I have to take in September, which is also paid for, and which money I could really have used for other things.) But I'm not letting anything get in the way of just going and having a good time. I'm not going to be bothered if I don't go on some rides that I want to go on, because, as I said last time, I'll certainly be going again. (And here I am.) I am bringing two, count'em two, bathing suits, not that I want to be seen in either one, but I'm okay with that, too.

Remember the tote bags I was going to make for the four of us as mementos of the trip? I wasn't sure how I liked that picture for a tote bag,


but I did realize a couple of hours ago with a resounding DUH that I didn't have to get the bags made at the mall kiosk (which is where I got the idea), all I have to do is get cheap bags at the craft store and print the transfers and do it myself! And when I checked in my desk cabinet for the transfer paper, I found ...

desk-jet printable Shrinky Dink material!

When did I get this? Anyway, I tried the picture and made a sample, and it looks FANTASTIC! I made a few adjustments and then I ran out of black ink, so I'll get ink tomorrow and then make the four shrinky dink keytags or whatever anyone wants to use them for, and all I need to get at the craft store is a can of Krylon to seal them with and something for keychains (although I actually have something at the library I can use that we don't use for anything anymore.)

In other news, I got my hearing aids adjusted -- again -- and they seem to be slightly better. I have not heard from the ob/gyn, which is disappointing, even though I know it's not serious; I should have had a call by now.

No news yet either on the possible excellent job possibility for K, but then this morning, yet another possible excellent job came up, and she sent in her application immediately. She says she has 100 cover letters on her computer, so she applied for at least 100 jobs. (Some of them she applied to directly online, no cover letter needed.) Can you believe it? But either of these would be just incredible, both very good districts with fairly big schools, and good Social Studies departments.

I'm finally reading that book I was trying to get my hands on for weeks, and it's a challenge, although an amusing one.




watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2093
READING: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

Catching Up

I'm all out of books for the moment, since I'm saving what I have for the trip. I really liked Finding Oz, about how L. Frank Baum came to write The Wizard of ... It's got a lot of historical and philosophical background, and was set in a time period I like, the late 1800s.

I did not like the next one I brought home from the summer reading list, Me Times Three, and I gave it up early on. I seriously don't understand how some of these books are chosen for kids to read. This was another Sex in the City-type thing. Why are we giving this to kids to read? What are we going to teach them using this crap?

I have another book coming from B & N tomorrow, which I hope I'll like. I'll let you know.

Pictures. I promised you a picture of the map the girls gave us for our anniversary:


I know it's hard to see what this is. The map is from the 1880s, when New Jersey was made up of several large townships, each divided into school districts. About ten years later, legislation was passed so that school districts could incorporate as boroughs, each one a distinct municipality in control of its own schools; the borough movement went on for about 30 years. This map shows the township and its school districts that was later broken up into many boroughs, including Bizarro Town, which incorporated in 1924. We were then part of Saddle River Township, but we are nowhere near the town now known as Saddle River (a very, very upscale community; Richard Nixon lived there in retirement.) We are also not close to Passaic, a city, although the map shows something called East Passaic, which no longer exists. Anyway. We like maps.

I haven't heard from the doctor yet -- I'm expecting her call this afternoon or tomorrow -- but I know that the scan showed "lots" of fibroids. Swell. I hope I can live and die with them and not have to do anything about it. We shall see.

Lacking a book to read today, I thought I'd do a little *shudder* work. I have a procedures manual that I wrote in the spring of 2008, pretty much a guide for anyone who came after I retired. Well, I'm not going anywhere, but I need to update it anyway, a little time-consuming, but not difficult. And then, CRISIS: I could not find the file anywhere. Not on my home computer, not on my flash drive, and not on the school computer, which I logged into remotely. At last, I found it tucked into the wrong folder on the flash drive, but CRISIS: the file is corrupted. I tried a lot of tricks to get it to open, but it just ain't happenin'.

So now I have to type it all over again. It's about 27 pages long; it'll be longer once I put in the revisions. Oy. And then make an abbreviated edition for the teachers who'll be on library duty; they won't need all of it, but they'll sure need some of it. And then save it in a million places. And put the printed out versions in binders, which I guess I'll need to go buy.

So now, it seems, I do have something to keep me busy. Funny how that works out.




watching L/O :: ENTRY #2092
READING: --- by ---

Book Reviews

I finished the Fat-O-Sphere book, and it really was quite interesting. I also talked to R about it. She reads several "fat-acceptance" blogs, which is what this book is about, and although I thought I agreed with it from the beginning, she pointed out to me that my actions say otherwise. Which, I realized, they did. So I've got a whole new avenue of thought opening up for me here. A lot to (pardon the expression) chew on.

Next, I picked up A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks. I had just grabbed this off a cart in the library Wednesday morning when the book I was looking for wasn't there. This book has been on my school's summer reading list for a few years (I'm not sure for what grade level) and it's always on the table for summer reading and Barnes and Noble, so it must be a common assignment, which is why I wanted to read it.

Wha ...?

First, let me say, if you're a grown woman looking for a book to read, this is okay, not a bad read. If you are a kid, especially a boy kid, I can't imagine what possible relevance this book has for you. (It's not a YA book.) Ethan Frome has more relevance, and that, as everyone knows, sucks. This book is a little oddly written; the style and voice changes by the chapter, but not in any consistent way. It's a chick book, with sex. I think it's okay for kids to read books with sex, but only if it's valid within the context of the book, and not gratuitous, or trendy. I didn't get the point of this book at all, not for kids. I can't imagine what aspect of it they teach.

Today I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This is a YA book, and a National Book Award winner. Better written than the other, more boy-oriented, a good story, good characters, but again, I don't see the need for some of what's in it. But it was a popular book with the kids, so I wanted to read it. (It's not on the reading list.) I don't know, it must be me.

My next book is the story of how L. Frank Baum came to write The Wizard of Oz, a book the Hubs gave me for Christmas. Time to read some non-fiction/bio for now.

Oh, I got the results of the thyroid ultrasound; I'm fine. I guess I'll hear from the ob/gyn on Monday. She'll tell me I have a fibroid, which I know. Here's hoping I don't have to do anything about it.




watching THE JETSONS :: ENTRY #2091
READING: Finding Oz by Evan Schwartz

Ohai

I wish I could tell you that I haven't written in days because I've been leading such an exciting life, but that would certainly be untrue. I've done some reading, some shopping, some returning, some doctor stuff, and some marathon TV watching. That's about it.

Last first: I think it's probably not a good idea to watch too many Law and Order marathons of any kind. It makes me a little afraid to go into the outside world.

Reading. I started and gave up on a book called A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. It's a Pulitzer Prize winner, and on the summer reading list for one of the new English electives at school. It was ... well, interesting, but too densely written for my tastes, and too crude for school, I think, although it is an elective for seniors. I gave up after a hundred pages. I'm currently reading, and on the verge of giving up on, a book about dieting and body-image and having healthy attitudes towards both, which R gave me to read. I'm down with all that it says, but it's saying it over and over and over. Even so, I'll stick with it for tonight and move on tomorrow, especially if I get the chance to go into school and drop off the book?s I'm done with and get another one that I want.

Oh, K and I did at last see the Harry Potter movie yesterday. What can I say? It wasn't a bad movie, but it was one of the worst adaptations of a book I've ever seen. It was as if all the heart of the book was gone. Less the halfway through the movie, I wanted to kill Dumbledore myself.

Doctor stuff, and I'm going to talk about the lady doctor and lady parts, so, you've been warned. Two doctors have pronounced me post-menopausal, so, yes! It's about time. Even so, there's some minor thing going on that needs investigation; the internist told me Friday to make an appointment with the ob/gyn and tell her I need a "hysteroscopy." I didn't know what that was, so I called, and they were all like "uh, no" and made me an appointment to talk to the doctor yesterday. Turns out that a hysteroscopy is a D & C, which I can tell myself that I don't need, and I certainly don't want, and the ob/gyn agrees, but now I have to have that all ultrasounded as well. So I'm doing that tomorrow when I get my thyroid ultrasounded. I already know that neither of these things is really any kind of concern, but I'll go and get scanned anyway.

Here's the crazy thing on my mind about all this. You know, when we are children, we explore our bodies and are familiar with what we've got and where everything is. (I don't mean just that; we also know every freckle on our hands and knees and feet, and all that stuff.) And as girls get a little older, we are warned of the changes that are about to befall us. (As are boys, I assume.) And the change comes, and it's more or less what we've been expecting. I don't remember being told ahead of time that I would get cramps each month that would double me over in pain, but I had an older sister, so that wasn't much of a surprise.

We are prepared for the change that comes at this end, too, but not nearly as well. For example, once you start piling on the pounds and can't get rid of them, only then does someone say, "Oh, yeah, that's menopause." WTF? I knew about the hot flashes, the mood swings, and some other stuff -- I had watched my mother for those clues -- but some of this other crap, really, I had no warning. Part of that is gravity taking hold, but just in general, it's like I'm trapped in a stranger's body. Not only are there new freckles and the like popping up daily, it's as if nothing is in the same place anymore. I don't know if I can be more clear than that, even if I were talking to you in person. It's just very, very strange. Makes me wonder what else is going to be relocating over the next 20 or 30 years.

No job yet for K, but a new opportunity may have opened up today, a really, really good one, so cross those fingers and toes, folks. Maybe this is the one that was meant to be after all.

Oh, and the girls gave us a really excellent anniversary gift over the weekend. It's in the living room, but it's a very rainy day today, so I don't have enough light to take a good picture to show. I'll try to get one tomorrow.




watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2090
READING: Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere by Kate Harding and Marianne Kirby

Books and Stuff

I had my annual physical this morning. Nothing to report, some tests to have, that's about it. The only thing of any significance is that the doctor says all my aches and pains are indeed related to the Crohn's arthritis, so at least I know what it all is. And Resnick gave me something on Monday that should be starting to help soon, and today's doctor had me add a supplement that she says will help. Time will tell.

Yesterday's book, The Housekeeper and the Professor, was just wonderful. It's a Japanese novel, but well-translated, short, and different.

Today's book was So B. It, a YA novel I brought home from the library. Not brilliant, but well written for what it is, a good YA read. I seem to be in short-book mode now. My next choice is Luna, another YA novel; one of the kids at school told me it was good when she was returning it, so I'll give it a shot. I have another few in this vein, and then some long ones to tackle, including an old David McCullogh, this one about the building of the Panama Canal, and Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy.

It also occurred to me that I would want some ebooks along for the Disney trip, and I was low on those, so I checked Amazon for Kindle book sales, and picked up a few.

Did I mention that I'm also starting to save coupons again? I was into this bigtime in the early years of our marriage -- so, 32 years ago -- but then it just became too much of a hassle to deal with. Now that I'm not going to the supermarket with two little kids, I guess I can handle it again. I'm checking websites, printing stuff out, and so on. In fact, it is a pain to do, and I don't know how much it'll really save, but again, time will tell.




watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2089
READING: Luna by Julie Anne Peters

An Uneasy Day

I had some strange dreams this morning just before I woke up, and they carried over into the day, which is strange and annoying. I won't bother you with all the details, but the dreams involved 1) me, driving on roads both familiar and unfamiliar, and not being able to see well, and hitting things and getting lost, and 2) stopping at a McDonald's where they would not give me a cheeseburger.

I always used to remember dreams, but not so much anymore; even so, I felt very ill at ease driving today (even though it was bright and sunny and my eyes were wide open), and as lunchtime approached, I realized that the only thing I could possibly eat was a McDonald's cheeseburger. So, a weird day.

Did I do anything else today? Oh, I finished a book last night, which I liked, but boy, what a weeper: My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult, or whatever her last name is. I figured I'd better start my summer with it before all the ads for the movie gave away the ending, and trust me, they don't. First thing I've read of hers. I could do another.

I've made myself a nice fish dish every night for the last several, which is probably too much fish, but I'm not eating salmon (or sushi), which has the highest mercury levels, I think. I make it differently each night, or with different fish, but only in parchment paper packets in the microwave. It is absolutely the easiest healthy food I can make. And good. And good for me.

Hoping to dream about happy things tonight --



watching TWO AND A HALF MEN :: ENTRY #2079
READING: ----- by -----

Done!

School's out for summer! (Which were the exact words the principal used to dismiss us from the final faculty meeting. Oh yeah, and the words from an Alice Cooper song, of course.) He let us out by 11:30 this morning. Very nice.

Which caused me to learn that I do actually have the energy in the middle of the day to do other things, as opposed to coming home from work and collapsing. I got all my laundry done and put away, so I can start the summer with a clean slate. I tidied up my car and the living room. I decided to cook myself some dinner.

I know! Me!

Well, I've been thinking about how I was going to eat intelligently this summer, which I do intend to do, without going on any kind of actual plan, because I never want to get caught up in obsessing over food again. It turns out I did eat well today, so far only about 1000 calories (which means I can finish the Coffee Toffee Frosty in the freezer; I'm not a fanatic.) Anyway, I went to the produce market in town, which also has a fabulous fresh fish counter, and made some tilapia with veggies on it in a parchment paper packet in the microwave. I could have that every night, but I think they say you shouldn't have fish more than three times a week because of the mercury and stuff.

I could even do some Wii yoga tonight, but I'll be horrified enough when I step on it tomorrow and see my weight in the morning, I don't need to see my after-dinner weight. Perhaps a bit of bowling or golf might be a good toe-in-the-water to see how my shoulders and elbows take it.

Massage in the morning, and then I need to pick out my first book of the summer. I have ... counting ... about 15 books on the piano bench, and a few more ebooks, and one coming from my sister. I know I won't read them all, but I like knowing that I'll get to a lot of them. Some are YA novels, which I'll either love, or toss aside after the first few pages, and three big books are the Mary Stewart Merlin/Arthur trilogy, which I read many years ago and loved, and I'd like to try to re-read.

I'm going to go sort out the dry cleaning to see what I need to take in tomorrow. Whatever I get cleaned (shirts, for me) will just sit in the closet, ready for September, because I like to wear only denim shirts in the summer (I have six or seven) over a tank top. And jeans. Voila, my summer wardrobe is complete.

More tomorrow from the exercise front.



watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2074
READING: ----- by -----

TGIF

Once again, work is fine, I just can't bear to wake up in the morning at a quarter to six. Ah ..... I can sleep in until maybe eight tomorrow.

I took a break from the Andrew Jackson book today, and read a cute little middle-school level book called The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which I understand is also an online comic strip. Very cute. Back to Jackson shortly.

Nineteen school days left.

Busy day tomorrow, what with the MIL and the seafood and the shopping. I could pass out right now, but it's not even eight yet and it's still light out. Something from childhood says it's wrong to go to bed while it's still light out, which stems, no doubt, from lying in bed in a room darkened by shades, wearing those itchy seersucker pajamas, and hearing other kids still playing outside. And my mother wondered why I kept popping into the living room begging for water or another story or something. And why I have insomnia, lying in bed for hours waiting to fall asleep. I've been doing it since I was four. The only difference is that now, I'm really tired, and I want to go to bed at 7:30.



watching FAMILY GUY :: ENTRY #2055
READING: American Lion: Andrew Jackson by Jon Meacham

I'm So Good

Here I am, writing so many times this week. I'm such a good girl.

Even so, I'm taking the day off tomorrow because I cannot stand to drag this stiff, sore leg around that great big building, up and down the stairs, one more day. I looked it up before; I have not taken a sick day since before Christmas! (I did take one death in the family day for my aunt's funeral, and one sick day to help R move, but I have not actually been sick. Amazing!) And I'm going to the orthopedist at 2:30 to see what's up with all that. My guess is arthritis, either real arthritis or something Crohn's related. I'm going for a follow-up to the guts doctor in a week or so, so I'll get his input then, and then, I suppose, an appointment with the rheumatologist. Oh, boy!

I'll need tomorrow, because I won't have a minute to spare this weekend. On Saturday, we have a Bar Mitzvah to go to. (Did I write this already? I can't find it.) This is the Hubs' first cousin's younger son. We are most definitely not going to the party; the party for her older son two years ago was a nightmare. We're going to the service in the morning and then the snack afterwards. The FIL is not making the trip, so we're picking up the MIL, which means an hour and a half to her, and then an hour to the service, and vice versa later on, so that's a day. And on Sunday, the girls are taking me to see the Star Trek movie for Mother's Day at the IMAX at the obscenely huge mall just over the state line into New York. Fun to be sure, but also some time going each way, and I'll be the parking won't be fun.

I still haven't actually gotten past the second page in that Andrew Jackson book; I've just been too tired to read at night. But I'll get to sleep an extra hour and a half tomorrow, so maybe I'll fit some reading in somewhere during the day.

Back in Muggle World

I've been reading a lot of Harry Potter lately, which tends to suck up my brain, but I finished the last book about an hour ago, so I thought I'd return to the land of real people (so to speak.)

Things are rolling along. I didn't wear a support on my knee today, but I took some Tylenol every four hours and it was much, much better. I have no idea what's up with that. No swelling, no bruise, just pain, and not where the break was two years ago. Huh.

As if you didn't already know this, I am going to Disney World with a pack of crazies. I was thinking of getting us some kind of matching t-shirts, just for a laugh, but now I just keep imagining what I might put on them, something about the crazy part of the family we're all descended from. I don't know. If one more person tells me that all the planning of the trip is in my hands and then tells me exactly how to plan it, I think I may scream.

I swear, I think of you guys all day long and plan out entries in my head, and then sit down at the keyboard and draw a blank. I haven't been commenting much lately either, in part because I read a lot of entries in school. Speaking of which ...

I don't know how many of you work with people who are completely clueless, but if you work in a public school, you do. There are always people who do not get the purpose of the whole institution, like secretaries who won't help kids and the like, but here's what we have going on. We have a technology department -- I generally refer to them as Computer Central -- staffed by Larry, Moe, and Curly. Each one is dopier than the next. (Their fourth member, new this year, is just a repairman, and he's the only one with a brain.) They have no sense whatsoever that there are people out there -- students, especially -- who actually need to use this thing they're working on, this network.

Last Friday was an in-service day, which meant staff in only, so naturally, the three stooges decided that this would be a good day to change the server. Oh yes, because there were no workshops that involved the use of the network or anything. I don't know how many people couldn't do what they were supposed to be doing because websites wouldn't come up.

Come Monday morning, guess what? Almost any website anyone went to turned up instead as a message that said that the site was blocked by our filtering software. Really dangerous sites, too, like CNN and AOL. Before 8:00, a half dozen kids had come to me in a panic because they had emailed homework to their AOL accounts but couldn't open them to print out.

So now it's Wednesday, and I can get CNN, but I cannot get most of your diaries at school. It's very frustrating. I have been very busy, but if I have ten minutes to spare between classes, I see nothing wrong with following up some stuff on Google Reader. But if I click something and it's blocked, then it's marked as Read in Reader, so I'm afraid I'll forget to come back to it. I have lost a few that way.

And did I mention that all the library resources that we use, and pay for via subscription, recognize our accounts by I.P. address? And that the new server, of course, has its own new I.P.? Why, I wonder, did they not wait until summer to do all of this, or do it when we were on vacation a couple of weeks ago? Because they have no sense that the network exists outside of their little world in which it is something to be repaired and tinkered with, never actually used by actual students and teachers.

So, swine flu. Are we all freaked out? Someone asked me that yesterday, and I said "Uh .. what?" Still, more people succumb to the regular flu. I understand why this is considered a pandemic, but I don't necessarily agree with what defines a pandemic. All things considered, very few people have been affected by this. I'm not saying it's nothing, but I don't feel personally threatened. (I hope that doesn't turn out to fall into the "Famous Last Words" category. That would be a bummer.)

I had to go to B&N after school to pick up a few books for the library. Suddenly today, we noticed that both our copies of Mien Kamph -- I don't want to get Googled for that -- were missing. No idea what that means. One of them just went out and came back a few weeks ago. With that title, I always fear censorship more than wannabees, so I'm a little concerned, but I picked up a replacement, as well as a few others. We'll see how long these all last.

Well, I finally got a full entry out, anyway. Looks like a good Lost tonight.



watching FRIENDS :: ENTRY #2034
READING: --- by ---

WEEKEND!

We had freaking SNOW this morning, nothing sticking, but a real heavy flurry that was not welcomed by anyone. It turned sunny later in the afternoon, and I think is supposed to go up to the fifties for the weekend. Looks like a good one. We will be spending Sunday on the Garden State Parkway and with the ILs, for the MIL's 80th birthday, which is actually tomorrow.

The retirees' dinner I went to last night was SO MUCH FUN. (I'm all about the capitals today, apparently.) I'm told it was one of their smaller dinners, only about fifteen people, but it was so wonderful to see happy, familiar faces who were happy to see me, and to get caught up. The drive there and back in the car with E, was, as expected, also wonderful. I can really, really tell her anything, and vice versa.

I got home around 10:30, which might as well have been three a.m. I did sleep after, but I was incredibly tired all day. I went for a pedi with the Sibs after school and almost fell asleep in the chair, and did sleep for two hours after I got home. Now I'm just hungry; my leftovers from last night, although delish, were not filling. I'm thinking about going out for ice cream, but I already have my slippers on, so I'm pretty much done for the day.

Not so much enjoying the book I'm reading, but it's a teen thing and I'm going to try to finish it. I've got a few more lined up, which I'd rather be reading. I may *sigh* try some Toni Morrison again. So far, I just don't see what all the fuss is about.



FAMILY GUY :: ENTRY #2011
READING: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Lagging Behind

I think I haven't written in a few days. I'm not sick or anything, just lazy. Or something.

My reading slump seems to be over. I finished Edgar Sawtelle, which I recommend, and also Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, which I also recommend. On to something new.

I just got a Facebook request from my college roommate, which I approved. Now that's what I'm talking about. That's the kind of person Facebook is supposed to connect you to.

I find that I am, for lack of a better word, astonished by what's going on with the economy. It's as if the entire paradigm -- I hate that word -- of how we live our lives is undergoing a metamorphosis before our eyes. Businesses that have thrived for a hundred years are going to disappear, and I don't mean individual companies, but whole industries, the way there are no blacksmiths on every corner anymore. The monumental amount of greed that our banking industry showed is also astonishing; Madoff isn't the only one out there who pulled off what he did, you know. But in terms of the average everyday us, we are slowly coming to see that we are not entitled to the things we used to think we were. And more. It's hard to put into words.

For years, I used to see commercials on TV every single day for cars, investment, and so on, and I would feel bad because how was I ever going to buy a $30,000 car? What did I have to invest? These commercials, I felt, were directed towards the very small segment of the population that had this kind of money to burn. (I didn't realize that people were buying cars -- and houses -- they couldn't afford by taking out absurd loans.) Now I see this same commercials and I think: Who are they kidding? NO ONE is going to buy that stuff now, so why are they wasting their money on the ads? They need to completely re-think the way they do their business if they want to survive, the businesses that do that are the ones who will. Can you imagine no General Motors? They snoozed, and they lost.

In other news, I don't think acupuncture is doing it for me. I'm considering alternatives. The substitute acupuncturist who worked on me last Saturday worked hard on my neck/shoulder/arm, and I am still not good for that. My upper arm is weak, and mostly hurts. I'm considering therapeutic massage, but not just yet.

If I'm still alert when it gets dark, which should be soon, I think I may treat myself to a Pay-Per-View movie, which I've only done once or twice before, I think, and watch The Secret Lives of Bees. I'll let you know how I make out with that.


QVC :: ENTRY #2007
READING: Paper Towns by John Green

Happiness Is

For me today, happiness is going to the accountant and leaving with a smile on my face. You know, if I could change one thing in my life, it would be that I would have handled money very differently -- or had the Hubs handle it -- and not have had the stress money has always caused me. Now that our income is so much less, I am fortunately taking wonderful happy pills (or else I have matured a great deal, which is far less likely), and I am just going with the flow. But I understand money so little, that each year, the trip to the accountant is like a trip for surgery, and I never know how it's going to come out. Whatever he tells me, I believe him, and it could go either way from year to year. Now it's over for this year, and no one is asking me to send them money I don't have. It doesn't get much better than that.

Have you ever read a book and you say to yourself as you're reading "If one more bad thing happens, I am walking away from this?" When I read Angela's Ashes, I said to myself "If one more baby dies, I'm outta here!" but no one else died, and I finished it. Well, I am loving Edgar Sawtelle, it's so beautifully written, but if there is anything else sad, I don't think I can take it. And I know it will. :<

I must get back to writing during the day, when my brain is still working. It's almost seven, and I have nothing left. But I may have a neat picture for you all tomorrow.



FRIENDS :: ENTRY #2005
READING: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by Davbid Wroblewski

But First ...

Meme from Mary

REAL NAME:
Ooh, I'm very careful with my real name online, mostly because I don't want to lose my job. I'll let this one go.

2. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother's and father's middle names)
Edith Herbert

3. NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Sam Louis

4. STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Can Ro

5. DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Purple Dog

6. SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, town where you were born)
Heidi Bronx

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav car, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Blue Tracker

8. FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Ca Ne

9.STREET NAME:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Vanilla Oreo

10. SKANK NAME: (1st pet's name, street you grew up on)
Willie 33

11. GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of last name plus 'izzle')
Canizzle

12. YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Boo

13. STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy)
Vanilla Pez

(About the middle names: Neither my mother nor I were actually given middle names. Her mother told her when she was a kid that if she wanted one, she should just pick one, and since her middle name in Yiddish was the same as her cousin Edith's first name in Yiddish, and also she worshiped the ground Edith walked on, she picked Edith. When I was about six, my mother told me the same thing, and I had just read a children's edition of Heidi, so I picked that. It's not really middle name, but it's the closest I have to one.)

La la la, it's just a lazy day at home for me. It's over 60 degrees here today, but overcast, so not a nice day; rain coming later. The crocuses are blooming. Yesterday was just gorgeous, like a perfect spring day. I went out first thing in the morning in a tee shirt and zipped hoodie and came right back in and changed to a tank top and denim jacket. When I went out again later, I ditched the jacket, and just wore a denim shirt over the tank. That's my kind of weather.

Other than food shopping and one load of laundry, I've done very little today, which suits me just fine. I ditched that book I was reading, The Alchemyst, which I found to be poorly written YA standard stuff. In its place, I started The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which is just beautifully written. I'll let you know how far I get on that one.

R has convinced me to give The Watchmen another try, and suggested I download chapter one from iTunes, which is a "moving comic book"; as the panels are scanned, a voice reads the words. I certainly grew up immersed in comic books and I'm okay with graphic novels in general -- loved Persepolis -- but I found The Watchmen just too hard to read, too much going on at once, a graphic format I don't enjoy. I'll see if this is better, since I would like to read it.

And now my laundry is done, so I must go fold, and pick out tomorrow's clothes, and make tomorrow's lunch.



JEWS IN AMERICA on PBS :: ENTRY #2004
READING: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by Davbid Wroblewski

How Unusual

I overslept this morning, a very odd thing for me to do. When I woke up -- a half hour late -- the Hubs was standing there in his jacket and hat, so he was up and had been outside to shuffle the cars around. Why didn't he wake me up? Anybody's guess. If I wake up and feel sick and go back to sleep, I leave him a note so he knows not to wake me. I guess I don't have to do that anymore.

I moved like a little dynamo and was out of the house in a little more than a half hour. I also learned that the microwave in the library will not properly heat up my frozen breakfast burrito. Ew.

Second day of testing. I got the right book to read, but people kept coming by and talking to me, so I didn't get to very much of it.

Speaking of books, Amazon has now created a Kindle app for the iPhone, which means I can get my ebooks from Amazon, which has the biggest selection, and coincidentally, the best prices.

And there is a HUGE new Target opening very nearby on Saturday! Seriously, does it get any better than this?



FRIENDS :: ENTRY #2001
READING: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott