It wasn't MRSA. I'm on the mend now, after a scary event that found me in the ER and then in isolation for 24 hours. But they've chased all the bugs away (one more day of antibiotics) and I've been home for 9 days and feeling better every day. It's knocked my stamina for a loop, though. I'm getting very impatient, wanting to tidy and clean, but about 15 minutes of that and I'm all worn out, so I will remain inert.
I figure, I'll be up & slugging in February.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Saturday, January 04, 2014
Brought more home from CA than I'd meant to
I've contracted what my doctor thinks is MRSA. So far while the few boils I've got haven't been really ghastly, they've been incredibly painful - I'd never experienced those before, and I don't want to. I was damn-near crippled yesterday. But, the antibiotic seems to be working, and I'm following his instructions - and I don't have anyone else here to pass the crap back & forth with, so maybe I'll weather this, get rid of it, and it will be just an unpleasant memory.
After I try to sanitize every square inch of the frakking house. God, I hate germs. And not in an OCD way. In the way you hate them when they've robbed you of years of living with the love of your life.
After I try to sanitize every square inch of the frakking house. God, I hate germs. And not in an OCD way. In the way you hate them when they've robbed you of years of living with the love of your life.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Post-Christmas (mimimalist) report
Had a great time in CA with my son and his wife & my grand-daughter! Ate wonderful food but still lost 3 pounds! So, yay! Now to keep up the momentum. We went to the Grand-daughter's kindergarten for their holiday program (very cute! with cookies!), we went to a ballet, a symphony, and what I'm guessing is one of the most expensive shopping areas in California to see "The Hobbit," and we had a delightful and delicious Christmas night dinner at their house with two other couples and their kids. Oddly, the weather out there wasn't much different from Omaha's.
I got lovely gifts, and the ones I gave seemed to be well-received.
I was fortunate in my flights - they were all on time, even early, and smooth and uneventful. Just the way I like my airplane rides.
Now I'm home again (I did miss my kitties! And they must have missed me, because now they're little pests! Constant nagging for pettins!) and getting ready for the new year. Lots of hopes, plans, and ideas - nothing thrilling, just life stuff. It was a good trip, very rejuvenating!
I got lovely gifts, and the ones I gave seemed to be well-received.
I was fortunate in my flights - they were all on time, even early, and smooth and uneventful. Just the way I like my airplane rides.
Now I'm home again (I did miss my kitties! And they must have missed me, because now they're little pests! Constant nagging for pettins!) and getting ready for the new year. Lots of hopes, plans, and ideas - nothing thrilling, just life stuff. It was a good trip, very rejuvenating!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
As hard as I've tried to avoid it,
I'm afraid Reality is just too close to ignore any more. (This isn't as ominous as it sounds.)
Between still being in the healing-from-loss process and the life-after-retirement-adjustment, it has taken me a long damn time to get here. After losing Bob, I spent about 5 years continuing in my profession but it took a harder and harder toll on me. It's only in recent months now two years later that I have begun to realize just how used-up and strung-out I was by that last day at work. I am so, so lucky to be able to retire young and have enough money to live on. I suppose many people would not consider my post-retirement income to *be* an income, but I have pretty low wants and needs. I'm pretty healthy (get to that in a bit) and therefore, so terrifically lucky in that regard, also. I've planned carefully and should be OK barring further shenanigans from the 1%ers and their pet lawmakers.
But in terms of day-to-day life after retirement, it's been pretty pants. I mean, living by the seat of my pants. My bedtime has drifted ever-later. My arising time is all over the map. Some days I do nothing, some days I do lots of different stuff, some days I go gangbusters (which are then followed by several Doing Nothing days). No rhyme, reason, schedule - BECAUSE I'M RETIRED. That's been my mantra so far. I *have* achieved a few larger projects around the house and yard. There is SO much more to do (my vague aim being, not having any extra Stuff lying around anywhere that I don't use). I've been kind of a hermit. I'm an introvert and it's been heaven just holing up by myself for days at a time. I get out, socialize, when I want to, but it's been predominantly solitude I've sought.
But looked at overall, it's been kind of chaotic - for a very VERY low-energy, snail's-pace version of chaos. I'm having a hard time figuring out whether that's good or bad, or even either. I'm feeling dissatisfied with how I'm moving through life now.
One source of dissatisfaction is my health. Given disgustingly good health, I have, it seems done everything in my power to undercut that. Inertia, inactivity, over-eating. Just saw my doctor yesterday and gee, those health goals I've been working so diligently toward? Looks like I'm almost there. My glucose and bad cholesterol are elevated. The dread words "statins" and "pre-diabetic" were uttered. And I've known bad news was creeping up because my knees have been hurting (obesity - and inactivity) and my sleep has been pretty chaotic, too. So now I'm waiting for the blood work results so we know the actual numbers. And I'm thinking, I can still save this. Or at least, I want to give myself the chance. I do NOT want to go on statins. And I most certainly, heartily and dreadfully do not want to dance on the edge of diabetes any longer.
So it looks like today is when I finally have to get serious about what I've known for a long time. From here on out, if I want to have a *good* old age, my daily mantra must be "The most important thing I do today is exercise." Simply getting out and walking, or going downstairs and getting on the Tunturi, and using the weight apparatus downstairs, for 30 - 60 minutes a day, has got to be my A-1 priority every single day. That, and cutting down on the bad foods I eat, and not eating after 8 p.m. But I have been reading for years that simple regular aerobic exercise will improve almost every one of my problems: excess weight, lack of stamina, lack of energy, lack of strength, deteriorating hips and knees, high glucose, high bad cholesterol (and especially low *good* chol.), poor posture, poor breathing. It also helps me feel more capable which I have found is HUGE in my general feeling of self-worth. Another way to say that is, regular exercise drives depression and inertia right down into the ground. And stomps on it.
With all those benefits, what the HELL has been holding me back? I guess, depression - though mine takes the form of inertia, not emotional anguish. No suicidal thoughts here, no worries. I LOVE just sitting in one place. I also LOVE getting stuff done. And I would much prefer to not have to deal with all the health shit that I've been putting out the welcome mat for all these years. My life needs shaking up, my routine has to change. This might involve even moving furniture around. I don't know. But it has to change, and today is when it has to start.
What a pain in the ass.
Edited to add: I'm amazed - the doctor's office already has my blood work results. They called me to give them to me. It turns out, he must have been mostly concerned about the blood glucose because he only ordered the A1C test and fasting glucose, and some organ function indices (no cholesterol analyses). My A1C is still within normal range, YAY!!!! A mite high, but still normal. My fasting glucose is a bit elevated, but is the same as when I had it measured back in May. It's still under the usual benchmark for diabetes.
So I look on this as reprieve, an opportunity to get the ol' system working better again. No change in direction, then. This is encouraging.
Between still being in the healing-from-loss process and the life-after-retirement-adjustment, it has taken me a long damn time to get here. After losing Bob, I spent about 5 years continuing in my profession but it took a harder and harder toll on me. It's only in recent months now two years later that I have begun to realize just how used-up and strung-out I was by that last day at work. I am so, so lucky to be able to retire young and have enough money to live on. I suppose many people would not consider my post-retirement income to *be* an income, but I have pretty low wants and needs. I'm pretty healthy (get to that in a bit) and therefore, so terrifically lucky in that regard, also. I've planned carefully and should be OK barring further shenanigans from the 1%ers and their pet lawmakers.
But in terms of day-to-day life after retirement, it's been pretty pants. I mean, living by the seat of my pants. My bedtime has drifted ever-later. My arising time is all over the map. Some days I do nothing, some days I do lots of different stuff, some days I go gangbusters (which are then followed by several Doing Nothing days). No rhyme, reason, schedule - BECAUSE I'M RETIRED. That's been my mantra so far. I *have* achieved a few larger projects around the house and yard. There is SO much more to do (my vague aim being, not having any extra Stuff lying around anywhere that I don't use). I've been kind of a hermit. I'm an introvert and it's been heaven just holing up by myself for days at a time. I get out, socialize, when I want to, but it's been predominantly solitude I've sought.
But looked at overall, it's been kind of chaotic - for a very VERY low-energy, snail's-pace version of chaos. I'm having a hard time figuring out whether that's good or bad, or even either. I'm feeling dissatisfied with how I'm moving through life now.
One source of dissatisfaction is my health. Given disgustingly good health, I have, it seems done everything in my power to undercut that. Inertia, inactivity, over-eating. Just saw my doctor yesterday and gee, those health goals I've been working so diligently toward? Looks like I'm almost there. My glucose and bad cholesterol are elevated. The dread words "statins" and "pre-diabetic" were uttered. And I've known bad news was creeping up because my knees have been hurting (obesity - and inactivity) and my sleep has been pretty chaotic, too. So now I'm waiting for the blood work results so we know the actual numbers. And I'm thinking, I can still save this. Or at least, I want to give myself the chance. I do NOT want to go on statins. And I most certainly, heartily and dreadfully do not want to dance on the edge of diabetes any longer.
So it looks like today is when I finally have to get serious about what I've known for a long time. From here on out, if I want to have a *good* old age, my daily mantra must be "The most important thing I do today is exercise." Simply getting out and walking, or going downstairs and getting on the Tunturi, and using the weight apparatus downstairs, for 30 - 60 minutes a day, has got to be my A-1 priority every single day. That, and cutting down on the bad foods I eat, and not eating after 8 p.m. But I have been reading for years that simple regular aerobic exercise will improve almost every one of my problems: excess weight, lack of stamina, lack of energy, lack of strength, deteriorating hips and knees, high glucose, high bad cholesterol (and especially low *good* chol.), poor posture, poor breathing. It also helps me feel more capable which I have found is HUGE in my general feeling of self-worth. Another way to say that is, regular exercise drives depression and inertia right down into the ground. And stomps on it.
With all those benefits, what the HELL has been holding me back? I guess, depression - though mine takes the form of inertia, not emotional anguish. No suicidal thoughts here, no worries. I LOVE just sitting in one place. I also LOVE getting stuff done. And I would much prefer to not have to deal with all the health shit that I've been putting out the welcome mat for all these years. My life needs shaking up, my routine has to change. This might involve even moving furniture around. I don't know. But it has to change, and today is when it has to start.
What a pain in the ass.
Edited to add: I'm amazed - the doctor's office already has my blood work results. They called me to give them to me. It turns out, he must have been mostly concerned about the blood glucose because he only ordered the A1C test and fasting glucose, and some organ function indices (no cholesterol analyses). My A1C is still within normal range, YAY!!!! A mite high, but still normal. My fasting glucose is a bit elevated, but is the same as when I had it measured back in May. It's still under the usual benchmark for diabetes.
So I look on this as reprieve, an opportunity to get the ol' system working better again. No change in direction, then. This is encouraging.
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Alas, no victory
this time in NaNoWriMo, for me. Although really they are right saying getting ANY writing done is a victory. I got about 34,000 words in. They're all going to have to be scrapped because yesterday morning I woke up knowing (a little LATE) why my own novel failed to capture my enthusiasm. I know what it's going to take for me to throw myself into it whole-heartedly. This effort will commence after the first of the new year.
Not depressed, I don't feel like a failure. It's always good to be reminded how writing is recursive: the more you do, the more you can do.
Not depressed, I don't feel like a failure. It's always good to be reminded how writing is recursive: the more you do, the more you can do.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Ah well, reality bites.
I have to say, I'm not going to hit 50,000 words by midnight tomorrow night. However, in the past couple of days, a new spin on what I've already got occurred to me, so I've gained wordage by going back and larding the past chapters with things to make that new insight all come together. And it's pleasing enough that I think I will finish it and work on it and edit it until I'm actually happy with it. Then I'll leave it for my heirs to figure out what to do with. Nyah-ah-ah, let them think about novel-hawking. I'm retired. :)
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Forgot to mention...
A couple of weeks ago, I posted another "Uh-oh, lookout" post? With this picture:
Well, I got that little project done the other day. It looks like this (I apologize for the crappy quality; I used my MacBook camera):
Shutters! They, however, are just one part of an overall project I'm plotting for my bedroom. It may not get finished until Spring. I'll do a big reveal when it's done. Because I know all the internet is waiting to see what kind of oddball thing I come up with for my bedroom.
More words; just not enough.
Sat down and hacked out about 2200 more words tonight. That's about the maximum I seem capable of in a single day. I did have one nifty idea come to me as I typed, and that generated another one, so that was good. I may not finish this (reach 50K words) by November 30th at midnight (then again, I MAY) but I think it'll at least be worth working on.
Trudge trudge trudge.
Trudge trudge trudge.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Do not go see the film "Nebraska"
directed by Alexander Payne, if
1) You "just can't watch" black and white movies (I am paralyzed with incredulity that I even have to say that, but apparently there are people like that) - because you don't deserve to see this movie.
2) You must have car chases, sex, gore, loud music, or Mafia thugs to keep your interest.*
3) You can't believe that old people, fat people, not-beautiful people, can love and be loved, have sorrows in their pasts, have dreams, disappointments, failures, fears and hopes.
4) You are shocked into insensibility that actual people use "naughty" language. There's not much in it but it's there.
This film moved me like no other I can remember. It's like a jewel, carved by a man who loves these people, and who loves the world they live in and knows it's fading away, and wants to record it so all posterity will know what it was like. I've been in that world. I spent my professional life driving those roads, visiting those farmers and farm houses, eating in those cafes and bars, listening to those conversations - dear lord sitting on Thanksgiving Day in those somnolent living rooms with those half-asleep old men having single-syllable conversations over the roar of the football game.
I feel like sending Alexander Payne a thank-you note. He's reminded me what film can be.
*Actually, there are some realistic fisticuffs, and one hilarious heist scene. So there's that.
1) You "just can't watch" black and white movies (I am paralyzed with incredulity that I even have to say that, but apparently there are people like that) - because you don't deserve to see this movie.
2) You must have car chases, sex, gore, loud music, or Mafia thugs to keep your interest.*
3) You can't believe that old people, fat people, not-beautiful people, can love and be loved, have sorrows in their pasts, have dreams, disappointments, failures, fears and hopes.
4) You are shocked into insensibility that actual people use "naughty" language. There's not much in it but it's there.
This film moved me like no other I can remember. It's like a jewel, carved by a man who loves these people, and who loves the world they live in and knows it's fading away, and wants to record it so all posterity will know what it was like. I've been in that world. I spent my professional life driving those roads, visiting those farmers and farm houses, eating in those cafes and bars, listening to those conversations - dear lord sitting on Thanksgiving Day in those somnolent living rooms with those half-asleep old men having single-syllable conversations over the roar of the football game.
I feel like sending Alexander Payne a thank-you note. He's reminded me what film can be.
*Actually, there are some realistic fisticuffs, and one hilarious heist scene. So there's that.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Pretty low word count tonight
BUT instead I made MAJOR progress figuring out what the heck is going on in my story! So I'm hoping to have several fast, high-count sessions over the next couple of days. This is encouraging enough that even if I don't get to 50,000 words by midnight, Nov. 30, I feel like I will keep working on it until it's actually, you know, a novel.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Inch...ing...Ever...Closer...
Doing a few hundred extra words per night, I'm slowly catching up so I'll be done with this thing by Nov. 30. I'm going to win this one!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Still not quite caught up, but
up to 28,000 words, which reduces the required word count per day to 2,001 and I can whittle away at that easily. And, things are kind of coming together finally. So, yay!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Got caught up a little bit tonight
I powered through 3,345 words tonight. Dividing the rest by 11 days, I'll need to write at least 2,035 a day to win NaNo (or reach 50,000 words by midnight Nov. 30th). Piece. Of. Cake.
Big discovery in tonight's writing, camouflaged under a really big happy ending for one situation. Nyah-ah-ah...
Big discovery in tonight's writing, camouflaged under a really big happy ending for one situation. Nyah-ah-ah...
Monday, November 18, 2013
Back at it tonight
I needed about 8,000 words to catch up. Didn't get that, but I did get well over 1700, and some more ideas. They kind of seem to pop up like chicory plants by the side of the road as I go zooming past...funny that. More headway tomorrow! This is catch up week!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Goofed off yesterday, but atoned tonight
20,532 words so far! And tonight's progress has encouraged me that this isn't like, the worst dreck ever to disgrace a computer screen. It's just starting to get more interesting...
Sunday, November 10, 2013
NaNo word count MET
I hope not to take TWO days off in a row again. That's scary enough NOW when I'm still having fun with this thing; later on it might be fatal. Well, for the novel I mean.
Saturday, November 09, 2013
NaNo Saturday is here!
And I'm doing much better today. It's 3 pm DST (or is it CST. I can never remember.) and I've got almost 2,000 words so far. I'm aiming to reach a total of 15,000 yet today, but we'll see.
WTA: YAHOO I DID IT! I broke 15,000 words. That brings me right up to date with the necessary daily word average. I had fun doing it, too. I got some more of the setting sketched out and firmer in my imagination, and added a bunch of characters to my list who will come into it later. At this point, it's still fun. :^)
WTA: YAHOO I DID IT! I broke 15,000 words. That brings me right up to date with the necessary daily word average. I had fun doing it, too. I got some more of the setting sketched out and firmer in my imagination, and added a bunch of characters to my list who will come into it later. At this point, it's still fun. :^)
NaNo Saturday!
Been in the doldrums the past couple of days. No work on the NaNo novel, no progress on the Secret Project.
Today I am devoting to racking up lots of words in my NaNo novel. I'll report back later.
Today I am devoting to racking up lots of words in my NaNo novel. I'll report back later.
Thursday, November 07, 2013
Uh-oh. Again.
+
=
?
4:30 p.m. The question remains unanswered.
I don't want to talk about it.
:(
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
NaNo Day 6 Goal Reached!
I did a few less than the 1667 per day average, but for Day 6, I'm still ahead of the game. It's still going pretty well.
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