Catching up with the week

Whew.....things finally slowed down and I am feeling human again. Life has been hopping since friday. I will put up pictures later, but right now too much to catch up on to download pics.

Friday: I had an appointment with my Internalist. I checked in at 10:30 and had a nice chat with a gentleman named Daniel while I waited. After he went in for his appt, I knitted on some fingerless mitts until I was called in at noon. Yes, and hour and half is a long wait, but Tamara takes time with her patients, so I don't mind the wait. After all.....she and I took an hour ourselves. We had a good talk about thyroid medications. Taking the new Ambien CR has been a godsend for me. I have actually logged 8 hours most nights, so am feeling less pain now. But I get up feeling rested, then the energy drains out of me. I have gotten to where I don't have to take naps, but the lack of energy sometimes drives me to one. Add that to the fact that I am getting nowhere fast on our town fitness challenge. This morning I registered yet another big goose-egg in the loss catagory. So, doc agreed to experiment. She wanted to try a synthetic, but I told her about reading that they don't work for all people and I would rather try Armour thyroid. So I left the office at 1pm with a script for 60mg.
I spent the rest of the afternoon running around the city getting shopping done. About 3pm, I realized I hadn't eaten since that morning and was getting very hungry. Hunger for me is not good. It almost always preceeds a low blood sugar episode. I whipped into Weinersnitzle and got a pepsi and a mustard dog with cheese. That tided me over until I headed home in the evening. When I got into town I stopped and got a Dude at the DQ, knowing I would be too busy once I got home to eat anything. Friday.....good for a least a 2 lb gain.
Saturday I ran into town in the morning to get the thyroid script filled. I made it in before 10am and the interstate was already shut down. I had to melt ice off the back window of the Explorer where it faces north...and scrape ice off my rear view mirror. The cold front had come in friday, but by saturday it had gotten bone chilling cold and the misty rain was freezing on the ground. Oddly enough, they had one westbound lane open on the interstate. It stayed closed until sunday morning late. We had a lot of big trucks going through town for a day and half.
Saturday evening I spent over an hour going through everything in my closet, trying to find something to wear to Diana and Eddie's wedding. Finally settled on a flannel skirt and a new tensel and cotton sweater I had gotten friday. The wedding was sweet and intimate. My heart sister is now Mrs. Arteaga....but still Dr. Green. I know at least twice in the past year I have told her she didn't have to change her professional name. I am glad she finally got that much settled.
After the ceremony at the church, I ran home to change into party gear, then back to town for the reception and party. It has been a few years since I got to visit with Di's family, so it was great catching up with them. They are a musical family, so they had a nice stage set up and played for their guests. Di's brother played fiddle and guitar, his fiance played guitar, Di sang, her new hubby Eddie played drums, her dad played guitar, as did her son. Most of the guests had a good time dancing. I don't know how to country dance, so I just enjoyed the show. Before it all started, Di and I were visiting at the goodies table and we dug into wedding cake. Di got a huge hunk of icing and urged me to get as big a slice as I wanted. She has always been such an enabler! I had to leave at 10pm due to fatigue setting in and I could feel my shoulders tightening up. Saturday's total had to be at least another pound or two gained.
Sunday morning I could barely get out of bed. I had taken a painkiller when I went to bed, but of course, it had worn off and I was paying for two days of solid going. It took a while before I didn't moan with every movement. It was still cloudy and cold, but at least no rain. I spent the day knitting on a purse....love cables!....and catching up on my email. That evening I fixed bbq roast leftovers with mashed red potatoes and mixed vegetables. This morning I weigh 4 lbs more than check in last week. I am a fitness challenge failure.
The evening was topped off when Mimi and the Bean (sounds like Binky and the Brain, but not as smart) came in smelling to high heavens. Well, Beanie came in stinking and got a bath while Kim hunted skunk. Mimi had to get a bath when she snuck in later. She knew what she was in for and didn't want any part of it. I won though. So everyone went to bed smelling sweet.
Well that is it for now. My connection wants to crater on me so I will try to save this before I lose the whole post.

At a crossroads

I tried on the Picovoli top I have been knitting and don't know what to do with it. I just got through decreasing for the waist shaping and don't know whether to just rip it all back and redo it on smaller needles, or work with what I have and just add a few more inches and finish off. From trying it on, I do know I don't need to do the increases the pattern calls for.

New Wheels and the Blues

I found the coolest tricycle for Brooklyn. It is purple, pink and yellow, and has a dashboard that makes sounds. By this summer, maybe she will be old enough to learn to ride it round and round the carport.

Here is the cool dashboard. It makes all sorts of neat sounds. Now I need to pick up a big girl bicycle for when the older grands visit....hopefully this summer.


Meanwhile, I realized I have the blues big time lately. Not only is there a lot of depressing things going on lately, but I also get depressed when doctor visits time comes. Gyno wasn't so bad last week, but now I have to go to my internalist this week, then next week on the rounds of mammo and useless bone density test.
I drag around here drained of energy. It's like it just pumps right out of my body. I have so much to do and so much that I want to do. Just no get up and do.
Not going well on the diet. No energy to exercise....and pain when I do. No, not soreness from using muscles.....pain. Pain is not condusive to exercise. So the only way to lose weight is by liquid diet. Keeping blood sugar levels up on diet drinks is not easy. I don't enjoy a hungry belly all the time. Food has gotten down to a minimum intake and nothing happens. I want to quit smoking, but that seems to be the only thing that goes in my mouth that doesn't cause weight gain. It would be all a different story if I could get my doctors to pay attention. But that is not likely to happen in my lifetime....unless, of course, it lands me in the hospital again.
It was about 20 degrees when I got up this morning. It was only up in the mid 40's yesterday, but supposed to be around 60 today. I don't know what the deal is, but I have been sneezing a lot lately. Even woke up sneezing the other day. Since pollens have gone down due to rain in the area last week, I am baffled about the sneezing. The drainage and coughing from it, marches on. Since buying a bottle of Creomulsion the other day, I am not waking up in the middle of the night with uncontrollable coughing.
The only productive thing I have done recently is knit. I can sit at the computer, or in my comfy chair, or at the sunroom table and do that. So have been getting quite a bit done. I just have too many projects going. I switch back and forth on them according to my mood, so none get finished.

The face of a liar

Apparently, doctors have a special insight. They walk into a room with me and automatically peg me as a liar. It is rare for a doctor to actually believe what I say. This has resulted in 3 hospitalizations in the past 12 years. They don't believe me until I end up in the hospital with the problem. This also resulted in me being turned down for more life insurance. I will be sending off for the written decision in order to appeal it. But in the meantime, I will be taking the letter in to show the doctor that ignored me over the last problem which wound up with me in the hospital for drug induced hep.
Why the rant? Well, I always get depressed when it comes time for yearly checkups. Will I be bold enough to tell them I am fine? Then when they remark about it.....tell them that they wouldn't believe me anyway, so why bring anything up? What would happen then? Since they will be looking at a face they have pegged as a liar....why tell them anything. Maybe I really am a life insurance risk. Maybe one of the doctors the company contacted told them that I am a liar and bad risk.
The doctors have such creative ways of calling me a liar also. Do they get the monthly newsletter "New, creative ways to call your patient a liar".
One thing I have learned......honey, if you ain't textbook, then you are a liar.
End of rant for today. Maybe more later after I see the first of two docs for the month.

My little world

This is what is on my computer screen these days. If you don't know who he is, then you are very old...LOL

It is a bit cool this morning, so the dogs are seeking warm spots, preferably with sun beams. Here are the three terriers vieing for the same sunbeam. They had already kicked a cat out in order to take this spot over. These are the three high energy dogs that live at my house. Only the one in the middle is actually mine. The other two don't know they aren't mine.

And here is Jack in his favorite nap spot....well, favorite if he isn't snuggled in bed with me. He has a habit of getting up there and digging before he lays down. Don't know the reasoning behind the digging. Most dogs would turn around three times.
This picture reminds me that I really.....REALLY....have to get this chair recovered this spring.

I just discovered that I need to give Mouse a bath today. I am hoping it will warm up a bit this afternoon so she won't get a chill. She has a matting of something nasty on her back. It is right behind her shoulder blades where she can't reach. I tried to snip it off a bit, but it seems to be attached to her skin and there is raw skin under it. I can't figure out what is going on, but poured some peroxide over it to see if I can get it to loosen up a bit to scrub off later. That poor dog has more problems. Her nose is just now healing up good. It looked like something had stung her on the nose and a big blistery sore was there for a couple of weeks.
On top of that, it's time to start the vaccination rounds again. I never even got around to the cats and one cat is in pain. I need to take her in to see what is going on. She is 12 and I am afraid to find out what is causing her pain. Now, if I could just get the youngest son to support himself so I could take care of the animals around here........hint, hint.
BBQ brisket is in the oven for Superbowl noshing. So far all I have planned is mashed potatoes to go with it. Guess I will probably have salad and rolls to round it out. Ugh.....weigh-in is tuesday and I have already gained 3 lbs from eating supper out last night. Got to figure out how to give up food. Already barely eat enough to keep an anorexic alive and I never lose weight. Don't give me the song and dance about not eating enough. I gain if I eat regular meals, no matter how fat and calorie free it is. Such is the life when your doctors think you are a liar.