Today I had snow tires installed on Luna, my wonderful little hatchback beauty. She likes them, so do I. What a difference! We're now ready to take on the rest of winter, which should be over some time in April.
I used the rest of my Christmas money to buy a nice pair of running shoes. I went with the Nike LunarGlide+ - it is a nice light shoe with just enough cushioning for my pronating 50 year old footies.
I had my last Grande Peppermint Mocha of the season while I waited for the tires to be installed. Did you know that they taste different after December 25th? I can't quite articulate it, but there is just something less appealing about my favourite overpriced holiday beverage after The Big Day. Next year...
That was my day. Tomorrow's another one...office work to catch up on and then the usual ritual New Year's Eve viewing of comedian Ron James' show at 9:00 pm, and trying to stay awake until midnight. Yup. That's pretty much how we celebrate the new year here in Chez Oz. In our jammies and robes in front of the tv set.
The fun never ends around here!
Pillar set up his telescope today. I'll try to get pictures of it in the next few days. It's highly cool.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Unhappy kitteh
Poor Mr. Man Ouzo had to go back for another try at the glucose curve this morning. This time he had to be fasting, so we had to put all the food up for the night. He will sometimes have a wee bit of crunchy stuff during the night, though not much these days as the mushy stuff fills him up well.
He hates the car. Hates it. I feel awful every time I have to take him over to the clinic. They are very good to him once we get there, but those drives are getting harder every time.
He does seem to be doing a bit better on the increased dose of insulin. Much less litter usage in the past week or so. I guess we'll find out today if this is the right dose.
Update: Mr. Man is home and not very happy. Truffle did her hissing thing until we caught her and did the "brushing them both with the same brush" thing - that works really well. Tends to make the tough girl Truffle mighty humble.... Anyway, he doesn't have to go back for awhile. We will do his next glucose curve on our own ten days from now using Pillar's glucometer and email the results to the vet. Until then, he will be very happy not so see the inside of hte car!
He hates the car. Hates it. I feel awful every time I have to take him over to the clinic. They are very good to him once we get there, but those drives are getting harder every time.
He does seem to be doing a bit better on the increased dose of insulin. Much less litter usage in the past week or so. I guess we'll find out today if this is the right dose.
Update: Mr. Man is home and not very happy. Truffle did her hissing thing until we caught her and did the "brushing them both with the same brush" thing - that works really well. Tends to make the tough girl Truffle mighty humble.... Anyway, he doesn't have to go back for awhile. We will do his next glucose curve on our own ten days from now using Pillar's glucometer and email the results to the vet. Until then, he will be very happy not so see the inside of hte car!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Snowy Christmas, the Sequel
Yup, still snowing on this lovely Christmas Day in Chez Oz. Here are a few pics of the day. First, the cats with their favourite Christmas bandanas on. They like them a lot. You can tell by the photos.
Ouzo found the best gift of all - a cardboard box.
When he woke up he played with Gumby and Pokey for awhile....he likes Pokey the best.
That is not a blanket that Truffle is sleeping on. It is my new purple robe. This could be problematic...
Happy Christmas Day everyone!
Ouzo found the best gift of all - a cardboard box.
When he woke up he played with Gumby and Pokey for awhile....he likes Pokey the best.
That is not a blanket that Truffle is sleeping on. It is my new purple robe. This could be problematic...
Happy Christmas Day everyone!
Snowy Christmas
Perhaps because of the snow, Santa got a head start and brought Pillar his Christmas gift early. Clearly Truffle has already claimed it. It's one of those chairs that has a remote control that can fling you out so you smack the far wall if you're not careful. Actually, it's very cool. It tilts all the way back in a So-Comfy-You-Must-Nap sort of way. When you want out of it, it tilts forward to an almost standing position. It's awesome and a very generous gift from his parents.
These are a few pics of our snowy Christmas Eve:
These are a few pics of our snowy Christmas Eve:
Thursday, December 24, 2009
changes
After my last taste-free post, I feel like I need to say something more appropriate for the day.
Things change. We all know that. Everything that lives evolves over time. Even the non-breathing inanimate things around us change over time. Water washes over rock so many times that the rock becomes smooth. Trees are burned by nature's lightning fury and new trees are born out of the ashes. Things change.
I've never been one to be very fearful of change, but I know a lot of people who are, and I respect that. Another given part of human nature is that we are all different and have different hopes, dreams, joys, fears and sorrows.
Tonight we celebrate an event that changed everything - for all time.
Whether you ascribe to the Christian faith or not, the birth of the person who came to be known as Jesus of Nazareth, the Anointed One, the Chosen One, the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor - his birth and his life changed human history in a profound way.
Tonight we celebrate that birth again - not because Jesus the baby himself will be born again - but because each of us will experience the birth again. (I actually know someone who is in labour as we speak - she will ACTUALLY give birth today). The rest of us will feel the labour of all of life's challenges and hurts. All the struggles of the human condition - poverty, oppression, war, injustice and more....
...and then, at some point (perhaps it's happened for you already today), a silence will hover over you that seems to blanket the whole planet. Since my teen years, that silence has been my Christmas - that moment when the birth of Hope within my soul bursts forth despite all of the watery, bloody mess of birthing itself. The labour is done, and all there is in my mind, body and soul is a little baby boy that God has rested on my heart for me to hold and cherish.
That moment used to come alive for me after our late 11:00 pm service. This year we don't have one. The attendance last year really indicated that the late service had run its course, and that's okay.
That unique and utter silence used to happen after I locked up the church at midnight. This year? It just might happen four hours earlier.
But it will happen. Because he is born again this night, the Light of the World.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Things change. We all know that. Everything that lives evolves over time. Even the non-breathing inanimate things around us change over time. Water washes over rock so many times that the rock becomes smooth. Trees are burned by nature's lightning fury and new trees are born out of the ashes. Things change.
I've never been one to be very fearful of change, but I know a lot of people who are, and I respect that. Another given part of human nature is that we are all different and have different hopes, dreams, joys, fears and sorrows.
Tonight we celebrate an event that changed everything - for all time.
Whether you ascribe to the Christian faith or not, the birth of the person who came to be known as Jesus of Nazareth, the Anointed One, the Chosen One, the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor - his birth and his life changed human history in a profound way.
Tonight we celebrate that birth again - not because Jesus the baby himself will be born again - but because each of us will experience the birth again. (I actually know someone who is in labour as we speak - she will ACTUALLY give birth today). The rest of us will feel the labour of all of life's challenges and hurts. All the struggles of the human condition - poverty, oppression, war, injustice and more....
...and then, at some point (perhaps it's happened for you already today), a silence will hover over you that seems to blanket the whole planet. Since my teen years, that silence has been my Christmas - that moment when the birth of Hope within my soul bursts forth despite all of the watery, bloody mess of birthing itself. The labour is done, and all there is in my mind, body and soul is a little baby boy that God has rested on my heart for me to hold and cherish.
That moment used to come alive for me after our late 11:00 pm service. This year we don't have one. The attendance last year really indicated that the late service had run its course, and that's okay.
That unique and utter silence used to happen after I locked up the church at midnight. This year? It just might happen four hours earlier.
But it will happen. Because he is born again this night, the Light of the World.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
The beard....the jingly bells...
Yes, I know. This is in really poor taste for Christmas Eve, but admit it, you laughed when Jack cried at the end....
Poor Jack - on the naughty list. Tsk. Tsk.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Merry Christmas everyone
Tomorrow promises to be a full and eventful day, so I thought I would beat the rush and wish one and all a joyous and blessed Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
We are expecting a few days of light beautiful Christmas-Eve-in-the-movies weather - just enough snow to make it look pretty outside but not too hazardous on the roads. Perfect.
God bless us, everyone!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Santa came early for good kittehs....
We bought new kitteh furniture today for Christmas. Mr. Man fits quite nicely into the "cave" part at the bottom.
Why yes, it IS bigger than the Christmas tree. Why do you ask?
They both seem to like it a lot. There's a little feather toy hanging from the middle level. We think it might last until morning - maybe.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Well, that wasn't SO bad
So I went for my "diabetic cat training" at the clinic. I know my way around a needle pretty well. I had to learn how to administer insulin for Pillar should he be unable to do so (hasn't happened). Also, my first career involved taking blood samples, which I know is different from giving meds, but it doesn't hurt to know that "feel" in the needle when you've put it through skin (it almost pops, but not really, it just feels different and you know you're under the skin).
So the tech at the clinic loved me. I'm guessing that most of the people she has to train are hysterical about having a diabetic cat and having to put their hands on an actual needle. The relief in her eyes when I did the trial run with saline was unbelievable. I do think she wanted to hug me.
About an hour ago, we gave Ouzo his first dose of insulin. I found the right spot and gave him the injection. He didn't even move.
As soon as we were done, we headed to the kitchen for his brand new mushy food especially for diabetic cats. Apparently it's better for them to have wet food because kibble has too many carbs. I spooned out the revolting suggested serving (that food smells bleh, but if it will help him to get better, okay) and he gobbled it down in minutes. He loves it!
Maybe this isn't going to be so awful after all.
So the tech at the clinic loved me. I'm guessing that most of the people she has to train are hysterical about having a diabetic cat and having to put their hands on an actual needle. The relief in her eyes when I did the trial run with saline was unbelievable. I do think she wanted to hug me.
About an hour ago, we gave Ouzo his first dose of insulin. I found the right spot and gave him the injection. He didn't even move.
As soon as we were done, we headed to the kitchen for his brand new mushy food especially for diabetic cats. Apparently it's better for them to have wet food because kibble has too many carbs. I spooned out the revolting suggested serving (that food smells bleh, but if it will help him to get better, okay) and he gobbled it down in minutes. He loves it!
Maybe this isn't going to be so awful after all.
Ouzo: Tough Call
We had another diabetic cat several years ago. Fluffy became very sick over the course of one weekend. From Friday night to Monday morning, he deteriorated in front of us. First thing Monday morning, we were at the vet to see what was wrong. We happen to get the only vet available in that time slot (she's since left town, tbtg). She did a few tests and said he was diabetic. She then went on to explain how we would have to inject him every day and bring in to the clinic twice a week for testing.
I looked at her and said, "He's 14 years old, never been sick a day in his life, he is terrified of the car and of this place. We are not going to stick him with needles at his age. It's just not the right thing for us to do." I'll add that this was about five months after Pillar had been diagnosed with diabetes. We were still figuring out how to live with his HUMAN diabetes.
Fluffy was an elder gentleman cat and we loved him fiercely. He had led a charmed and extremely spoiled cat life. But it was his time.
That vet pulled every guilt trip in the book on us. However, when she left the room, the assistant said that if it were her cat, she would be thinking euthanasia as we were. Over the next few days, he became sicker and we made the impossible decision to let him go peacefully - and he did. As I held him, he just let go as (another) vet gave him the injection.
It was the right thing to do for him.
Today we found out that Ouzo has diabetes. Both Ouzo and I adore his vet. She's a cat lover and he practically leaps into her arms when she enters the exam room. I trust her. I did not trust that other woman who treated Fluffy.
This vet assured us that the subcutaneous area in the scruff of a cat's neck has very few nerve cells and that the injection of 2 units of insulin twice daily will have very little effect on him, pain-wise. In fact, she said the shot will be in him before he knows that it's happening. She said his overall health will improve very quickly.
The harder part will be adjusting him to new diabetic food.
The difference between Fluffy and Ouzo is simple. Fluffy had lived out his years and was ready to go. If we had done the whole Injection/Testing thing with him it would have been to avoid our own grief at losing him - it would not have been for him.
With Ouzo it's different. He's only 8 and has some good years left in him. Even in the past few weeks while he's been peeing lots and losing weight, he has still met me at the door every day when I came home from work. He was playing with his toys yesterday and scratching on the cat tree regularly. He was being his typical self, cuddling with Pillar to watch Italian soccer (don't ask me why our cat only watches Italian soccer, we don't understand either). In every way he is still his old self. He just needs some glucose adjustment.
Fluffy had lost that shine in his eyes, Ouzo has not.
It's still a tough call. If he is what the vet calls an "easy" diabetic, that will be great. If he's very difficult to manage in terms of regulating his glucose levels, he will indeed become more sick and then we will need to re-visit the worst case scenario.
Until then, we now have two diabetics in the family. I'll go back this afternoon to pick up Ouzo from the clinic and get all my instructions. Thankfully neither Pillar nor I are uneasy about needles or blood testing. We can test him at home and email the results to the vet so that he doesn't have to go in the much-hated car too often.
I feel so badly for our little man. But still, there's a huge difference between this situation and Fluffy's. We're doing this so that Ouzo can have a good quality of life for the time he has left. Is it possible to "know" what a cat wants? Fluffy's eyes told me everything. He was ready - he was tired and ready to go to heaven (and yes, there are pets in the Great Somewhere Else. If there are no pets there, I don't want to go either).
Ouzo's eyes still have the glimmer of light that says the kitten in him is still alive and well and he's not done with favourite mousie toy yet.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Why I Love Canada #1764
After dinner conversation at Chez Oz:
Me (from kitchen): "She still up?"
Pillar (from living room): "One up, with, coming home."
Me: "Aw right!!!"
Translation for those who need it:
Me: "Is our local women's curling team still ahead in their game?"
Pillar: Yes, she's up by one point, has the last rock (aka "the hammer"), in the final end."
Me: "Aw right!"
I rest my case.
I love Canada.
Me (from kitchen): "She still up?"
Pillar (from living room): "One up, with, coming home."
Me: "Aw right!!!"
Translation for those who need it:
Me: "Is our local women's curling team still ahead in their game?"
Pillar: Yes, she's up by one point, has the last rock (aka "the hammer"), in the final end."
Me: "Aw right!"
I rest my case.
I love Canada.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Change the World
Love this song.
Change
lyrics by Carrie Underwood
What'cha gonna do with the 36 cents
Stick you with cork on your floorboard
When a woman on the street is huddle in the cold
On a sidewalk vent trying to keep warm
Do you call her over hand her the change
Ask her a story ask her her name
Or do you tell yourself
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
What'cha gonna do when you're watching t.v.
And an ad comes on
Yeah you know the kind
Flashin' up pictures of a child in need
For a dime a day you can save a life
Do you call the number reach out a hand
Or do you change the channel call it a scam
Or do you tell yourself
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
Don't listen to them when they say
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
Oh the smallest thing can make all the difference
Love is alive
Don't listen to 'em when they say
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
And the world's so big it can break your heart
And you just wanna help
Not sure where to start
So you close your eyes
And send up a prayer into the dark
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
Don't listen to them when they say
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
Oh the smallest thing can all the difference
Love is alive
Don't listen to them when they say
You're just a fool
Just a fool
To believe you can change the world
---
written by JOSH KEAR, KATRINA ELAM, CHRIS TOMPKINS
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, SONGS OF UNIVERSAL, INC OBO KREATIVE SONGS.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Good Workout at least...
So I woke up this morning with enough pain to notice, and headed off to the gym as planned.
GREAT workout. Equal run/walk intervals for 55 minutes on the treadmill, plus 10 minutes on the elliptical to warm up.
Then - off to the church to meet with the crowd of people who were coming to help decorate the church for the Advent season (we were at Other Church last week, so we didn't have to decorate until this week).
No people.
Just me. And the choir director, who no doubt had a gazillion other things she could have been doing.
~sigh~
If anyone knows the secret to getting church folks - really, really good people - to actually DO stuff, please please let me in on it. We announced it for weeks. Last Sunday I virtually BEGGED people to come and help today.
No one came. No one. Just two of the four paid staff at the church.
The place looks great. I SO appreciated having any help at all. I honestly wasn't sure it would be anyone but me.
But here's the deal - that tree stays where it is after Epiphany is over unless someone else takes all the decorations down. In other words, the same two people who did all the work to put it in place are NOT going to take it down. I don't care if the darn thing is still there on Good Friday - I am NOT taking that tree down.
It's a good thing I'm not bitter.
The headache, on the other hand, really loved the hard workout and has faded considerably. Yay!!!!
GREAT workout. Equal run/walk intervals for 55 minutes on the treadmill, plus 10 minutes on the elliptical to warm up.
Then - off to the church to meet with the crowd of people who were coming to help decorate the church for the Advent season (we were at Other Church last week, so we didn't have to decorate until this week).
No people.
Just me. And the choir director, who no doubt had a gazillion other things she could have been doing.
~sigh~
If anyone knows the secret to getting church folks - really, really good people - to actually DO stuff, please please let me in on it. We announced it for weeks. Last Sunday I virtually BEGGED people to come and help today.
No one came. No one. Just two of the four paid staff at the church.
The place looks great. I SO appreciated having any help at all. I honestly wasn't sure it would be anyone but me.
But here's the deal - that tree stays where it is after Epiphany is over unless someone else takes all the decorations down. In other words, the same two people who did all the work to put it in place are NOT going to take it down. I don't care if the darn thing is still there on Good Friday - I am NOT taking that tree down.
It's a good thing I'm not bitter.
The headache, on the other hand, really loved the hard workout and has faded considerably. Yay!!!!
Friday, December 04, 2009
This 'n That
* I managed to get a ton of things done today. Yay me. Or not so much.
* Went to the vet with my friend so I could cuddle with her new kittens. So! Cute! And they were such good babies ~ hardly squirmed at all when they got their needles. Oh my, the cuteness.....
* Made appointment for our big boy Ouzo to see the vet next Friday. He's not doing so well. Losing weight, peeing lots, drinking lots, losing his jumping ability because his back end is pretty wobbly (arthritis?). He's probably diabetic. We're really hoping we can manage that with pills or diet - I just don't think I could inject him with insulin. It's different with Pillar - he injects three times a day, but he knows WHY he has to do it. Poor little man Ouzo would just look at me with those beautiful eyes and wonder why mommy is sticking him with sharp things. I'm not looking forward to next Friday. At. All.
* Sermon. Done. It needs some touching up tomorrow night, but so far it's not worth jumping off a bridge for (to quote my favourite preacher Cheesehead). Perhaps Antonio or George will swoop in tomorrow night and fix it for me. Hey, it could happen!
* Christmas shopping. Done.
* Parcels mailed. Done.
* Headache. Doing. Me. In. This is a bad one. One eye closed because the screen is too bright. I had a feeling part way through my shopping frenzy that I had tipped the balance in the wrong direction and I was going to pay for my over-doing in pain. I was right.
* Bed. Now.
* Went to the vet with my friend so I could cuddle with her new kittens. So! Cute! And they were such good babies ~ hardly squirmed at all when they got their needles. Oh my, the cuteness.....
* Made appointment for our big boy Ouzo to see the vet next Friday. He's not doing so well. Losing weight, peeing lots, drinking lots, losing his jumping ability because his back end is pretty wobbly (arthritis?). He's probably diabetic. We're really hoping we can manage that with pills or diet - I just don't think I could inject him with insulin. It's different with Pillar - he injects three times a day, but he knows WHY he has to do it. Poor little man Ouzo would just look at me with those beautiful eyes and wonder why mommy is sticking him with sharp things. I'm not looking forward to next Friday. At. All.
* Sermon. Done. It needs some touching up tomorrow night, but so far it's not worth jumping off a bridge for (to quote my favourite preacher Cheesehead). Perhaps Antonio or George will swoop in tomorrow night and fix it for me. Hey, it could happen!
* Christmas shopping. Done.
* Parcels mailed. Done.
* Headache. Doing. Me. In. This is a bad one. One eye closed because the screen is too bright. I had a feeling part way through my shopping frenzy that I had tipped the balance in the wrong direction and I was going to pay for my over-doing in pain. I was right.
* Bed. Now.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
December
Diana has put out the invite for contributions to the December Headache Blog Carnival. I haven't been able to participate for awhile because my blog went underground (private -invite only) for a few months due to a pesky hacker. That was problematic when I wanted to contribute to either the Headache Carnival or the weekly Friday Five with my peeps on the RevGal&Pal site. So here I am - back in business.
No doubt aware of the diversity of the Headache crew, Diana has given us free reign on the December topic. I hardly know where to begin, so I'll start with everything I'm thankful for first...
I am thankful this December for:
* all of the Decembers I've had in my life that did NOT include chronic pain. I was blessed to be pain-free throughout all of those wonderful Christmases with our family when our boys and their cousins were young and fully engaged in the magic that is Christmas. My heart goes out to friends who suffer chronic pain and work so hard not to let it affect their small children. It must be so very difficult.
* Pillar. I haven't had a Christmas without him since I was (I think) fifteen. We didn't start dating until we were sixteen, but I knew him for awhile when he first moved to town and he has been a part of every Christmas since. Dude ALWAYS out-gifts me. Every. Single. Year. I come home with what I think is the perfect gift for him thinking smugly that this is the year I'll out-do him. But he always manages to find the one thing I never would have thought of owning. Ever. Of course, every year when I ask him what he wants, the answer is the same "Nothing. I have everything I need right here." Sweet? Yes. Helpful? No.
* Da Boyz. They are my heart. I am so thankful for and proud of our guys and even more thankful that a bit of my DNA and a lot of Trial and Error Parenting made them into the fine young men that they are. Of course it doesn't hurt that the other half of them is the sweet guy mentioned above....
* Teh kittehs.....of course.
Meanwhile, back at the Carnival...
How will I get through December with Pain and its usual suspects of Nausea, Photophobia and General Feelings of Bleh?
* Exercise. Even when it becomes increasingly busy during the month, I need to keep up my gym schedule. It definitely helps with my energy level, which in turn helps me cope with any pain I might experience. I'm also increasingly appreciating the "pain exchange" part of a hard workout. I know how bizarre it sounds, but it really is better to have sore calves for a few hours than to have to think about the hot ice-pick in my right temple. Even a brief reprieve is appreciated.
* Pace. For anyone not involved in the church, this may not make much sense, but Advent and Christmas are like a horse race. On Advent 1, we clergy types are let out of the gates, and we are off and running. Like any other kind of running, if you start off at too quick a pace, you won't be able to sustain it for long. There is a whole month to get through. My plan is to take it a day at a time, do whatever I can do, whenever I am able to do it within the framework of my full time status, and forgive myself for the things I simply cannot get done. (Anyone who has known me for any length of time - you may now pick your jaw up off of the floor - yes, the therapy worked).
* Focus. When a person is experiencing pain, for example, the kind of pain that makes you wince when the lights are switched on - it is REALLY difficult to focus the mind on whatever task may be at hand. I find personally that my ability to stay on task is severely diminished once my pain level reaches that 8/10 or greater stage. Thankfully, that doesn't happen to me very often anymore. For me, the important thing is to stay as focused on what I'm working on while I feel generally okay (which for me is anywhere from 3/10 to 6/10) so that if a doozy hits and I'm laid low with nausea and the need of a dark room, I won't be fretting about everything I should be doing. In other words, I try to use the "make hay while the sun shines" theory for the entire month of December. It brings more balance to my life and proves once and for all that I would make a lousy farmer.
* Laugh. I saved the most important tip for the end. Last year when I met with a professional recreationist, she asked me "So, what do you do for fun?" I just stared at her. I honestly could not remember. It had been almost four years since I could go out anywhere after work, especially to a bright noisy place like movie theater or concert. I couldn't come up with a single tangible "fun" thing that I remembered doing pre-2005 (aka pre-headache), though I'm sure there must have been some fun in there somewhere. On the other hand, before that point I was also exercising my compulsive tendency towards overwork and exhaustion, so it could just be that since my ordination I haven't really had much fun. That makes me kind of sad, actually. The clear "fun" exception, however, is the annual Festival of Homies - FUN!
This Christmas, I plan to laugh more, relax more, spend more time living in the moment and less time in that ominous "what comes next?" mode that tends to haunt the season like the Ghost of Christmas Next Sunday.
It's a plan. And it might even work.
No doubt aware of the diversity of the Headache crew, Diana has given us free reign on the December topic. I hardly know where to begin, so I'll start with everything I'm thankful for first...
I am thankful this December for:
* all of the Decembers I've had in my life that did NOT include chronic pain. I was blessed to be pain-free throughout all of those wonderful Christmases with our family when our boys and their cousins were young and fully engaged in the magic that is Christmas. My heart goes out to friends who suffer chronic pain and work so hard not to let it affect their small children. It must be so very difficult.
* Pillar. I haven't had a Christmas without him since I was (I think) fifteen. We didn't start dating until we were sixteen, but I knew him for awhile when he first moved to town and he has been a part of every Christmas since. Dude ALWAYS out-gifts me. Every. Single. Year. I come home with what I think is the perfect gift for him thinking smugly that this is the year I'll out-do him. But he always manages to find the one thing I never would have thought of owning. Ever. Of course, every year when I ask him what he wants, the answer is the same "Nothing. I have everything I need right here." Sweet? Yes. Helpful? No.
* Da Boyz. They are my heart. I am so thankful for and proud of our guys and even more thankful that a bit of my DNA and a lot of Trial and Error Parenting made them into the fine young men that they are. Of course it doesn't hurt that the other half of them is the sweet guy mentioned above....
* Teh kittehs.....of course.
Meanwhile, back at the Carnival...
How will I get through December with Pain and its usual suspects of Nausea, Photophobia and General Feelings of Bleh?
* Exercise. Even when it becomes increasingly busy during the month, I need to keep up my gym schedule. It definitely helps with my energy level, which in turn helps me cope with any pain I might experience. I'm also increasingly appreciating the "pain exchange" part of a hard workout. I know how bizarre it sounds, but it really is better to have sore calves for a few hours than to have to think about the hot ice-pick in my right temple. Even a brief reprieve is appreciated.
* Pace. For anyone not involved in the church, this may not make much sense, but Advent and Christmas are like a horse race. On Advent 1, we clergy types are let out of the gates, and we are off and running. Like any other kind of running, if you start off at too quick a pace, you won't be able to sustain it for long. There is a whole month to get through. My plan is to take it a day at a time, do whatever I can do, whenever I am able to do it within the framework of my full time status, and forgive myself for the things I simply cannot get done. (Anyone who has known me for any length of time - you may now pick your jaw up off of the floor - yes, the therapy worked).
* Focus. When a person is experiencing pain, for example, the kind of pain that makes you wince when the lights are switched on - it is REALLY difficult to focus the mind on whatever task may be at hand. I find personally that my ability to stay on task is severely diminished once my pain level reaches that 8/10 or greater stage. Thankfully, that doesn't happen to me very often anymore. For me, the important thing is to stay as focused on what I'm working on while I feel generally okay (which for me is anywhere from 3/10 to 6/10) so that if a doozy hits and I'm laid low with nausea and the need of a dark room, I won't be fretting about everything I should be doing. In other words, I try to use the "make hay while the sun shines" theory for the entire month of December. It brings more balance to my life and proves once and for all that I would make a lousy farmer.
* Laugh. I saved the most important tip for the end. Last year when I met with a professional recreationist, she asked me "So, what do you do for fun?" I just stared at her. I honestly could not remember. It had been almost four years since I could go out anywhere after work, especially to a bright noisy place like movie theater or concert. I couldn't come up with a single tangible "fun" thing that I remembered doing pre-2005 (aka pre-headache), though I'm sure there must have been some fun in there somewhere. On the other hand, before that point I was also exercising my compulsive tendency towards overwork and exhaustion, so it could just be that since my ordination I haven't really had much fun. That makes me kind of sad, actually. The clear "fun" exception, however, is the annual Festival of Homies - FUN!
This Christmas, I plan to laugh more, relax more, spend more time living in the moment and less time in that ominous "what comes next?" mode that tends to haunt the season like the Ghost of Christmas Next Sunday.
It's a plan. And it might even work.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Nothing special
Just another day in the life....
Buried one of the founding matriarchs of the church today. Lovely family. Sat at the luncheon with former LCotC folks who waxed eloquent about the days "when the church was really the church" - whatever that means.
Awwwkwaard.
Back to the church for awhile this afternoon, and when I had done enough, I hit the gym.
Running Intervals today: 2 minute run (6.0 mph), 3 minute walk (4.0 mph) for a total of 45 minutes, with a 5 minute cool down. 15 minutes on the elliptical, then home.
Just another day.
Buried one of the founding matriarchs of the church today. Lovely family. Sat at the luncheon with former LCotC folks who waxed eloquent about the days "when the church was really the church" - whatever that means.
Awwwkwaard.
Back to the church for awhile this afternoon, and when I had done enough, I hit the gym.
Running Intervals today: 2 minute run (6.0 mph), 3 minute walk (4.0 mph) for a total of 45 minutes, with a 5 minute cool down. 15 minutes on the elliptical, then home.
Just another day.
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