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...