For the birds

I really can't believe how long it's been since I've written anything. How am I going to remember my life if I don't write about it? I'm going to try to do better. Famous last words! Have I ever talked about good intentions? Probably.

One of the things I was thinking of this morning as the sun was streaming through my windows was dust. The beautiful sunlight just highlighted the layer on my furniture. Where the heck does it come from? You couldn't tell I had just dusted a week ago. Dust is for the birds. And speaking of birds..I got a bird. Twice! I don't remember if I had my cockatiel Zeus when I started my blog. I loved him. He was the only pet I ever had and he flew away when I stepped outside without realizing he was on my shoulder. I'll never forget him and never let that happen again. One day last week it popped into my head that I might like having a bird again. A companion. Rob and I went to a pet store that breeds and hand-raises their birds, and I chose a bird that was beautiful. Emily was so excited! I had to go home to get my old cage and the three of us went back to the shop to get him. I was a little envious in the store with how good he was with Rob and Emily, but I knew I'd have plenty of time with him alone. Long story short, he would get on my shoulder but not ever let me touch him. All he did was try to bite me. I had buyer's remorse, but was determined to win him over. I brought Mango back to the store today for his 1 week check-up.

Not my finger
The store is owned by a husband and wife and this time the wife was there. I talked about Mango, and how all he does is try to bite me. I told her how loving Zeus was. She observed Mango with me. She held Mango and he was mean to her! We talked a lot about the care I was giving him. She could tell that I was trying really hard to do everything right. I was a little excited and hopeful when she gave me another cockatiel to hold. Right away this new bird put his head down for me to rub. He let me hold him and stroke him and get close. The owner told me she's never exchanged a bird before, but she wanted to do it for me. I'm so happy! So, so happy! They're going to re-socialize Mango so he can go to another home. Can we name the new bird Mango too?

Mango 2
I went to NY last weekend with my friend Kit. She asked a couple of weeks ago if I wanted to go and without hesitation I said YES! I'll write about it this weekend. I'm making a commitment here. I want to read all about it!

Special in my own way

Time for my every-once-in-a-while blog post. Why now? No clue.

I went to BAM after work today. Books-A-Million. They took over my Borders, and I'd been there once or twice before the holidays. I was happy to see that it was pretty busy inside. I got my favorite latte and sat down with a iPhone magazine, just like in the old days. Me, who thought I knew my iPhone pretty much inside and out, learned about 15 new things from the magazine. I'm so happy. I've missed out on a lot of knowledge since Borders closed!! I plan on making BAM my new after work hang-out on Saturdays. I'm excited. Those who know me know how much I loved Borders and now I have a good replacement.

My sister Ilene from GA is in town to spend a lot of time with my parents, and she's staying with me. It's been so nice to have a house guest! We met my brother and sister Lisa for dinner tonight at a huge Chinese buffet, Teppanyaki Supreme Buffet. It was a gluttonous place! I can usually do some damage at buffets, but I haven't had much of tolerance for food since I had the stomach bug earlier this week.

Speaking of that...yuck. I've never had the stomach bug, and thought I was kind of special because of that feat. Serves me right. I really thought I had an immunity. Many, many people at my parents assisted living have had it. There's a warning sign when you enter the building, but I wasn't worried. I spent two days in a row visiting and got it right after that. Now I'm part of the club, woohoo. I hope to be able to say, "I've only ever had the stomach bug once in my life." Would that still make me special?

Time flies

I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. Sorta. My plan for the day after spending an hour working on my basement cleanup (baby steps) was to spend the afternoon with my mother. I finally reached Mom on the phone to find out that she, along with many other residents and staff, has the stomach bug. She has a sick caregiver, but one that gets to stay with her and give her all the care she needs. Needless to say, I'm staying away.

My mother suffered a small stroke earlier this month. It's been over 11 years since the massive stroke that changed her life, and the lives of her family. I really thought after all this time that it would never happen again. This one was a quiet one, in many ways. We noticed that all of a sudden my mother became very quiet. Long story short, the hospital where she stayed for 3 nights diagnosed it as a stroke. Fortunately there were no physical changes, and my mom is acting much more like herself. She is pretty depressed, though, and it has a lot to do with winter. She's stuck indoors and is feeling isolated. I know I'd feel the same. My plan was to show her a good time today. Raincheck!

Life is quiet around here. My daughter has a new man in her life and between that and our jobs, and her school, I don't see much of her. When I do, it's great. She's growing up and becoming a woman. I look at her face, and it's new to me. I miss her!

So, I live in my big (for one person) house mostly alone. I'm not bored, and I'm not lonely. I used to spend so much time on the computer, but I really don't any more. I check for e-mail; I rarely get personal e-mails. It probably has something to do with the fact I hardly send them, and because I don't blog, I don't get comments mailed to me. Thank goodness for Groupon, bradsdeals, LivingSocial, etc. It's the only mail I get (haha). I check in with Facebook on my iPhone at least a few times a day. I like seeing status updates and making some of my own, but other than that, it's not important to me. I've been terrible about reading blogs or writing them. Instead of being on the computer I've been watching shows that I've DVR'd. TV is very entertaining! That said, I can't wait to be entertained by the things you can do in warm weather. I miss being outside. I can't wait till the days are longer and the outdoors is where I spend my time. Time flies, which can be good and bad. Before I know it, I'll be sitting on my porch watching for my hummingbirds. I really can't wait.

Happy New Year!

Visiting my mother and writing a new blog post were the only must-do things on my list today. It's almost 7 PM and I'm just now getting to #2.

The holiday 'season' passed by in a blur, as usual. I guess the season is all about the lead-up to the day. Once Christmas Day is over, it's all over. My sister Lisa and I went to The Annapolitan on Christmas Eve Day for their Holiday Dinner. There were over 200 people there (I think there's around 90 residents). It was so nice! I've said it so many times but I'll say it again. We're SO glad my parents are living there.

My daughter worked Christmas Eve but we spent some time together when she came home, then a few hours in the morning before she headed to her dad's. I spent a really nice day with my neighbor Kelly and her guests.

Are we hams or what?

I was ready to head back to work on Monday. I'm finding I don't do well with too much free time. It was a quiet week at work, and will probably be a slow month. Hopefully not too slow, since I work on commission. Rob was able to visit mid-week and we had our Christmas then. I think his favorite gift was the Dr. Martens shoes I got him. Mine was the Apple gift card to use towards the iPad3 I'll get as soon as it comes out. I.can't.wait!

I chose to be proactive and make New Year's Eve plans instead of staying home alone (Rob works every weekend). I'm so glad I did. My friend Kit and I drove to Manassas, VA, about an hour away. We checked into a hotel, and our high school friend Lisa met us there. We went to Kit's sister's bar/restaurant. It was SO out of my 'norm'. I felt like I was sightseeing! So many people smoking and drinking. Such loud head-banger music. It was fun until the smoke finally got to me. We headed back to the hotel and hung out by the fireplace for a while. It was so great to be together. There's nothing like old friends!

I spent a few hours with my mom today. She hasn't seemed like herself since this past Saturday, and I made an appointment for her to see her doctor tomorrow. She's just too quiet. I hope she's OK! I finally cut her hair. She was quite the wild-looking woman.

The top two pictures are, of course, the 'before' pictures. Doesn't my mom look great in her new glasses?

I'm ready to get cozy with my book, the biography of Steve Jobs. I hope it gets me so relaxed that my new evil friend insomnia stays away tonight.

Happy 2012 my friends. I wish you health, and happiness. Wealth would be great too, but I know that health is the most important thing.

Ho Ho Hello

It just seems like I dropped off the face of the earth. I'm still here. I'm just in that category of 'occasional' bloggers, now.

My holiday party was a little over a week ago, and as usual, it was a lot of fun. Emily and Rob were huge helps to me in the set up, and Rob, especially, as a host. The house is just now (with a little help from the occupants) reverting back to some clutter. The newspapers and TV guides can only stay in the laundry room so long! Still, it's pretty neat in here, and I do love seeing the house all dressed up for the holidays.

My shopping was finished up last week, so there's really no stress left. Actually, the shopping was fun. I'll be having Christmas Eve dinner with my parents and sister at The Annapolitan. Emily and I normally spend Christmas morning together, but I'm not sure what will be happening this year. I'm going to my neighbors for Christmas dinner. Kelly has always extended an invitation when I didn't have any other plans. Rob works every weekend, so he won't be around for Christmas or New Year's. It will all be low-key for me.

I had to bring my car into the shop today because of a very bad oil leak. It was streaming. I also had to rent a car, something I've never had to do before. I've always had my parents car as a loaner. Paying for this car repair, whatever it might be, in addition to the rental comes at a bad time of year, especially following paying for half of Emily's new rebuilt transmission. I reminded myself again that it's a car problem and not a car accident. You have to look at the sunny side.

I'm on a quest to scan old family photos. I can't wait to find more.

Ho Ho Ho!

It's a party time of year

There's nothing like a party to clean up a house. At least that's always been the case with me. I'm down on the floor wiping around the edges when I notice the grate on the bottom of the refrigerator. So dirty! I take it off to wash when I notice the coils have 1/4" of dust on them. I probably haven't cleaned them since getting ready for last year's Christmas party. I go to put the grate back on when I notice the baseboards. And that all the doors need to wiped around the knobs. And the slats in the intake grills need to be dusted. And there's dust on the edges of the ceiling fans. And on and on and on. The house is now pretty clean. That's a good feeling. I grew up in a spotless home. I live in a neat one, but not necessarily an always clean one.

My salon party was on Saturday night at Pam and Mason's, my wonderful bosses. Great food, music and dancing with all my Mason and Friends co-workers. I'm still hoarse from trying to talk about the roar of the crowd. A great time was had by all.

Yesterday I hosted my book club for our annual holiday gathering. I count myself as being so fortunate to be part of such a wonderful group of friends. We typically spend about 4 hours talking, eating, drinking, socializing and oh, talking a little about the book (usually 20-30 minutes). We've considered putting together a cookbook, because our food is really so awesome. This was our repertoire yesterday:
sambossas (an Ethiopian appetizer) with a wonderful sauce, vegetable curry with Nam, vegetarian egg rolls in rice paper with peanut sauce, chicken salad on rolls, chicken chili, veggies and dip, steamed shrimp, and chipped beef dip. For dessert we had pumpkin cheesecake and carrot cake bites.

I got a call mid-party that my mom had fallen and although she said she was fine, the ambulance was on the way to get her. I was so upset when I saw my mom 6 days prior because she was walking unassisted and she's such a fall risk. She should never ever walk alone, yet there she was. Another fall waiting to happen. Last night I knew she would be OK, and if not, then I'd go to the hospital. As soon as the party was over I called the ER and spoke to my mom's nurse who said she was off getting X-rays. She also said they had been watching America's Funniest Home Videos before she was taken and my mom had her in stitches. The X-rays showed Mom has a fracture to her collarbone, which is something that will heal on it's own. She went home by private ambulance. I visited her this morning, and fortunately, she's not in any pain. At least not yet. And so it goes, until the next fall, because my mom will only ask for help with her walking for a little while. She was lucky this time. She's not always so lucky.

I had a successful Christmas shopping day today. Yay! I'm excited to be giving gifts that I think people will love. I'm excited that I've somehow come up with good ideas. I also think I'm getting in the mood for Christmas. Thank goodness.

I'm gearing up for my annual holiday party at my house next Saturday night. I love entertaining. It's going to be a busy week!

Full, but quiet

I've been off of work for 4 days, and believe it or not, I'm ready to go back. I've kept busy, but I've been mostly alone. It's a little too quiet already! I've filled up all the time, though, with good stuff. We've had fabulous weather, which has been a gift. I've gone walking each day; something I haven't done for a while. It's felt so good to just move. Today I cleared a large swath in my basement. It's such a mess, but better than it was. I swept the cleared area. I filled an outdoor trash bag with Beanie Babies to donate. Yeah, I was one of those dumb collectors back when. I emptied out my outdoor clay pots and put them away. I planted 60 red tulip bulbs (I can't wait to see them in the spring!). I sat on my deck in shorts and read my book. I went to Sam's Club and a few other stores. It was so hard not to buy myself an impulse gift! I resisted the urge to get a pizza and came home and made a healthy meal.

My house is mostly decorated for the holidays, inside and out. I've done a little shopping. I'm still not feeling the holiday spirit,though. Rob will be here this week and he'll help me decorate the tree. I don't want to sound bah humbug, but the tree is my least favorite thing to do. It'll look great when it's done and hopefully get me closer to feeling festive. I'm hosting my book club holiday party next Sunday, and my big holiday party the following Saturday. I have to be ready. Ho ho ho.

Time to get back to the book I'm reading, Cutting For Stone, by Abraham Verghese. Has anyone read it? It's a very long book...667 pages. I feel like I'm living the story. I'll be sad when it ends.

Happy (Black) Friday

I have so many random thoughts jumping around...

My mom's caregiver, Pat, just called to tell me my mom is showered and has her favorite body lotion on, and she's very happy and ready for bed. I am SO thankful that my parents are where they are and SO well-taken care of. I picked my parents up yesterday to bring them to my relatives for Thanksgiving. What a trip! It's 22 miles from my house to my parents, and 52 miles from their place to my Aunt and Uncle's. We met my daughter at a parking lot mid-way, and she followed us in her car. About 5 miles from our destination her car broke down. Long story short, we had the car pushed out of the road and onto the grassy median, then went to the house. Many phone calls later we found a tow truck willing to work on a holiday, and met the truck and dropped the car at a service station my cousin uses. Whew. Stress. I thought to myself, I'm thankful that it's a car problem and not an accident or the hospital. Back at the house, my mom was having such a hard time. Her walking days are almost over. She needed so much help while we were there and I was the only one to do it. I had to remind myself that I'm so thankful my mom is still alive and that I can be of help to her. We finally left for the long drive home that included a stop at my house so my daughter could gather some of her things to bring to her friend's, where she was spending the night. I dropped her off there, then proceeded to my parent's place. Pat, Mom's favorite caregiver (who I had called to give our ETA) was watching for my car from the entry. She came out and got Mom out of the car and into her scooter. I gave her a big hug and thank-you, then drove away, knowing that my parents would be taken care of. I was almost slap-happy with weariness when I got to my house. It was an almost 200-mile day! I think it's a last for my parents going to my Aunt and Uncle's for Thanksgiving. It's just too hard.

The news on my daughter's car is that it's the transmission. The shop ordered a rebuilt transmission and it will be ready in a few days. Then we'll need to make the long trip to get it. Ho ho ho.

I wonder if retailers will reconsider their Black Friday strategies after the fiascoes that occurred today. Shame on people for their behavior. I was looking at my previous post about the excitement I felt the year I got my mixer. I had forgotten about the fear I felt when a bunch of women behind me rushed the doors and plowed through the crowd to get to what they wanted. Black Friday is designed to create a lust for almost unattainable merchandise.

Tomorrow marks the last day of 12 days on Methylprednisolone for my pinched nerve. It's not all better, unfortunately. I really hated taking that medicine...I think it affected my mood, my sleep, etc. I just cancelled my doctor's appointment scheduled for Monday because I'm afraid to get a Cortisone injection because of the pain. Hope along with me that the pinched nerve will get better with time, OK?

And that's the end of my rambling for now. I'm so glad I found my muse, for a change.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you're going to Thanksgiving dinner as a guest, it's such a different experience than if you're hosting. I'm so glad I didn't have to travel out-of-state, or clean my house for company. The cooking part I wouldn't have minded. I'll be traveling to my relatives in Gaithersburg with Emily and my parents. For the very first time, my brother and his family and my sister Lisa and her kids won't be there. Emily will be lonely without her favorite cousins. I'll be driving to my parents and doing my mom's hair and make-up and getting her dressed, then driving the long drive to the relatives. It's going to take some time for the whole process, but that's OK; it's what families do.

It's been a crazy-busy three days of work for me. I'm usually always busy, but everyone being busy at the same time really changes things up. The salon was a-buzz with activity and anticipation of the holiday. We worked so hard, but now we're off till Tuesday. We'll return to a salon filled with beautiful poinsettias, marking the beginning of the Christmas season.

Anyone doing any Black Friday shopping? I did it once, years ago, to buy my Kitchenaid mixer, and it was really pretty exciting. I contemplated going to Sam's Club in the morning to buy a Dyson vacuum cleaner, till I saw it was a close-out model. It's probably fine, but I decided to skip it. There's nothing I need or want, so I'll be staying in.

And talking of need or want, I've realized I'm a hard person to buy for because there's nothing that I need or want. Actually, I'd like a coupon for 'services'. For instance, caulking my shower, fixing the shelves in my closet, organizing my basement with me, etc. Just some help. I'd like an immersion blender, and I've asked Emily for that. Maybe I'll ask her for a coupon too.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Amongst other things, I'm very thankful that I know you.

A one day weekend

I've thought it was Monday all day long. I wondered where the lunch crowd was when I was at Fuddruckers with my mom. Wondered why I had no mail. Thought my neighbor must have the day off to be out raking in the afternoon. I also had the time wrong by an hour because I still haven't changed the clock in my car. I'm guessing I've had the day wrong because I knew I was working tomorrow, and the day after my weekend is always Tuesday, not Monday. So, kind of a strange day. I spent part of it with my mom, and the rest doing stuff around the house. Doesn't my mom look very modern in her new glasses?

The woman in the picture is one of my mother's very, very awesome caregivers, Pat. She loves my mom and takes such good care of her. My mother is spoiled rotten, and she deserves to be.

In other news, Rob did so much for me around the house while he was here this week. I'm not used to having help. He moved furniture and washed glasses and trimmed all my shrubs, and raked my whole front yard. I'm so thankful. Emily got out there and helped with the yard work too! Yesterday she got the Christmas spirit, and with her dad's help, put up lots of Christmas lights. Wow! We're the first ones around to have Christmas lights up. A bit early for me, but that's just fine. I'm just so happy that she did it.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm hoping to get in the mood soon. My first party is December 4th.

Time to read. And remember I have to work tomorrow.

Nerves

I had so much to say, and pictures to post, but I'm too tired now. If only I had started this hours ago.

I saw the doctor this morning, and the diagnosis is a pinched nerve. "Neuritis of the right radial nerve." He thinks I must have banged or bumped my wrist at some point. It could have been, but it must have been inconsequential at the time because I don't remember having the pain until the one time I extended my wrist 'just so'. Tomorrow I'll start on a 2-week course of steroids. He's hopeful that the drugs will do the trick. Me too. I'm SO glad that's what the problem is and that he didn't mention surgery. He did mention a shot if the steroids don't work. I'll go back to see the doctor in two weeks, unless I'm healed in which case he told me to cancel. Here's hoping for healing!

R's and other stuff

I think the secret to blogging on a regular basis is to blog on a regular basis. The longer I go without writing, the harder it is to do it. The more it gets out of my routine, the harder it is to make it routine. I don't want to give it up. I just need to try harder. I started blogging for me. From time-to-time I go back and read past posts, and I'm really glad I have this diary of my life. At least the part I make public. Really, most of my life is public. The only thing I don't write about is the strife between my daughter and me. It's funny...she scans my blog from time to time, only looking for her name. I try not to write it!

I spent a good part of September and October worrying about pretty constant abdominal discomfort. I had a couple of CT scans and a colonoscopy. I saw a gastroenterologist. The end result was that an over-the-counter solution has made me all better. Wish I had seen that doctor first. I have an appointment with a orthopedist tomorrow morning. Two weeks ago I reached for something with my right hand and something went very wrong in my wrist. I've had a couple of episodes of the worst pain I've experienced in my entire life since then, the most awful being when I reached for my purse on the passenger seat. Strange, huh? I've babied my wrist since then. Hopefully it just needs rest. My job depends on my hands.

Work has been good, and it's been busy. Yea! I need busy. I'm so glad I'm a high-energy person. Bring it on!

Did I ever mention that I really dislike my laptop that I bought in July? Shame on me for not returning it when I could. I finally got a wireless mouse, just so I can type without my cursor jumping all over the place. Apparently the mouse is so sensitive with so many applications built in, that it's hard not to touch it and initiate a command. I have no choice but to deal with it. Oh, and the 'R' on my keyboard doesn't work correctly. I went to Staples the other day (where I bought it) and they said they could order a replacement keyboard. Great. Then they told me it would be $54. Umm...I don't think I should have to pay for it. Maybe tomorrow I'll call Toshiba. I really want my R back. Hees what eally happens witing words with r's in them before I edit. Bumme.

And that's all she wote (wrote). I'll be back to report on my doctor appointment. Maybe that's the key to blogging. Writing about stuff to be continued...

It's the absent blogger

Hi. I'm still here! Bad blogger.

I just turned off my porch lights, signaling, "don't come to my house, trick-or-treating is over." I love to see the kids in their costumes, but his year the majority of the trick-or-treater's were in street clothes with either backpacks or pillowcases to hold their loot. I made them say, 'trick-or-treat' and if they didn't say 'thank-you, I said, 'what do you say?' I couldn't help myself. I also told the many who had an extra bag for their 'absent' brother, sister, baby, etc. that I was only giving to people that were actually there. To one teen, who came alone with no costume, I said, Really?? She looked embarrassed. Lots of the kids that come to my neighborhood live in a nearby low-income housing area, and are dropped off at a street corner, then picked up and driven to the next. It used to bother me till I realized that Halloween is for kids, and all kids are deserving of going out for treats. I used to love taking Emily out. She always peeked into people's houses and found something/anything to comment on, to start a conversation. Talk about precocious. She dressed up as Dorothy for many years.

I've had the show "The Sing-Off" on in the background while I've been writing. I've never seen it before, and the talent is amazing! Did I mention I've been a little addicted to television since I inherited my parent's awesome very large TV? Watching hi-def on a 52" TV is a whole different experience for me. I really haven't been on my computer much. I'm sure that will change. Nothing stays the same, you know?

I had lunch with Karen, alias Happyone, today. It was great seeing her and catching up. It's been at least a year since I've had fish tacos at Ram's Head Tavern, and they were as great as ever. Yum! I came home and mowed the leaves and then cleaned up a lot of my garden. It felt so good to be outside; I'm really going to miss that soon. Oh, if only winter could last weeks instead of months.

Till the next time....be well, be happy.

Home from Vacay

Today was spent settling back home after a week of vacation. I've visited my friend Bernie in Cape Cod the past two summers but mixed it up this year with a Fall excursion. I also flew instead of driving and that was so much better except I didn't get to visit my Aunt Carolee in RI. Bernie and I vacation very well together! The Cape weather was mostly rainy, but not horribly so. I walked to the beach my first day there through 'pea soup.' I think that means extremely misty. It was still wonderful.

Bernie and I drove to Jackson, NH on Saturday to take in the beauty of the Fall Foliage. We had wonderful weather while there. Each vista was more beautiful than the next, and we saw three rainbows on our first day. We stayed at nice resort for two nights.

On Golden Pond

Minutes later, with a rainbow!

Back to the Cape for one day of beautiful weather before the drenching rain.

Bernie and I were supposed to spend my last day in Boston, but the weather was just horrible. We hung out at Barnes and Noble and went out to lunch instead. I took the 2-hour shuttle back to the airport, then had a much-delayed but pleasant flight home. Rob was there to gather me up and bring me home.

Tomorrow it's back to work. I'm in town for the long haul, and that's just fine, for now. Summer and vacation time will be here before we know it. After Christmas, that is.

Ladeda

I wonder what I had to talk about in the early years of blogging that I don't have now? My life isn't that less interesting.

Let's see... Things are good with Rob and me, though we don't get to see each other often. He works Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10:30PM to 8:30AM. That's some schedule, huh? We usually see each other Wednesday night to Friday morning, but lately I've been working Thursdays or he's had plans for Thursdays. Despite our schedules, we're still going strong. Rob's been on a diet the last 7 weeks and lost 26 pounds. That's taken amazing willpower! He has 7 pounds to go to reach his goal, and he looks great.

Emily is busy with school and with her job as a hostess at a really nice restaurant. It's quite a change around here, getting used to her living at home, yet being an adult, of sorts. I can ask how school's going, but not if she has homework, tests, etc. Many is the time, in the beginning, that she reminded me that if she was living in a dorm I'd have no idea. It's hard for me to let go, and not worry about schoolwork, working too many hours, staying up too late, etc., but I'm trying. She's mentioned possibly wanting to transfer next year, and although I'll miss her terribly, I think living in a dorm is such a valuable experience, and one I want for her.

We've had awesome Indian Summer weather here in MD. I spent the day in Annapolis, though getting there was horrible because of traffic. A 20 minute drive turned into a 90 minute drive and I wasn't feeling very patient. A patio lunch at The Cheesecake Factory followed by a few hours outside with my friend Kit made it all better. I slathered myself with OFF! when I got home, mowed the lawn, and here I am in my favorite spot, the porch. Time for dinner, then a night of DVR'd shows. I'm so glad I still have a day of 'weekend' to go.

No rain today

What a difference a little sunshine makes. I was so surprised to notice the sun. I went outside with the trash and gasped. Really. I looked up and saw the most beautiful sky. I've spent as much time outside as possible this morning. I'm on my deck now, with the sound of birdsong and and the tree-filtered sun warming my face. I'm going to remember this.

An unfolding day

I'm posting from Panera's, just like in the old days. I forgot how much I like hanging out here. Today is kind of wide open for me, and I thought I'd get a coffee and blog after getting my mammogram. So glad that's over, although it really wasn't bad. I'll breathe a sigh of relief when I get the letter saying all is well, see you in a year. All women fear breast cancer. Next week I have my yearly GYN appointment, and that should end of a month of medical appointments.

Last week was really slow for me at work. That never happens. Hopefully it's just a blip, and maybe it's just the time of year. This week's schedule is back to normal. The good part about last week was that I got to spend more time with my visiting sister Ilene. After doing her hair at the salon on Friday we spent the day at Columbia Mall, which included finding a dress for her to wear to a wedding, and getting make-overs at Estee Lauder. She's back home now, but will be back in about 8 weeks for another visit.

I got a hot stone pedicure yesterday morning that I purchased with a Groupon. It was heavenly and I'm so glad I bought 2 Groupons, so I have one more to look forward to. I visited my parents afterward. I say parents, but I really mean my mom. My dad is quiet and self-sufficient. My mom is suffering a lot of pain from her latest fall a week ago. She badly hurt her knee, but didn't break anything. She's still in a lot of pain from the compression fracture she suffered in the fall before that. Poor Mom. Plus, she finally got the "Jazzy" power wheelchair (that I've been trying to get approved since the beginning of the year) on Wednesday and she hates it. It has a super-sensitive joystick and she can hardly steer it. I worked with her in the parking lot and she made some progress, but it's really hard.

What to do today? I might go to the movies. I might work on my bedroom closet and clean house. I'll just have to see what unfolds. Happy Monday!

Update

I'm so glad that my colonoscopy is "behind" me! I got the all-clear and I don't have to have another one for 7-10 years. I wish it were 20. I was hungry all day yesterday, the prep solution was so hard to drink, and I didn't get any sleep at all last night. It was all worth it though, for the peace of mind that all is well.

I'm heading upstairs for an early night. Can't wait for a normal day tomorrow. My potty-talking days are over!

Can't wait to eat

Today has been my fasting and liquid diet day before tomorrow's procedure and I've been hungry since I woke up this morning. It was do-able. I spent the day at Annapolis Towne Center with my sister from GA. We got mini-facials at Origins and bought some skincare products. We ooh'd and aah'd at Restoration Hardware. What a store! Everything was over-sized and unique and amazing. We spent about an hour in Table le sur, which is a paradise of a kitchen store. And another hour in Whole Foods where I was especially hungry. I hung out near one of the prepared foods bars just inhaling the wonderful aromas. I tried to look nonchalant. Starting at 8 PM tonight, I had an hour to drink my quart of Movi-Prep. That was disgusting! I have to wake up at 4 AM and drink another quart. Wah. Ilene and I will leave here at 7:30 AM. Yea. Can't wait till it's over. I had my first colonoscopy 6 years ago. Like everyone says, it's not the procedure that's bad, it's the prep. Burp.

I've had fresh flowers from my garden on my table at home, and on my station at work for at least the last month. I really enjoy seeing what's in bloom and what I can add to my vases. I always have rosemary and basil, which smell so good when touched, along with philodendron. I have a large patch of tall zinnias that I started from seed that have produced an abundant supply of flowers. Here's a picture of what's on the table now: the greens plus lantana, zinnias, and a Stella d'oro lily.

I'm ready for a few hours sleep. Can't wait till I write saying all went well!

A little more than a peek

Let's see...where was I? I got the results back from the CT scan and was relieved to find out the pain I've been having is my old friend the fibroid. I can certainly live with the discomfort; I just needed to know what it was. Today I found out that a 40-something year-old client of mine has cancer in her liver that they think originated in her pancreas. I'm in shock about it. I'm not surprised that I jump to the conclusion that something must be very wrong with me when I have unexplained pain that lingers. So many people do get cancer. That is real. I know you can't live your life in fear, and I don't. Only when I'm in pain. That said, I'll breath a sigh of relief when the colonoscopy is over (Tuesday) and my yearly mammogram results (I need to make an appointment) come back clear.

I have a cold. Isn't this a strange time of year for that?

I drove over to IKEA today to look at their TV cabinets and found one I like. I'm not sure why I didn't buy it, but I'm pretty sure it's the one. I'm surprised there isn't more of a selection of cabinets in stores. I've seen a lot online, but I need to see furniture in person. I'm really enjoying watching TV on the big screen. It's very entertaining, and I've had a lot of time on my hands. Could I become a couch potato? Hmmm, probably not.

I just finished some Starbucks Caramel Macchiato ice cream that was SO good. I bought 2 pint containers of it and put a "C" on mine and an "E" on Emily's. I had just a tiny bowl of it and my plan is to make it last a long time. I think I can be successful at it. You know ice cream is my weakness.

I purchased my tickets for my upcoming trip to Cape Cod. Yes, I'm going on vacation again, this time in October. I'll be meeting my friend Bernie who lives in Hyannis and we'll be traveling to New Hampshire to take in the Fall foliage. I'm very excited except for the flying part of it, but glad to not be driving. I don't mind driving south, but I've driven to Cape Cod the last two years and don't enjoy that at all.

I was talking to Rob tonight and he was seeing an amazing sky and rainbow. Though we were about 3 hours apart in distance, the sky I saw was equally awesome.

And that's a peek into my mundane life on this Thursday. I hope your day has been good to you.