Seismic Twitch

Yeah, it is, really!

It sort of snuck up on me.

I guess it wouldn’t hurt to do a “year in review” sort of thing.

I wonder if I should call this the “Year of Surgery.” Last year, form the very beginning, medicine was on my mind. I had the second hernia repair, this one was a success. Let’s hear it for second chances. Recovery from the surgery took a little while and that, in retrospect, is the beginning of the decline of my thyroid’s function this year.

Then it was on to the break from the end of last year’s classes to the beginning of summer session. Move onto the final hand surgery to fix the problem with the carpal nerve. It was at this time that I got my first laptop so that I could do my class notes with ease.

During this time I opened my house to a woman that Bran loved. I made very serious mistakes in this time that won’t be made again. Among them are requiring that Bran and the woman he cares about date for much longer before moving in with the rest of the family. Added to this is a requirement of an adult meeting that delineates the boundaries for each other. Any person coming into this house has to know from the outset that they are joining an already formed family, not waiting until their own family can be formed. Included with this will be weekly meetings where any greivances can be aired before they become problems and where issues around the relationships can be worked on in a family format. these meetings would include Boy because he is as integral to the family as any adult is.

That situation became resolved when Michelle decided to move out to another house. After she moved the atmosphere of the house changed significantly and I was able to return to being a fully functioning member of my household. I stopped sleeping downstairs and our family began healing.

I thought that the depression was related to the summer’s events. However, in October, when I renewed my prescription for thyroid medication, my doctor requested that I arrange for tests. Apparently, before my last doctor retired, my levels came back as abnormal. I remember it being my cholesterol levels being out of whack. I also remember that she requested a T3 level test, but I never got around to it. I guess I should’ve done so.

Bran returned to school this fall. He’s had his own challenges to overcome, but he went back to school, and that’s what counts to me.

Boy started high school in the fall. He’s bloomed since then, absolutely bloomed. He started growing fast and is now taller than me (and it’s freaking him out some). He has friends he likes and is able to lay out boundaries of what he will and won’t do with his friends. I hear him doing it every day as he chats to his friends while he plays World of Warcraft. He’s learning strategy and leadership in the game. Who would have thought that a video game could do that? He’s doing fairly well in his classes, though some are offering more challenge than others. He’s becoming a very wonderful person and I am so very priveleged to be a part of his life.

That’s been our year. We’ve had ups and downs, challenges and times when things went smoothly.

I’m not going to make any New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps affirmations could be made instead. Things like, “I am worthy of good health.”, “I’m smart.” and “I’m a great parent.”

It’s time to make some soup from the turkey stock I boiled up. I’ll be adding onion, garlic, celery, carrot, peas, corn and eggnoodles. It will be a very yummy soup.

Happy New Year to all those who celebrate it on this evening. I hope the coming year brings you what you need, that your relationships offer you much fulfillment and fascinating encounters.

I’ve only been out of bed about 3 hours. I was going to try to get out of bed when Bran came home from helping Michelle move into her apartment. However, though I remember him coming to bed, I didn’t get up. In fact, I just remember him coming to bed and nothing else since then. Of course, dreams are involved in any memory I do have. I remember talking to Bran about what the dreams were, but I can’t remember what they were now. So I’ll have to ask what we talked about that when he comes home.

Pretty much all I’ve done today is laze around since I awoke at 4:30. I baked some turkey pot pies that Bran brought home from the grocery store. I’ve been boiling up turkey bones since the wee hours of this morning, so I’m going to seive it soon and then refrigerate it to defat and make soup tomorrow. Refrigeration will probably involve me putting it outside for the initial cool down. Snow works great for that.

Last night Bran found a place at the university where you can see web-cam shots of the Bowl at the University. We call it the Bowl, other people would call it a Quad. You can also see the Bowl. Also on that page, near the bottom, are two other web cams, one from the “College Building” (which is the old Administration building). In fact, the College Building is one of the original university buildings. It was stripped down and totally refitted and given a new roof. It now houses the university President’s office, a couple of museums, and a few other things including tunnel access to the new Administration building and on to the Physics building.

That’s the excitement du jour.

Ta-Ra

I’m experiencing, as I type, the joys of hot flashes associated with menopause. I don’t mind much though. I’ve just had my hands in hot water doing some dishes and wiping down countertops and cupboard fronts. I also wiped off the top of the stove in order to maintain the beautiful job that Bran did on Sunday morning to get it clean.

Why am I working so late in the day? Mostly because I didn’t drag my ass out of bed until 2 pm. I spent some time chatting with Brad on Google Talk. Then I just putzed about on the computer doing crossword puzzles and playing solitaire.

So now I’m working on making the kitchen a place where Bran can bake bread. I’m looking forward to eating his cooled bread tomorrow sometime. I don’t often eat bread that’s fresh out of the oven because it tends to taste yeasty. Though Bran’s bread doesn’t tend to taste that way fresh out of the oven, it takes more intestinal fortitude than I have after smelling it bake. Usually I have a taste of his slice and then leave it at that. Sometimes, though, I can and do eat some fresh with jam.

That’s been my day. Not much, but it’s been a very pleasant day.

Ta-Ra

That’s today. I did nothing but sleep, play crosswords on the computer, and eat. That’s it.

Ta-Ra

I spent last night bloated with gas (I know, TMI) so bad that the pain was leaving me nauseated and cold. I had my blankets, Bran’s quilt and the heating bag (it’s filled with rice and then nuked) placed at my back. With all of that I was finally able to warm up and relax enough to stop moaning in pain and sleep.

I woke up this morning still uncomfortable and feeling bloated, but it wasn’t as bad as last night. I got up with Bran when he got up to go and deliver papers with Boy. It was then that I discovered that the da was going to be filled with murder and mayhem (after “History Bites”) on Court TV. Because of the holidays the courts in the USA aren’t operating so the regular programming isn’t being broadcast. So except for when I napped on the couch, I’ve been watching “Forensic Files.”

I finally got my bravery together and made a plate of leftovers to eat for lunch. Now I’m waiting to find out if my guts are going to react badly. It appears that things are settling down. I have linked carbonated drinks to this issue, so I’m going to see if, by avoiding those drinks, I avoid adventures like last night again.

Danulai asked about my new “do” and whether or not it felt lighter and cooler. It does feel lighter. I sure use a whole lot less shampoo. Rather than a hand full of shampoo to wash it, I might use a blop the size of a quarter. I rather like that, especially since I’m using really cheap shampoo and this makes it even cheaper.

I don’t find it cooler, surprisingly enough. It’s actually warmer. When I wear a toque my hair acts like the hook part of velcro and clings to it. This means that the toque stays where it’s put and doesn’t shift about uncovering my ears and tender sensitive parts behind my ears and at the back of my head. I’m sure that during the summer, having my hair this short will be much cooler because any breeze will be able to reach my scalp to cool me down.

That’s about it for now. I wanted to make sure that I answered Danulai’s question. I don’t like leaving questions unanswered.

Ta-Ra

Today I did a sacrifice of a turkey for my Dad in honour of his holiday, Christmas. I roasted a 13 pound turkey, with stuffiing, made a pile of mashed potatoes, a heap of sweet potato (with butter), carrots, extra stuffing that was nuked, and a lovely light dessert of jello with whipped topping and fruit. I did a wet rub of tarragon, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper and oil and smeared it all over the bird before I shoved it in the oven. After 5 hours in the oven the bird was done, the various potatoes mashed, carrots all hot and steamy and the gravy made (thanks to Bran) and we dined.

It was a lovely supper. Now Bran is putting away the leftovers, stripping the bird and getting the bones ready to make soup stock sometime in the future, possibly tomorrow.

The house is relatively clean. Bran woke up really early this morning and got up and cleaned and cleaned. When I got up at 9 the livingroom was nearly completely clean. All that was needed was for me to tidy off my table and for the vacuuming to be done. I dusted (first time in a long time) and then Bran vacuumed up the various and sundry stuff off the floor. I finished most of the rest of the dishes and showered. Boy helped out by taking out trash and keeping out of the way.

Throughout the afternoon I either knitted or prepped veg for supper. Getting the potatoes peeled and the carrots peeled and cut up was done at a fairly leisurely pace. The stuffing was made in slow stages. The baguettes that Bran bought made absolutely marvelous stuffing. The cubes retained their shape and had a lovely flavour. I got the bird stuffed, smeared up and in the oven by 1:30.

Dad took a whole bunch of photos of us, both individually and as a group. I don’t like getting my photo taken because I’m fat and I hate the way I look right now. Hopefully they won’t be too bad. After the photos were taken, I gave Dad my mitts that I’d made earlier this month. He tried them on and since they fit, I sent them along with him because he can wear them in his leather over-mitts. I finished the toque that I was knitting later in the afternoon.

Now Dad’s driving back home, Bran’s almost completed his work in the kitchen, Boy is playing WoW (as he did most of the afternoon), and I’ll be continuing on knitting. This time I’m knitting this double toque. I also found some good video tutorials where I learned about provisional casting on. Anything to help me get along knitting.

That’s been my day. I’m going to take apart one of my fingerless mitts back a few rows. My hand is too small for the 8 row finish. 4 or 5 rows is adequate.

Ta-Ra

It still is.

I have a cold. Boy, in all his boyish generosity, has given me his cold. I’d say it was sweet of him, but frankly, it sucks. I woke up today with a nasty sinus headache, major conjestion, and a sore throat. I was most unhappy.

Of course, it would happen on a day that I was committed to doing a shit pile of work. But I didn’t let that stop me. I got up at 11, just after the drug store phoned to confirm that I wanted delivery of my antidepressant prescription. I promptly went to the computer and read comics. I also chatted with Brad for a little while. He was waiting for his dryer to finish so that he could finish packing to go away for Christmas.

Then through the afternoon I did dishes. I washed teh ones that are hard to fit into the dishwasher or cannot be put in it because they’d be wrecked. I did that through the afternoon. Then Bran got up and went out for groceries. After that he made supper (mush, rice and veg). After supper I ran the dishwasher and I’m working on the energy necessary to do some more dishes. I should make up the jello for the dessert for tomorrow, but the fridge is full of stuff and there’s no room for it. I’ll make it tomorrow morning instead.

I’ve done my yearly watching of “A Christmas Carol” with Alistaire Sim. That’s the premium, the epitome of the best version that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen it on stage, I’ve seen a musical version, I saw one with George C. Scott, Scrooge McDuck, Fred Flintstone, and parts of the one with the muppets (this one I want on DVD).

Now I’m playing more Bond. Right now “The Spy Who Loved Me” is playing. Boy’s watching it and trying not to irritate me because when he does he has to go to bed.

Well, it’s time to read other people’s lives and then cut up the baguettes that Bran got for the stuffing. He got wonderful multi-grain loaves that smell marvelous. Baguettes make wonderful stuffing for turkey.

That’s it. I wish those among you who celebrate Christmas the best of the day. Please, if you’re travelling anywhere, drive carefully and take care of those nearest and dearest.

Ta-Ra

Here’s my new “do”

Today is the first day that I’ve forgotten what the day is. That means that my holidays have officially begun.

I spent most of today sleeping. It’s been a lovely day. Then I made some cream of vegetable soup (with milk and dollop of cheese spread), and read comics, did crosswords and watched tv. Then I ate some of my home-made nuts and bolts and am watching “The Man With the Golden Gun” with the only Bond girl who’s been cast twice, Maud Adams (who was also Octopussy).

That’s been my day. Bran slept late as well (after doing the newspapers early this morning), went out and got groceries and is back in bed. Boy is on the futon watching Bond with me.

That’s been the day. It’s such a relief to have passed Stats class. I really did squeal with great glee when I found out that I passed.

GayProf asked if there’d been a discussion of Bond movies, and to my knowledge there hasn’t been. There are Bond film that don’t rank very high on my “like” list. One is “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” the one where he marries and then she dies at the end. I did like Diana Rigg, but that’s because she’s Diana Rigg, not because the movie itself was great. Also the ones with Timothy Dalton are rather blah, when it comes to being bond.

Though Sean Connery was a reasonably good Bond, he didn’t come into any kind of handsomeness until he got older. He’s ok as Bond, but gives him an edge of being a thug. That’s not quite the image that Eton likes to present. Roger Moore is a much better bond.

The very best Bond thus far has been Pierce Brosnan. He encapsulates the refinement of the English public schools and the boyishness that I’ve always thought that Bond had, or should have.

My favourite Bond movie is “For Your Eyes Only.” The actress is part of the reason. Though there have been actresses cast in reasonably strong roles, one who’s out for blood is always a neat thing. It doesn’t hurt that she’s really, really, really easy on the eyes.