<![CDATA[Mostly Risible]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/index/ en Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:04:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Quote of the day]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/quote_of_the_day1/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/quote_of_the_day1/#1636 A lot of people would take getting rear-ended in their car as an example of why their life continues to be one road block after another, and I think a different person can see that same fender bender and be grateful it wasn't worse. … I think if you try to angle your life in those ways, then fate, destiny, karma opens itself up to you and allows for more growth.
~ Neil Patrick Harris

Right on! ]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:04:00 -0400 <![CDATA[And now, news from the foot surgeon…]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/and_now_news_from_the_foot_surgeon/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/and_now_news_from_the_foot_surgeon/#1635
The surgeon said that I must have a very high pain tolerance because I acted as if "we were having tea and crumpets" when he shot the cortisone in. I didn't even flinch. Ummmm, put yourself in my shoes for the past two years and you'd have a new definition for the pain scale. What's a four or five to me is probably a nine or 10 to someone else, based on what I've read.

image

Goodbye Converse.... Goodbye fun heels.... Goodbye sexy boots.....Hello shoes that don't go with anything in my closet except sweatshirts, jeans and curlers in my hair.

I see him in four weeks. He wants to see what the cortisone, icing every night, and more diligence to wearing the foot gear at home (I always wore the boot outside of the house, but come on- sitting on my keester at home?)

I guess I can be thankful that I'm not in an office environment anymore because I *know* I'd never get myself to wear athletic shoes with dress pants (and what about a skirt? ::shudder:smile

I'm not going to guarantee that I'll be 100% compliant if I am dressing up. In fact, if you are a betting person- go ahead and bet that I won't be compliant in those circumstances. Come ON, in May it'll be a year since the injury and I wasn't wearing special shoes until October (when he found the fracture and tear.)

Baby-steps into old-lady land are required here. The fact that I took the news from the cardiologist better than being told I’d have to wear ugly shoes the rest of my life says quite a bit…]]> Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:28:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Cardiologist visit]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/cardiologist_visit1/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/cardiologist_visit1/#1634

He gave me a list of things to try before he decides to give me medicine:
  • Drink more fluids plus add fluids with electrolytes like Gatorade/propel/smartwater.

  • Drink caffeine (which is opposite of what the other cardiologist said.. so I’m just going to leave that one alone..)

  • Increase salt in my diet

  • Lower-body resistance training to get the blood moving in my lower extremities

  • Physical counter-pressure maneuvers (squeeze hands, tense muscles)

  • Lay down for at least five minutes when I start to feel faint

  • Smoke cigarettes. (I’m kidding!)


He’s scheduled an echo and I see him in two months. If the above stuff doesn’t work, then he might try something that makes me retain water and/or Ritalin (seriously.. isn’t that weird?) He said that I’m tired all the time because every time my body does this, it’s like getting an adrenaline rush and then my body has to recover.

While rooting around on the Internet I found an interesting article that pretty much follows everything the cardiologist told me, and explains quite a bit of stuff I've been experiencing. ]]> Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:50:00 -0400 <![CDATA[This and that]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/this_and_that35/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/this_and_that35/#1633
  • I subscribe to a site called dealloco.com on my feedreader. Amazing deals to be had, and I do most of my Christmas shopping through this site.

    Anyway, one of the deals today was a fire escape ladder that hooks to a window. It reminded me of when I was a kid and was FREAKED OUT about "what if there's a fire?" I've always been rather literal, even as a kid. I'd hear stories in Sunday School about the Holy Ghost prompting you when something bad might happen (at least, that's how I interpreted it...) so, if I ever worried about something, I was POSITIVE that it was the Holy Ghost prompting me about [insert worry of the day here]. Worry wart. Some things never change.

    One of those worries was a fire. I don't remember how old I was, but it was in the house before our house in Yorba Linda (thebirthplaceofRichardMNixon) <- Factoid: I can never say the words "Yorba Linda" without following it up with "The birthplace of Richard M. Nixon".

    I remember my dad sitting at the edge of my bed several nights talking to me about this and then installing one of those fire ladders outside my window. Thanks, Dad, for making me feel safe. cheese

  • I've come to the conclusion, "once a mother, always a mother". You worry about your kids when they're little and you worry about your kids when they're grown. It seems to me that the problems when the kids become adults are just as worrisome- only they typically have a bigger impact. I think I'd rather have the little kid worries to worry about.

  • Einstein has had a little bug the last couple of days. I started to obsess about it, so finally we took him to the vet. The conclusion was stomach flu of some sort (I'll leave this to your imagination)and allergies (swollen eyeball). I'm so used to his daily activities and schedule that little warning bells go off when he's not himself. He had a nausea shot at the vet, and he was so still last night that I kept looking over at him to make sure he was still breathing, because usually he's a bit of a monkey at night. Reminds me of when the boys were babies and they slept too long.

  • We hired our landscapers to remove Old Man Winter from the gardens. We were out yesterday and came home to find six people working in the garden beds. I was giddy with excitement at seeing all this dead stuff (plants, not bodies) being hauled away out of the yard. It took them one day to accomplish what would take me WEEKS to do. I am so excited that all I have to do from now on is plant cool new plants and leave the rest to the gardeners. Squee!

  • I've been immersing myself in the series, "Six Feet Under" for the past few weekends. I've seen it before and loved it. BJ hates it (of course) and says that it sounds like a big Soap Opera. He said, "Soon you'll be telling me that you're watching 'your stories'". It's kind of amazing to me how well we get along and enjoy each other's company, but our taste in movies and TV shows are so far apart, with the exception of a few. I refuse to question the reason.

  • I'm going to see the cardiologist tomorrow to see about getting a monitor surgically implanted. I'm 100% for the idea because I want this fainting stuff figured out. Too many broken bones and injuries and it has to stop. I'm seeing the foot surgeon on Tuesday because my foot isn't healing AT.ALL. I'm starting to feel depression seeping in because I can't go out and do anything without my foot hurting- sometimes even more than my face. I've gained 15 lbs due to my foot (well, and coconut M&Ms), because the foot surgeon told me to get off of it as soon as it starts to hurt. That's usually about 10 minutes. Bleh. Yup, I'm feeling depressed. I guess that's not so hard to understand, given the hand I've been dealt the past couple of years, right? Thankfully, I can still see the good. Most of the time, anyway.

    • ]]>     Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:05:00 -0400     <![CDATA[Better than valium]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/better_than_valium/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/better_than_valium/#1632
    I'm working away with my trusty side-kick Einstein by my side. He usually sleeps most of the day while I'm working. ESPECIALLY if he's gone for a long walk in the morning (thanks BJ!)

    Sometimes (OK, often) I look over at him and watch his little tummy move up and down as he breathes and I get a rush of endorphins.

    Man, if I could just bottle that feeling I'd be a millionaire. ]]>     Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:49:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Do you see a problem with this?]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/do_you_see_a_problem_with_this/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/do_you_see_a_problem_with_this/#1631
    At one point, I yelled, "Casey! Cut it out!"

    Casey is the name of my second son.

    Yeah- I called my dog by my son's name. I think the lines are getting blurred. ]]>     Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:05:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Quote happy, apparently]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/quote_happy_apparently/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/quote_happy_apparently/#1630 I use this example from the teachings of the New Testament: "With God, all things are possible." Now, what does that leave out? All things means all things. Excuses are thoughts that tell you what you can't do, how difficult something will be for you, that it will take too long or that you don't have the luck or the ability to create the life you want.

    By thinking in awareness, you correct your mind and allow all the things you need to show up in order to have your life work the way you want it to. This kind of thinking will remind you that you do exist in a place where all things are possible. I encourage you to apply this consciousness to all of your old thinking habits.
    ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer]]>     Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:46:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Quote of the day]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/quote_of_the_day/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/quote_of_the_day/#1629
    Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.
    ~Dennis Wholey
    ]]>     Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:52:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Stories]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/stories/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/stories/#1628
    After reading a brief summary of what the patient wanted to share, I knew that it was going to be more than 20 minutes. No problem. The recording device has a lot of capacity.

    To say this man was ready for the interview is an understatement. He started talking from the moment I walked into the door and I had trouble finding a gracious way of saying, "hey- we need to start the recorder." So much for graceful.

    Twenty minutes went by.... then another twenty... and another twenty.... until we were up to three hours worth of 20 minute stories.

    This man's eighty-something years of life have been amazing. Three hours wasn't enough, so I made an appointment to meet with him again. That was yesterday.

    Again, I was off to a completely ungraceful start. I just decided to turn on the recorder as soon as I could- even though he was in the middle of a story. We spent another three hours together and I still feel that he had more to share, but it's important that we get this finished and presented to the family. My volunteer coordinator is under pressure to get our first story finished so the social workers will feel comfortable in referring the (totally free) service to more people.

    I told my new friend that we had to wrap this up, and told him what would happen next. And then I did something I wasn't really expecting. I told him that I wanted to continue visiting him even though our project was complete, which really put a smile on his face (mine too!) I really had/have no intention of volunteering in the patient-care side of Hospice, but there's something about this amazing man that made me want to see him again. I called the volunteer coordinator and asked him if I could be assigned as this man's volunteer.

    I promised the coordinator that I wouldn't 'adopt' everyone whose story I would be recording. Besides, when will I have time? I've also signed up to be in the new Hospice Ambassador program. Public speaking to create awareness about Hospice and what it has to offer.

    Man, it's a good thing I don't have a job.

    ::KIDDING:: But I do need to make sure that I keep this balanced. Balanced? What is that? ]]>     Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:03:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Lucky]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/lucky1/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/lucky1/#1627
    I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn't been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn't have been 'lucky.' — Oprah


    ]]>     Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:39:00 -0500     <![CDATA[I’m SO sure!]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/im_so_sure1/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/im_so_sure1/#1626
    ::ahem:: for example:

    Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, zip-a-dee-ay, my oh my what an Einsteiny day.
    Plenty of Einstein comin' my way, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, zip-a-dee-ay


    There are several songs in my repertoire, but that one is my go-to song of the day. I don't think a day goes by that I'm not singing that song in one form or another.

    Today is Friday, a half-day for me and I was shutting down my company laptop. In doing so, I fired up my Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah song to Einstein. What do I hear next? BJ shutting his office door!

    I'm SO SURE!

    OK, yes, I can understand that it could become annoying and yes, I do it several times a day but I told BJ he's going to miss it when I die.

    NOTE: I'm not dying anytime soon- that's just my way of making him feel guilty. It's a good one, eh? ]]>     Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:42:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Glue factory, STAT!]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/glue_factory_stat/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/glue_factory_stat/#1625
    Anyhoo- enough of the fatalistic thinking. Bleh.

    My cardiologist says that he knows why I faint (tachycardia), but he doesn’t know the cause of the tachycardia, so he is sending me to another cardiologist that specializes in electrical problems of the heart and said that he’s going to advise that he surgically place an internal heart monitor. Here's some information about it if you're curious.

    I would have this for up to a year, depending on how often I faint.

    He also ran a slew of blood tests today.

    It would certainly be nice to get to the bottom of this and get it treated so I quit bonking and breaking things. I’ve gained almost 20 lbs since breaking my foot because I’m supposed to stay off of it as much as possible until it’s healed. My instructions are, when it starts to hurt, get off of it. That takes about 10-15 minutes, which isn’t very long. I can’t even ride the bike because it involves moving my ankle around (where the stuff is torn.)

    Summer is coming and I want to be ACTIVE again.

    I go back to see the foot surgeon in April to see if surgical intervention is required.

    Surgery, surgery, surgery. Thank goodness for health insurance. ]]>     Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 -0500     <![CDATA[An interesting exchange]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/an_interesting_exchange/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/an_interesting_exchange/#1624
    ...the breakfast was great, by the way.

    The woman that seated us and then waited on us was, I'd guess, in her 60's. She wore a LOT of makeup and had on a white silk (looking) blouse. You could tell that her appearance was important to her and I'm guessing she was quite a 'looker' back in the day.

    Nothing out of the ordinary happened, at least in my opinion. For example, I didn't offer to pick up the dishes, take them back and wash them for her. But what happened when we went to leave was very out of the ordinary.

    We went to the cash register to pay and she handed me an envelope that had something in it. She smiled at me, said "God bless you" and told me to not open it until we'd left the restaurant.

    I did as I was told and waited until we were in the car. In the envelope was a little bracelet made of beads the color of amber, and a card that read, "Thank you for being so kind". BJ just looked at me and chuckled, saying "what *is* it about you and strangers?"

    I get that sort of thing a lot and BJ is getting used to it. I'm honestly not aware that I'm doing anything extraordinarily kind, but I am 'that person' that gets hugs from the shuttle driver (happened to me twice in less than a month, by two different shuttle drivers.) I think most people would be a little weirded out by being hugged by a virtual stranger, but I take it as a compliment because I know that I've done something to touch them emotionally and that's how they expressed it back to me.

    The last shuttle driver that hugged me wouldn't even let me tip him, saying that having me as a passenger brightened his day. We were only together for about an hour. I don't remember anything in particular that we talked about that would have been a big deal.

    Things like this make me wonder why being treated with kindness seems so unusual to people. I act upon the belief that we should all be kind and treat everyone like we'd want to be treated, but the actions of these people make me think that this is not the norm. It's as if they're not used to someone being kind to them, which makes me sad.

    Of course, being this way does get me into many situations whereby I'm cornered by someone that wants to unload on me. I guess I just have to take the bad with the good.

    I'm trying to think of a place to keep that bracelet so I can look at it often, thankful that someone took the effort to let me know that I made them feel good- because that makes ME feel good.

    It's such a simple thing- being nice.]]>     Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:31:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Time is money, dagnabit!]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/time_is_money_dagnabit/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/time_is_money_dagnabit/#1623
    Or even sitting on my keester, reading a book.

    But then I look at my yard and cringe. I see all the hours it's going to take to prepare it for spring, and then the cycle of working on it every weekend just to keep it up. It's no longer fun for me. I like planting stuff during the spring, and want to continue doing that- but the weeding, pruning, etc. etc. etc. is just too much.

    So, we've decided to hire it out. We interviewed our current landscaper- the guy who mows and fertilizes our lawn- and we're interviewing another one (Mr. Ho!) tomorrow. It's going to cost a lot to get it ready for spring, but the weekly outgo doesn't seem too bad.

    Last spring and summer I wouldn't make plans for the weekend because I knew that I had to work on the yard. Then I'd procrastinate it until the weekend was over, feeling guilty the entire weekend. Not a good way to spend a weekend, if you ask me.

    I'm really looking forward to having a yard that I can enjoy again- and having weekends to do fun stuff. I've been simplifying my life over the past few months, and this is just one more step in the process. Pretty soon, I'll hire someone named Raul to feed me grapes and fan me with big leaves.

    Yeah, that's it. I'm sure BJ won't mind, right? ]]>     Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:48:00 -0500     <![CDATA[Thankful]]> http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/weblog/comments/thankful/ http://www.mostlyrisible.com/index.php/title_permalink=site/thankful/#1622 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:18:00 -0500