Ketchup

Let's see... what has happened since the last time I posted?

I am up to eleven friends on Facebook. One is a friend from college fighting stage III breast cancer. (BTW - see link to Army of Women on the right.) One is a semi-friend from college who has potential as a new fiber fiend. Several are former co-workers. One is my SO, who posted the funniest profile photo I have ever seen. Every time I look at it, I laugh. Every time I think of it, I laugh. I call it "Portrait of the Artist as a Curmudgeon" because he has this angry philosopher look on his face. When he explained that the camera went off while he was trying to see if it was time to smile, I laughed until I cried.

My month-long spending ban is still in effect until next weekend, when I plan to apply for a passport and upgrade my cell phone. I didn't do too bad - the only non-essentials I purchased were a couple of used books.

My bladder infection is gone, although it felt like it was coming back. That or I was developing ovarian cancer. Have you noticed that many of the symptoms of diseases are everyday things like lower back pain and fatigue? If unintentional weight loss is on the list, though, I know I am safe.

Speaking of weight loss, some study has arrived at the conclusion that the only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. Duh. The tricky part is figuring out a successful way to do that. Along with a zillion other people on the Web, I have been making lifestyle adjustments. For one thing, I have committed to attending yoga class twice a week. If the weather would cooperate, I would walk more, too. Another modification is eliminating flour and sugar from my diet. This is not such a big stretch for me, but so far, it has not resulted in any weight loss, so I am also dropping potatoes and popcorn. Given my penchant for salty snacks, no chips or fries will be a big deal.

And speaking of bladders, my stepmother's surgeon is sending her to physical therapy to strengthen the muscles "down there". He says it may take as long as a year to "get dry" but she can do it. Maybe if she is successful, she will try PT for her back pain.

I have been busier at work, which is a good thing. I've been cooking more, also a good thing but a time suck, especially the cleaning up. I'm thinking it would be nice to make a trip to the beach, any beach, and meditate to the sound of the waves. Picture downward dog in the sand.

What have you been up to?

Socially challenged

I now have three friends on Faceb00k. Or is it four? Earlier today I could not get the stupid thing to update my status (and I had a darn clever status to post too!) and then one of my three/four friends started a chat and I didn't feel like chatting but what are you going to do?

And THEN my PC locked up. For the first time ever. I have had this laptop for about three years and have never had any problems with it. Until Faceb00k.

Tonight I tried to find more friends, people I would really enjoy getting in touch with, but apparently they are all a bunch of Luddites. Or have more interesting things to do with their lives than get involved with a time suck like FB.

Otherwise, it has been a lovely day.

A VD orgy

A shredding orgy, that is. I decided I did not need to keep all those old duplicate checks, especially the pre-divorce ones. Seeing my ex's name under mine was a bit of a shock. Ancient history.

Folk Alley is streaming a Nanci Griffith concert this weekend, if you are interested.

I'm on Facebook now, under my real name. So far, I have one friend - my daughter.

My VD gift from my SO this weekend is some quality alone time. When I start talking about moving to the country and building a geodesic dome, he knows it is time to give me some space. Thanks, hon, I needed that!

It's hell getting old

I didn't make it to the post office to get a passport because I slept in Saturday morning, and when I did get up, decided I did not feel like going anywhere. Plus I had one of those ice-pick-up-the-nose-and-behind-the-eye kind of headaches. The headache hung around all weekend, then was joined by a pinched nerve I acquired during yoga Sunday afternoon. And yesterday I developed a bladder infection. *sigh*

In the not so distant past, my bladder infections were run-of-the-mill: classic symptoms that could usually be flushed away by drinking gallons of water. Now they start out with a systemic reaction to the infection (exhaustion and maybe chills), and only later do some telltale symptoms appear. Meanwhile, I've missed the window of opportunity for successful water treatment and have to resort to antibiotics.

Two issues arise. One, I feel too sick to go to work, but because I don't have any real symptoms, I also feel like a malingerer. Two, I hate my doctor but I don't know how to "divorce" him.

Regarding the first issue, if The Powers That Be would provide me with a laptop instead of a desktop, I could dial in from home when I'm sick and at least respond to emails. I don't know what one has to do to qualify for a laptop, but it seems like almost everyone at work has one except me.

And as for the other issue, not liking my doctor means I'm not likely to make an appointment for minor ailments, which is a good thing. But sometimes I worry that I won't call him when I should. He is part of a large citywide practice with multiple locations, so if I moved to another part of town, they would change my doctor, no questions asked. But moving seems a bit drastic for what amounts to my own temerity.

Besides, I'm just a malingerer who doesn't deserve a doctor with rapport.

THAT didn't last long

My pledge to buy only essentials until March 1? FAIL. I had been keeping my eye on a storage thingy at Home Depot, waiting for it to go on sale, when Target put lots of storage thingies on sale. For the price of one Home Depot storage thingy I bought three Target storage thingies, but still. I was supposed to buy nothing. AND I no longer have an excuse to defer cleaning the garage.

One of my major complaints about working for an international company is I have never been offered the opportunity to travel internationally. Never mind that my passport is 35 years old. While I am breaking my buy-only-essentials rule, I might as well get a new passport. Maybe that will change my traveling luck.

And THEN I will buy only essentials until March 1. Or we could make it March 7, to make up for my transgressions.