Totally random

Any creativity I might have used to paint fancy words on this page are all buried under a good helping of exhaustion. I felt it was necessary to workout a bit today, and that turns out to have been an unfortunate use of my energy resources. I'm apparently not nearly as close to fully recovered as I thought.

Of course, the wild night of partying until the late hour of 10 pm may account for some of the drowsiness I feel. My girlfriends came over last night because Patti was in town visiting. Patti has been our friend since the late 90's, and we miss her desperately since her husband moved her across the nation. There was wine consumed, and not a little bit of dessert. Due to Lent, of course, I abstained from the alcohol, but availed myself admirably of the cookies.

 

 

Nice, how Patti has a statue growing out of the top of her head.

 

Besides a convoluted and slightly nonsensical conversational involving the Cliff notes of our respective lives, we did Snapchat. We Snapchatted? We participated in the chatting of snap. We were not unlike a room full of tipsy teenagers staring at their phones and making ridiculous videos of ourselves. This was vastly amusing, if confusing, to the less technologically savvy among us.

 

The hilarity of last night's social engagement gave way to a more somber morning. Don was scheduled to appear in court this morning for a Probation Review Hearing, which he was most eagerly anticipating. After four years of the Juvenile Justice System, he was expecting to be set free of any further obligations. However, the judge has asked him to hang in there for one more month to finish  the program. Don was terribly disappointed.

 

At my advanced age, four weeks doesn't seem like any time at all; for a young guy it feels like forever. One more month, and he can be entirely free!

My tall, handsome son is taking a blissfully deep drag on that cigarette. I'm so proud. And short.

 

Who posts pictures of their children smoking? I post photos of my friends drinking, so I guess it's par for the course. I'm sometimes a bit too transparent for a dignified Christian homeschool mom.

Which reminds me!

That show I started binge watching during my recent illness? Mozart in the Jungle? Don't watch it unless you are super comfortable with cable TV morality. I just feel compelled to add that caveat. The first season had your run-of-the-mill sex, drugs and classical music. I just got to the second season, though, and found that I wish I hadn't recommended it quite so loudly.

 

I do think that Dignified Christian Homeschool moms should be transparent, though. I think it's important to be honest about our foibles and sins, about the reality of our imperfect lives.

So many people, Christians especially, put forward a false persona that looks convincingly flawless. It isn't helpful because all the regular messed up people look on thinking that something is wrong with themselves.

We're all dealing with stuff.

Some of us have kids who smoke, or kids who go off to live terribly awry of our values. Some of us drink or watch cable TV. Some of us have messy houses or 40 extra pounds. We need to talk about the reality of our lives so that other people will be able to talk about theirs, too. For people who love Jesus, our shortcomings are a big part of what we hold in common.

 

 

 



Bust a Move

Good news! This infirmity has allowed me a handy excuse to consume carbohydrates in excess. Another day or two, and I shall have made up for all the pounds I so recently lost. Why is it that protein is so unappetizing to an invalid?
Is it just me?
As I wallow in inertia, I find my palate drawn to fruit, chocolate, bread, and ....well, that about covers it. I was consoling myself earlier with the promise that my eventual return to running, bodybuilding and intentional eating is bound to be such a shock to my system that excess weight is certain to fall right off.

To add variety to the staggering boredom brought on by the profound lethargy I'm experiencing, I learned something quite sobering. I learned that several human beings are more sedentary on a healthy day than I am in debilitating illness.
I learned this thus:
I believe I've mentioned my Fitbit obsession to you. Yes? Well, Fitbit allows friends to compete with one another for steps. Monday through Friday, every week, I am privileged to compete with a varying number of friends for the most steps during the work week. Every week I come in second place to my insane baby sister, Bentley (not the runner, but an equally energetic and youthful sister).

Bentley routinely "steps" in excess of 25,000 steps per day. Sometimes she goes over 40,000. No one can compete with that, except perhaps my sister Dani. But, I digress. My point is that this week I am still in second place.
In competition with five fine human beings, I have been on the couch since early Tuesday, yet I am still 7,000 steps ahead of the number 3 position.

How is that even possible?

I'm utterly flummoxed to consider that there are four people on the planet who have moved less than I have this week.

There is evidence to suggest that I am destined to survive the ravages of this illness. I'm not saying that I'm ready to commit to actually getting anything done just yet, but there is a good chance that I will be able to avoid the recliner until naptime tomorrow. Unfortunately, this means that I will have to adopt a moderate pace for my Mozart in the Jungle viewing. Hopefully I'll be able to accelerate my Fitbit pace, though. It would be nice to give Bentley a run for her money next week.

And people, please, don't be sedentary. Sedentary is bad.

At death's very door

I may be slightly alive, but I am in no way happy about it.
I have been on my deathbed all week, or on the couch anyway. It's a glorified cold. The indignity of being sidelined by a sneeze is more than I can bear. It's been a long time since I found myself sick enough that I was willing to sit in a chair and whimper. Or complain voraciously to anyone fool enough to approach. Yet, here I am. My nose runs a great deal, considering it never leaves my face. My head aches, my body aches, I cough at the slightest provocation. I'm disgusting.

I've been sleeping and laying about for three days now, so the inactivity is extremely mind-numbing.
This afternoon I succumbed to onerous ennui by turning on that strange blue glow; the Television. Well, nothing so primitive as that! In truth, I dialed up the old Amazon Prime on my trusty Kindle. I sat for hours watching one episode after another, and blowing my nose. From time to time, I arose to wash my hands and spray Lysol.

Sick, I tell you.

 

The TV show I found to watch was quite diverting. Never mind the sex, drugs, and swearing. It's called Mozart in the Jungle. It's a whole classical music thing, so it feels quite erudite. If one is to suffer the various ignominies of common illness, one should at least be allowed the fancies of cerebral entertainment. Don't you agree?

 

If I survive until tomorrow, I'll drag my frail person right back to the computer to report on my health. Won't that be riveting?

Bottoms Up

Coffee matters to me more than is perhaps entirely healthy. We've previously discussed my delight in the fruit of the vine. I am a celebrant of all things beverage. You'd suppose such as I would be well-hydrated and possibly slim.

Today I made a lovely concoction for myself; a vigin Cape Cod. This amounted to Cranberry juice with crushed ice and a cocktail umbrella. The real adult beverage has a bit of Vodka thrown in. I am, as you know, exploring ways to add more creativity to my beverage opptions, while keeping the alcohol content to a minimum. The virgin Cape Cod was too sweet. Not that that stopped me.

I find that alcohol is not really something that I crave. What I want is the specialness of a drink. I got straws at the dollar store that have those paper parasols right on them, and those help. I also found plastic stir-sticks shaped like pink flamingos, and those help too. I found that anything blended with ice lifts my spirits. Chosing the right glass is fun; anything tastes better in crystal.

Kara came over for lunch today, and we ate in the dining room with china and candles and music. It was lovely. She had a real Cape Cod, and seemed tickled that there was an umbrella on her straw. She talks about football even at a ladies luncheon. She is entirely obsessed with BSU football. But she's also fond of my cooking, so that enthusiasm covers a multitude of sins.

But we were talking about drinks.

Which makes me thirsty.

Habits are funny things

Kara recently announced that life is too short to drink cheap wine. Now, while I am inclined to agree with the ideology of that statement, the particulars are less than what I can embrace.
If I open a good bottle of wine, I feel compelled to steadily work on it until it's gone. That doesn't necessarily mean that I drink it all in one evening, although that has been known to happen. If one paces oneself, one can begin while setting the dinner table, and finish after the late evening news without ever compromising one's sobriety.
One's liver, however, now that's a different story.
I always figured that as long as I was not drinking like a fraternity brother, I was good. If I was not drowning my faculties, I figured I was not drowning my liver either. Apparently my liver disagreed.
I told my doctor, when he asked, that I drink like a European. We have wine with dinner, of course; Red or White paired with our entrees. My doctor kindly explained that some raging alcoholics can down a fifth of vodka daily for 50 years with no liver damage, while some more sober types can't handle a daily glass of red. I fall into the latter category.
Who knew?
I needed to drink less.
Tea does not excite me, and I dislike soda.
Beer is nasty, and also a potential threat to my liver.
Diet coke is fine, but it keeps me up if I drink it in the evenings.
Perrier is gross.
Juices have too many calories.
Crystal Light is too sweet.
What do people drink in the evening when they don't have wine?

I allow myself to have something lovely just a couple times a week. But not too much at a time.

So I've taken to drinking cheap wine.

I can't justify opening a bottle, when all I want is a glass, so I buy those cute little tiny 4-packs. That way I can open one teeny tiny bottle, and nothing goes to waste. Now I drink once or twice a week, rather than once or twice per day.

And I need a good non-alcoholic beverage for the other evenings. Any suggestions?

Check me for ticks

Tim is a really classy guy. He dresses well, prefers the finer things in life, and accessorizes his clothing. He also has discovered an appreciation for Country Western music. This tickles my funny bone. I grew up in Idaho, and Tim's a California boy. I grew up going to rodeos, and he grew up a fashion model. I'm very glad he's straight. When he puts on tight jeans and Cowboy boots, I just think he's sexy.
Last night we went to see Brad Paisley in concert with about 12,000 people in Wranglers.
It was a great concert.
Brad Paisley just seems like a super nice guy, and a heck of a guitar player.
Darius Rucker was one of the opening acts. Do you know who he is? He was the lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish. I have loved his music for years. He sang old songs and new ones....and then he sang Prince's "Purple Rain." Another thing about Tim is that he is Prince's Biggest Fan. Ever. Tim has seen Prince in concert 8 times. I am not even making that up. So, when Darius Rucker launched into that classic hit, I thought he was going to lose Tim right there. However, I think he maybe did the song better than Prince. Don't tell Tim I said that. Seriously, though, it was amazing.
The whole evening out was fun. We took Michael out with us. Michael is getting to be almost like a real person. Who knew a 15-year-old was going to be such a delight? Having both Michael and Tim with me was like having two dates.
Before the concert, we went out to dinner, where we had an interesting experience. If you call being flipped-off and cussed-out "interesting." Which I do. There were two women at the table adjacent to ours. We were paying them no mind whatsoever. Suddenly, they arose, without ordering, and made their way to the door. We would still not have noticed them, had they not begun to stare at us with daggers in their eyes, and mouth vile words at us, while gesturing enthusiastically with their middle fingers. It was quite a display. There was pointing and glaring, and general unladylike display which left us in no doubt as to their sentiments. We were baffled as to their cause. Then they stormed out of the restaurant. That was it.
Maybe they didn't like Californians. Or women with two dates.

Leaping into Summer

Raise your hand if you missed me.....
There is no guarantee that I will ever blog again, but today I felt like posting a little howdy-hello.

Facebook was an addiction for approximately a day and a half. Who has time to maintain that? I kept hearing from people I used to know. These are folks I'd love to chat with. The reality is, though, that I hardly have time to chat with my own family, so Facebook really doesn't work for me.

Lacrosse is over for the regular season. This frees me up a bit. However, now it's time for travel season. SO far, we have California, Yelowstone, Maui, Camping, and possibly Denver on the list. It's going to be one of those Summers that flies by.
Remember how I was going to run a half marathon? Well, I did it. It took me 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 6 seconds. 13.1 miles is a long way to run. It was fun, I'm glad I did it...now I'm looking for the next thing to do. Maybe I'll learn fencing.
Tim's into fly fishing and Guitar right now. I need a new hobbie.

The kids are loud and busy. This is a product of their ages. They prefer action to stillness and activity to rest. They'll grow out of that, I suppose. Meanwhile, they are wearing me out.

That's your update de jour. We'll see if I manage to post again in the near future.

TV

I am feeling somewhat better after my Charlton Heston/Rush Limbaugh breakdown on Sunday. It comes of watching TV (the breakdown, not the feeling better.)
On Sunday, I was wondering what was happening with the health care vote thingy, so I decided to turn on the telly. This is not something I had ever done before in the house. That's the truth. Anyway, I was astonished to find that there does not appear to ba a power button anywhere on the TV. Nor are there any other buttons or dials. Who designed that? I found two remotes, which seemed neccessary since one turned the thing on, and the other controled volume. Changing the channel was a drama unto itself. But I managed. Then I sat in awe as the Political People debated and voted. It was very irritating, and I was wishing that I had something handy to throw at the TV.

There is one regular show that I watch. '24' Tim got me into it when we were dating, and now I'm all sucked in. Monday evenings are set aside for our show. We gather 'round the TV and bond like a 21st century family. Is is wrong that my children watch 24? Probably.

Tim just told me that there is a new season of some reality fight show begining. 'Ultimate Fighter.' He loves that one. I think it's really stupid. Who wants to watch a bunch of overgrown adolecents have half of their speech bleeped out while they stuggle to exalt their egos? I'm just sayin.'

TV is of the Devil. I'm convinced. Except for 24.

Time Management

You are all clearly dying to know what I've been doing to keep myself so busy. SO, I'll tell you.
I've been Avoiding Running, which is practically a full time job. I'm getting some top notch work-outs in the process, though. On Monday, Dani and I ran up and down the bleachers at a local school. We did this for the better part of 45 mins. It was a challenge. Yesterday I woke up quite sore, with a soreness more sore than a soreness ought to be. I dreaded today. The second day is always the worst, you know. Today, I wince to ascend stairs, I weep to stand on my toes. For some reason, the exertion taxed my calves in a sadistic way. They hurt. Perhaps I was running on my toes. I've been also doing lots of martial arts and weight training. I'm very athletic, but I am still avoiding running. The Half Marathon is in two months. I am going to have a heart attack and die in two months. Just so you know.

But Lent is going well, so I have that going for me. You know, of course, that I gave up alcohol. I'm redicovering all kids of other drinks. Ginger ale, sparkling water, fruit smoothies. The only time I really miss the alcohol is when I have a bad headache, or the kids are bugging me.

We've been planning vacations, too. We are going to California; Maui,Hawaii; Yellowstone National Park; Somewhere in Virginia; and Paul, Idaho. I know you envy me that last one, eh? It's for my friend's daughter's wedding. We need to find ourselves a reliable housesitter. Any names spring to mind?
It's lots of planning.
You saw Maui on the list, so you know I am shopping for swimwear. That is time consuming, and also depressing.

Lacrosse season is upon us, so we've been going to pre-season games and practices with the younglings. I love lacrosse as a game. I'm like one of those freaked out football fans. I wear my team colors, paint my skin to match, and scream like a coach from the sidelines. I have yet to be ejected from a game, but the season is just beginning, so there's a chance it will happen.

That's what I've been doing. You?

No Title springs to mind

I have absolutely nothing to say this evening, which is unfortunate. I feel certain that if I had anything to say at all, it would be vastly amusing.
Alas.

I have been in a funk for some reason. I suspect it has something to do with the persistant cloud-cover, and also the fact that I'm not sleeping enough. It never fails, you know, No matter how tired I am in the afternoon, by 10pm I'm perky and talkative. Could be the coffee I drink in the afternoon. Or perhaps the fact that the children are off to their beds and I can Finally Think. Maybe.

I actually fell asleep on the couch this afternoon while Tim was making dinner. (Giant stuffed pasta shells, if you must know. With salad and a sultry red wine.) I could not keep my eyes open. But now? Vivacious.

Also, too...I'm shopping for an Ipod. Or an Mp3 player. I don't know what I want, but I need music. I think I might like an mp3, because I prefer Windows Media to Itunes, but what do I know? I just think it's rediculous that people will pay so much money for the blasted things. I keep losing them on Ebay because I won't pay over 50$. I need advice.

Discuss:

Why blog?

Blink
blink
blink


The curser is just blinking at me atop an empty page. It's been doing so for days.

It's not that I have little to say, but rather that there seems to be too much.

Life is immesureably sweet just now, and the observations that I would offer to you are more exquisite than might be easily believed.
I could tell you of the minor irritations of daily life, and those make for fine humor.

It's a quandry.

I still like Tim, in case you were wondering. Marriage is fun.

The kids are doing normal kid type stuff, and they are the focus of most of what we do.

I was thinking that marriage in the middle of one's life is something I must highly recommend. It's just easier to figure out how to love someone else, when you are well aquainted with yourself.
We're doing well. Better than I had expected. Blending these two families is a rich and varied challenge, but one that seems to be managable.
My friend Asia would no doubt love to see all that's going on here. As would any family counselor. But, it's working.

In other news,
Have you ever stubbornly clung to a guilty conscience? It's lots of fun, in a self-mutilation sort of way.
I did that quite recently.
I had a sin to confess (not a very interesting one, so don't get all excited. And, no, I am not going to tell you what it was.)
I didn't want to confess, though. So the blasted nagging in my head grew louder and louder. It became one of those things where every time I turned on the radio, the issue was being proclaimed....when I closed my eyes, I thought of it...I had no peace at all. It was very irritating to be me.
Like so many of those things, I had made it way bigger than it needed to be. The moment I confessed, it turned out to be no big deal at all. I carried that around for 5 months, (because I am stubborn, and also an idiot), and it was no issue for the person I felt I had wronged.

Personally, I am ready for a second honeymoon. No, not because of that. I want to get away. I'm going to go look at Southwest.com

Tra-la-la

When I was a little girl at my Grandparent's home during the Summer months, Granny would sing quite early in the morning, "I am happy, tra-la-la, and I'll make you happy too..." Which always sounded meanacing before adequate coffee. She jolly well meant it, though. Never has there been a more boyant personality than my Granny.

My girlfriends are planning my bridal shower. The theme is French bordello; which sounds quite scandelous. I told you this would be a doozy. What could be more appropriate for a bunch of Christian Homeschool moms? I am happy, tra-la-la, and I'll make you happy, too.

The whole real-life-work-and-clean-the-house thing is totally crimping my style. I need to be allowed to sit by the pool, and plan. When I sit by the pool, though, everything but the handsome man in the tan just go right out of my head. I need to focus, but all of the pending excitement have given me a serious dose of ADD.

My tan really is coming along nicely. Thanks for asking.

Today, I have resolved NOT so go sit by the pool. Instead, I am going to work, and thence to clean, and also to shop for invitations. Meanwhile, I was thinking that I owe a few "thank you" cards, and I need to get this house in order, so that Cathy and Asia aren't horrified when they arrive on Friday.

I so need a personal assistant.

It's finally Summer around here

I got a little sunburned where I sit, because yesterday was the first decently hot day of the year. On the decently hot days, I get a little less decent, and lay in the sun.
There is nothing like a trip to Eagle Island to boost a gal's self esteem. I've told you about Eagle Island in Summers past; it's a local puddle, with sand, and water, and Frisbee golf, and stuff. They even have a single water slide. As opposed to a married one. And very large mothers take their children there to swim. These very large mothers wear bikinis.
When you look at magazines all day, you tend to get the impression that all women are airbrushed and perfect. This is untrue. From what I could tell at Eagle Island, most women eat rather a great deal, and they have no attention to spare for flattering fashion. It's way nicer to hang out there than it is to stand next to my Mother. My mother is slender, fashionable, and stunningly beautiful. She doesn't even have the decency to look like she's in her 60th year, which I find highly irritating. She's far too beautiful. It's not nice.
I have no idea what brought up Mother just now. It was sort of a random hiccup in my thinking. Which is very surprising; no?
Back to the Eagle Island Fashion Parade....That was very amusing. I went with my sister, Dani and my nieces; Kara and her kids; Lisa with her college textbooks; and lots of strangers. Lots. I have never seen the place so crowded. It used to be that we would be the only ones there, but it seems that the public-at-large has discovered our swimming place. I wish they'd all go home and leave us in peace.

Tim and I are accelerating our plans. We picked a date and also began planning the reception. I seriously need to find a dress. I am not going to get married in white taffeta and a veil, not this time. This time I am going to get hitched at the courthouse. I would, however, like to wear a lovely white sundress, and a hat. Keep your eye out for the perfect outfit, k? I'd like to look slender, and 20, so it will take a special kind of dress.

August is going to be flipping insane. The kids start school, and football 2-a-day practices, and we're getting married and moving. How in the world am I going to pull it all together? No idea.
I was just realizing that I need to start planning my homeschool curriculum for next year, and I've no idea how I'm going to get to that. Just add it to the list.

Today is Michael's last doctor's appointment. Praise Be to the Lord Most High. He is so vastly improved! Last week, when we saw the doctor, that boy was in mortal terror of being readmitted. This week, he's just like a healthy person, albeit a skinny one.

O! And one more thing. My dear friend from so very many years is coming to visit me!!! Cathy is going to visit, with her family, for the Fourth of July. Go here to read about her. I have not seen her for 4 years, which is entirely unacceptable. We are going to have a lot to catch up on. I can hardly wait!!!!

On that happy note, I must away. I've got to get ready for the day.

Global Cooling, cool criminals, and also my birthday

I am thinking that tomorrow I will have a mid-life crisis.
Tomorrow marks the end of my 39th year on this planet, and the beginning of my 40th. That's a good time to date a blond, and drive a muscle car. Don't you think? I'm going to get on that.

For my birthday, I am going to work. This is something I haven't done on a Monday for a couple weeks, on account of my child's hospital antics. After work, I am going out to dinner with a handsome blond man, and about four children. He actually owns a muscle car, so there you have it. I'm all set.

Michael is gaining weight like a good boy. He has another doctor appointment this week, and I hope they pronounce him fit for duty. I will then have him mow the lawn. See how devilish are my ways?

Today is Father's Day. I allowed Tim to barbecue for me, in celebration. I may never have to cook again, once I marry this fellow. That's very exciting. Why is August so far away? I so need to be married. I Do.

In other news: I am still tired, which I find very irritating. Also, Spring seems to have cancelled Summer this year. What global warming? It's below 60 degrees, and quite blustery today. This is entirely unacceptable for Birthday Weather.
We must all do our part to stop this cooling trend. Cease carpooling. Cease recycling. Cease public school. Do whatever it takes to bring back Al Gore!

Kara and I went shopping on Saturday, and plus also too, we spent money. Old Navy, Target, Kohl's, this is where we worked our magic. It's the Ghetto Mall, and we had a blast. We totally owned those clearance racks.
She took me out to lunch, and we got carded for ordering Mohitos. You know how happy I am when I get carded. It's why I drink.

Oh, wait! I totally forgot to tell you about Don's run-in with the police. Don and his buddy got questioned by the police because they were accused of a crime.
For real!
It was all very exciting. We had neighbors out in their front yards, a police car in front of our house, and interviews with all the witnesses. It was just like back when I was married, only less stressful.
I suppose the only reason it was exciting was that I knew they were innocent, and that the accuser was drunk or insane. Probably drunk. Grandly irascible, and largely illogical, anyway. The officer could certainly see that the accuser was off his rocker.
So it was kind of fun to have that little adventure. Don wanted to know if he now had a criminal record. I told him that he'd actually have to commit a crime. Hopefully he won't.

Now that we've covered that coherent and cohesive line of thinking, I'm going to bed.

I ate a mastadon, only with less protein

If salt and fat were the keys to youth and slenderness, I would be Karen Carpenter.
Which is a joke in rather poor taste, I'll admit. Poor taste seems to be the operative phrase. I have developed the appetite of my youngest child: French fries and pizza, punctuated with the random candy bar.
What health kick?
You'd think it was some sort of hyperactive PMS, but for the lengthy duration. I suspect that a combination of stress, and tiredness, are to blame. It sure ain't my fault.
If you tell me that you've never eaten an entire bag of chips, I won't believe you. I've been doing the like, daily, since returning from the hospital.
Sleeping a lot might serve me better.

I watched a movie tonight that you so want to go get. It's a feel-good love story that is really quite funny. New In Town. Go get it. It's rated PG. My eldest rolled his eyes at the rating, but he laughed during the movie. I watched it while eating several bags of microwave popcorn, and a healthy dose of a bottle of white. And also an apple. And a Hershey bar.
What?

I was thinking of all of you out there in blogland, just yesterday, as I climbed over Tim's rooftop in a silk skirt and Cole Haan sandles. Ya just never have a camera when you need it! The only ingress to the addition is from the ladder, see. You have to climb
up the ladder,
over the little roof thingy, and
in thru the window.
(Prepositions, you know.)
I was worried about two issues, once I navegated the ladder part.
1.Slivers in my backside from the window, and
2.flashing the neighbors.
I think that perhaps the funniest part would have been where I was trying to mount the ladder for the rickety decent, whilst the man-I-love tried to steady the thing with one hand, and keep the wind from wreaking havok with my modesty, with the other. It would have have been uproarious, were we not in peril of plumeting to our deaths. I managed to be amused, whilst I flirted with death, and his careful hand upon my, er, skirt.

Michael is mostly recovered from his own near-death experience. He does seem to have retained a rather persistant pain in his abdomen, that may warrent a call to the doctor tomorrow. If someone like me complains of pain, it means that I am searching for creative conversation. If My Man-child complains of pain, it means that his body is going to fragment, or develop internal gangrene, or something. It isn't good. I'm certian the doctor will be delighted to receive my call tomorrow.

Now that you are up on my glamour-don'ts, and my eating habits, I shall bid you a very fond goodnight. You should comment, and tell me the most regretable thing you've eaten lately. Or just leave me to my misery. Either way.

Wednesday, a normal day

I woke up.
This seemed a rather large insult to recover from. But the promise of coffee was enough to pry my eyes open.
That hospital stay seems to have caught up with me. Yesterday I felt as though I were suffering some post-traumatic stress disorder. Actually, I have no idea what that feels like. All I know is that I was so tired that I wanted to weep in the fetal position. I was in bed last night by 8:30. That was after the nap I took in the afternoon.
I'm not really getting much done in terms of productivity.

So, I stumbled to the coffee pot this morning, and began the administration of that lifeblood. My plan de jour involves work, and a return to the gym. I have not worked out for nearly two weeks, and the truth is that I don't care to ever sweat again. Mostly, all I care about is sleep. However, that wedding date is drawing closer, and something needs to be done about my pursuit for the body of a 20-year-old.
I need to go in to work today. Yesterday's nap schedule interfered with my job.
Tim has invited me to lunch today, too. Clearly, I have no time to clean house. I think that Patsy might come over this afternoon to drink Crystal Light and complain about our pampered lives. That should be fun.

This delayed reaction to my hospital stay is inconvenient. It would appear that adrenaline has played a large role in my existence of late, and now I have to recover. Michael is having no such difficulty. Perhaps that's because he gets to lay in bed all day. He has to eat and sleep...and move about from time to time.

He had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon yesterday. She proclaimed him whole, and set him off to address his future, with all the energy he can muster. He even went to Lacrosse practice last night, where he attempted to participate. That kid is skin and bones! He found that the energy required even to jog, was more than he had. He made a gallant effort, though. The result was an increase in his evening appetite, and a really good night's sleep. He has the joyous goal of gaining 15 pounds.

Don has been the social man of late. After spending last week at Tim's house, this home seems rather dull in comparison. Don vastly prefers anywhere but here. He spent his day yesterday with Kara and her kids. He did seem glad to be back at lacrosse last night, though. Perhaps we'll settle into some semblance of our normal routine before too long.

So many of you have left me messages, and offered encouragement to us, during the past week's adventure. I am afraid that I owe rather a lot of phone calls. May I think you en masse? We really do have the most amazing set of friends. No tragedy was ever so surrounded by support! I am grateful, and most assuredly in your debt. Thank you for loving us so much and so well.

On drug use, and my life

Morphine looks like lots of fun. I don;t think I've ever had it, myself. Michael was quite entertaining on the stuff. He was talking about random things that made no sense, but kept his visitors rapt with attention. One such turned out to be a case where he misplaced a word. He was talking about Tennessee, a place he's never been. The next day, when asked what inspired him, he clued us in to the fact that he really had meant "surgery", but couldn't think of the right word. Yvonne brought him a shirt which says, "I Survived Tennessee".

He's eating. It's a good thing, I'm told. That boy is skin and bones. We have a follow-up visit with the surgeon this afternoon. Shall we can her the "Tennesseean"?

I am groggy this morning. It's the allergy meds, I think.
We're all about drugs around here. Zyrtec, Morphine, caffeine... we're fun.

I'm having this sense of falling down Alice's Rabbit hole. Here I am all stressed about finances, working, and trying to pay for my children's lacrosse habits....yet, discussing new furniture, massive home additions, and speakers by the pool. It's surreal.
Have you ever read Alice In Wonderland? You really should. I believe that was something of a drug-induced tale, come to think of it. Opium, or some such. The story is profound, and the applications to real life analogies nearly endless.
Right now I feel like Alice. Life is a parade of fantastical sights, and that elusive white rabbit, and his clock, keep leading me deeper.
As long as the Queen of Hearts doesn't decapitate me, I'll probably come out alright.
It's hard to keep anything like perspective though, with my feet in two different worlds.

5,4,3,2,1

I got new carpet in the living room. Now the entire floor is a coffee stain color, rather than just splotches. I am very excited about this development.
Have you ever noticed that one never gets one's house in good order, until one decides to move? Why is that?

My house, and the piles of stuff, are continuing to instill a sense of panic whenever my mind touches on all that needs to be done. I am moving in two and a half months.

Tim teases me about the way I count down to exciting events in my life. Anticipation is more than half the fun, I think. Remember those construction-paper chains we'd make when we were 5? The kind where you pull off one link a day until Christmas? I would totally do that. I have a little calendar in my bible that counts down the days until I'm married. I cross off each day in the evening. I am seriously like a little kid in that.

The construction job at Tim's is progressing quite rapidly. While I was in the hospital, so much happened! The walls are framed in, the tub is in the bathroom, and the trusses have been perched on top of it all. It's a real, live house. I would count down to the completion of that, but no one really knows when a construction job will be done. Least of all the home owner.

Good thing there's not much going on around here, eh? Additions, hospital stays, moving, marriage, school, work, and general parenting. I'm tired just thinking about being me.

Michael is needing to gain back 10-15 pounds. Once that appetite returns, you should hide your small children, as they are likely to look like a welcome source of protein to this skinny kid. I'd love to give him a bit of my extra. Alas. It's coming off, though. Trauma is great for weight loss.

Geez, what I wouldn't do for a date! I've seen my man most every day, but I have not had him to myself for a long time. Did I tell you that he's taking me to see Romeo and Juliet? I'm counting down to that one. Which should not surprise you at all.

Do you know what word I've been thinking about? "Bovine." I love words. This particular one is slightly random, perhaps. Who can figure out the workings of the mind? Bovine. There is no discernible reason for that, except that the word popped into my mind, and tickled my fancy. I need to figure out how to work that into my conversation today. This should not bee too difficult. I am in Idaho, after all.

Perhaps I could add another unrelated topic. Or perhaps not. I shall release you from my spell. Go in peace.

On what I did all week

I did my whole weigh-in thing, and I measured my body fat. You'll be very surprised to note that I only seem to have lost 2 pounds. Apparently one needs to eat less to lose weight. What fun is that? The better news is that I also seem to have lost 2% of my body-fat. So that's good.

Michael has discovered a weight-loss plan, though hardly an enviable one. He was up sick all night. Lysol is my new best friend. That poor child.

I need to go take a picture of Tim's rafters for you. He has lovely rafters, and they're all exposed. The demolition is in full swing. I told you about that, right? He's adding on because he loves me.

You should come to my house for my garage sale on Saturday, by the way. Buy my treasures! Tim is going to come over and beg people not to leave empty-handed. There are piles of useless things everywhere I look. Why do I have so much stuff? I've got this accumulation of years. All of them are in the garage awaiting Saturdays sale.

What kind of an update is this? Can you believe that I haven't written in a week? I haven't even read blogs in a week. There's days I don't even get on the blasted computer.

Kara and I sat and enjoyed a philosophical discussion the other day. We haven't gotten together in a while, so we hung out one evening drinking wine. I don't do so much of that wine stuff these days, so I'm a much cheaper date. Kara is going to come along with me to Park City for the boy's lacrosse tournament. It was so good to have a little girl time. Lately, I've had no social time to speak of, outside of Tim and the kids (and lacrosse). We represent a social network all our own. With all the kids activities, we have plenty to do. I am so looking forward to sitting by the pool all Summer! Won't that be relaxing? Saws and hammers buzzing above our heads as we recline on the patio.....

I promised you a movie review, didn't I? The new Star Trek movie is great great great!!! If you loved the Captain Kirk shows all those years ago, you will totally love this.
That's a brief movie review, eh?

Ugh, I need to scrub the kitchen floor before the kids get up, so I am going to bid you farewell. There is a chance that I'll write more quite soon. Or, not. O, the suspense.

My thoughts on religion

I was having an email conversation with a friend, which turned into a fictitious dialouge in my head. Do you ever do that? I figured, when I was nowhere near the computer, that it would make a good blog. Only I didn't have a pen. Let's see if I can remember what I was going to talk about.

We were discussing religion, actually. He's sort of interested in exploring various religions.
It seems to me that religion is a largely consumer driven thing. I shop for what I want.
If I am looking for a politically neutral community, with high moral values, great programs for the kids, and a Saturday evening service, I might shop around until I find something I like, and then I'll complain about the music. Or I can change my mind, and switch to something more appropriate for whatever stage of life I find myself in.
God is different, though.
If He is real(and I believe that He is), then I need to set out to know Him, rather than dictating how I would like Him to be.
Imagine that I march up to some handsome man, say, for instance, Tim. And I say, "Gee, big guy, I'd like to have you for my boyfriend." Well, that would be swell. Then, imagine that I define him as I want him to be. "I want you to be outgoing, socially conscious, a great skier with 6 kids, and a home in Aspen." Do you suppose he'd think I was crazy? I doubt he'd have much to do with me.
All of us, handsome men included, want to be known as we are.
Even God has to be sought out for Who He really is, otherwise I've just invented an imaginary friend.
Maybe an imaginary friend is just what I'm looking for.
But, If I want Truth, I've got to take it as I find it. That's true for anything, but especially with people.

That's really what I was thinking about today, as I drove about town in my car.

Oh, I stopped over at Tim's house. You know what? He has a big ol' dumpster, and a porta-potty in front. It looks like Arkansas!
Construction is happening! Who is excited?
Truly, I just can hardly believe that such a great man loves me so much, that he would go through all the inconvienience of remodeling, so he can keep me. Isn't that wonderful? It's like a great big monument to his love for me....with a porta-potty and a dumpster.

.....Ugh, there are hungry children in my house, and so now I have to end this thrilling tale to be responsible.

One more thing, though. Michael and Don are both in the top 20 best lacrosse players, in their age groups, in the valley. They are so cool.

ok, bye now.