Medical Ramblings

This is an update on the whatnot's of my health. If you are one that didn't enjoy reading the medical - stop reading! The rest of us will wait while you leave.. . . Go already!

Let's start with the super news. I am finally back in therapeutic window after three weeks. (Sept 17th) The problem with drug therapy is getting the right dose that is not too much or too little. It is hard to get the tweak just right and keep it there! When I started this post (Sept. 17th) I was "in window". Since then it has been a back and forth battle. We up the dose then back off and up and. . . . you get the idea. At last weekly check (Thursday) I was way out of "window" but hope to have better news Monday evening. I have to go in at least once a week.

As for Monday's appointment. It didn't not go well. I am still out of window! It is dangerous given my condition. I can over clot on top of my surface clot and go deep vein again. Last time the vein valve to the deep vein got stuck open. That is some sludgy blood.

I had to double my dose for Monday as well as give myself two more shots in the belly. Really? I have to come early again tomorrow (Wed) before my shift and have my blood checked again. If I'm not in window then I will have to do a 4-6 day round of belly shots. Besides the ick factor it is uber expensive. Send me your extra good vibes, Please. Want a lame way to die. Not very Diva-like.

Crazy about Pucca!

Not long after breaking up with Big Man" a friend gave me a journal. He knew how confused I was and a bit (understatement of the year) lost. I really didn't have adult dating experience. I also thought I would not have
to worry about dating
again. My friend told me I should write the break-up Journal" for others so they could try to keep their cool at the ending of a relationship. He could see how hard I was trying to understand what was happening to me and find my way. Honestly I felt like a nuclear bomb had gone off and I was standing in the middle of ground zero. It did help me to write. I finished that journal and wanted to get another to write what I felt I couldn't tell others like Deeg. He probably saved me live. What has this all got to do with Pucca you ask?

I was at Lloyd Center with a friend when I found this fun little store. They had items of Hello Kitty and others. I was browsing the journal and found the cutest Korean anime character named Pucca. The journal cover was perfect! Pucca busting past (after punching) her boyfriend Garu and his annoying black cat (similar to an annoying little black dog) That was when I knew Pucca was awesome. It turns out we have a lot of things in common. She is a bit kadywampus like me.

I have been back to the cute store many times since as well as finding things on the internet. I even got 2 adorable watches on e-bay!

Urban Hike sites

Here is some more of our urban hike. We really had a fun time taking mostly very abstract pictures. The first one is some graffiti that got close up on. It is on a cement building but Deeg thought it looked like it was on glass. Here is Deeg trying to take a picture of the light through a glass brick. Lastly is an old Fiat parking in front of my gargoyle.

Urban Hike

Deeg and I went on an Urban hike yesterday on our hunt for fall color. We didn't find much fall color yet but we each got many cool shots that the other was impressed with. I wish I could post this larger than it is. The texture I got in this shot makes you feel the rough of the stone. The added bonus is in the shot itself. A hint is in the name. I call it "Make a Wish." The other cool thing is the piece in the photo is less than a foot tall and six inches wide. I like how it looks so big and substantial.This is one of many favorites. Carly and Deeg have both told me I should try to get some of my pieces shown. Nice complement, guys.

My Pretty Lamps! or Pay Day and weekend pt III/IIII?

This is the way my pretty lamp looked when I got home from Carly's. I took a photo before dismantling it again. We were slightly puzzled when it came time to put it back together after painting. The parts really needed to dry more so apart they went.
























The glass is very heavy and sparkly. I put most of the pieces through the dishwasher to spiff them up. The third photo is "My Pretty" in it's new home (on my desk) wearing my Tiara. The last one is the Tiffany style lamp I found while looking for a lamp base for my shade. Wait, I'm getting ahead of the story.

Deeg called sometime in the night to say he got called in on all of his Day's off starting now! He wasn't expecting to go into work (duh!) so he was up late. Bummer. He didn't think we would meet up after work since he would be (was) beat but he would let me know. I could not believe this was happening a second day in a row! I wanted my lamp I had waited so long for so I went to ACE Hardware. I didn't have the full plan but I would get what was needed to wire it and see.

I really like to poke around hardware stores. I'm not sure what it is about tools and whatnot but I like to browse. It does not matter what I'm there for I make the rounds before getting down to it. Once I had spent a good twenty minutes looking around I got down to business. I had my lamp with me so I was sure to get the right parts. Before I really had a chance to look for my lamp kit a nice guy asked me if I needed help. I asked where the lighting section was. He asked me why so as to point me in the right direction. I showed him my lamp and said I needed the kit. He told me I didn't need a kit since it comes with a lot of extra stuff I probably don't need. He then launched into "all I needed" and how easy it was to do. This seemed like a challenge so I reviewed the steps as we gathered what was needed for the project. He assured me I could do it. He said come back or call if I needed any help. Alrighty then.

It was not quite as easy as he said it would especially not knowing a few little tricks he failed to mention. In his defense he wasn't going through it that thoroughly in his head as what he told me. The thing is I did it. I wired a lamp - correctly! I took it back the next day to show him. I'm very pleased with myself. No Deeg needed.

That left my day free, again.

Pay Day and a Weekend pt II or part III if you count the quazi pt II that was part of the story but not really a continuation of where I left off.

Once we had my lamp paid for we headed out to my car. Across the street from Hippo is a boutique Hotel called "the Chesterfield". The outside is painted a wonderful red. All along the building are attachments that look like big art canvases. I wanted to get more (better) pictures but my little artist was starving and wanting her old school Canton. I want to go back and get some more interesting photos.

As I said in the quazi post we had a great lunch. When we were done it was time to head to the artists pad and see the latest work of art she is making for me. She took the "not so privacy screening" screen and a Ikea poster of the Eiffel Tower being built I had and she is turning it into an Art Neuveau (Art Deco refers generally to the decorative arts of the 1920s and 1930s in Europe and America. The style derived its name from the Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in 1928. With an emphasis centered around individuality and ornate workmanship, the movement rebelled against the contemporary doctrines of the Bauhaus and the prototypes for machine production which were the ideals behind the Deutscher Werkbund. Art Deco, known for its streamlined style, was hailed as the ultimate in modernity during the 1930s. It drew inspiration from eclectic sources including Art Nouveau, Cubism, and fashion design. The style reached its greatest heights (literally) in New York's Chrysler Building (1928-1930) and in the drawings of Erté, who has since become known as the 'father of Art Deco.')
piece for us.

When we got to Carly's she asked if I liked the brass parts of the lamp. I said to her she should know I'm a copper girl since she was painting in copper paint on the screen to look like the metal work of the time. She suggested we should spray the metal pieces now before it gets wired. She has a great spray paint that is copper color and leaves a slight texture that makes it appear like hammered copper. Very cool.

While the paint was drying (rather than watching it) I tried to sneak some of her finished paintings out to my car. I didn't get very far. She has a really nice style. Soon as she gets her new site up and running I will post the link. She is going to be a name in the art world some day. Buy now while you can afford! She has at least four I really want! (sorry mom)

Deeg was coming over Sunday so I called him to ask if he knew how to wire a lamp. He said he did so we were going to start our fun Sunday morning at ACE Hardware in my hood to get supplies. We had to work to do on my computer and printer to get some things streamlined for transfering photos from my memory card of my camera. I also want to be able to scan old family photos I no longer have the negitives to.

I had such a pleasant non-pressure day. I even had enough leftovers to make an awesome dinner. I got home around seven-thirty. Yup, I missed derby. No worries.

Fortunes are Wise (and art) Quazi pt II of Pay Day and Weekend post

Carly and I went to lunch at "Canton Grill" She lives out that way but had never been there. She loves "Ling Garden" for the old school goodness so I knew she would flip for Canton. I was right. We had a lot of fun hearing weird snippets of conversations and generally being goofy. An example of a conversation was from a young Goth couple sitting in the booth behind me. Carly had gone to the bathroom before we ordered. I knew what I wanted since Ling does not serve it. The guy said "Like I said - next time we should cover the room in Glow Sticks and turn out all the lights." She made a noise and replied "how is that better than flashlights?" He thought Glow Sticks were more romantic(?)

I thought our fortunes were a hoot. We actually spent a good 7 to 10 minutes trying to get a good photo of our fortunes on both of our cell phones as well as my camera. This was the best we could do. Believe me - we tried! My fortune was "The evening promises romantic interest" Hers was the bottom one that says "Be prepared to receive something special with no strings attached"

Please help an artist out. Save all of your fortunes from cookies and give them to me. E-mail me if you need my mailing address. Carly has an idea for an art project.

Thanks, Diva

Pay Day and a Weekend, Woo Hoo! pt I

I had a great time this past weekend even though I started on Friday with a stomach flu. I got the bug from a pharmacists. She thought she had food poisoning. I was okay but tired when my alarm when off Friday morning but once I ate just before I left the apartment my stomach was on fire. I had no idea why it hurt but didn't think I needed to stay home. I was feeling wonky at work but once I had to start walking the hospital for delivery I knew I was done. I made it to 8am before I had to leave. I got home and slept from 9am to 2pm. I woke up feeling awesome! Good thing since I had an appointment with Hard Knox for adding color (to my awesome red and previous cut) at 4pm.

Jenna (Hard Knox) really knows hair. I have been looking for someone I can trust with my hair since Julie moved over four years ago! Jenna really listens to want you want then translates if what you want is possible. I have not "Styled" my hair in a long time because I didn't trust the many I tried. With HK I tell her my wants and she delivers! I even let her choose the shorter cut from a few months ago. I really wanted more funk so we went even shorter and added Auburn and Strawberry Blond highlights. I didn't see the vision she did on the color but I trusted her and gave her free rein. I have not gotten so many complements on my hair cut or color in a long time. Thank you Jenna!

I figured after Hard Knox I only had one chance to head for Ikea (as I had planned) to get essentials like energy efficient light bulbs, batteries and the usual chocolate, Swedish fish and Lingonberry syrup. I had plans with several different people all weekend and wasn't going to be able to go otherwise. I kept on thinking my plans I made were true - not to be canceled. It's odd to have several plans with different folks throughout the weekend fall through. It all turned out nice and fun in the end for me.

Carly and I had planned to go to a re-builder's warehouse after my morning appt on Saturday. Neither of us had need for anything but wanted to dig around looking for treasure. First thing (before I got up at 9:30) my morning appointment had to cancel. I was going to have a massage at home to help with stubborn neck muscles. Doc Bones has tried to get things aligned but the neck muscles wont give over! He suggested sports massage to relax them. Kimmie twisted her knee at work and had to cancel. Disappointed but looking forward to digging through stuff I e-mailed Carly. She is a night owl (being a tortured artist and all) so I let her know I was free much earlier. I heard back at 11 that her boyfriend had excepted an invite to play Ultimate Frisbee in Eugene. Would late day or Sunday work for me? I e-mailed back that I had Sunday plans with Deeg. She e-mailed back saying she would call if things changed or she was going to make it back early. At 12:30 she called me from Laurelhurst Park (sans car boyfriend and dog in tow) to tell me her friends canceled. We were back on but she wanted to meet at Hippo as she had never been. Cool.

Twenty five minutes later we met up inside Hippo. She liked some of the stuff available there. Her boyfriend just bought an older home so they may haunt Hippo this winter as they get some projects under way. I love looking at all the possibilities of projects I could do. I have tons of ideas for making furniture and art out of stuff like windows. My biggest excitement of the visit was finally finding a lamp to go with a Tiffany style lamp shade I have. Carly saw it too knowing my search. My lamp died two years ago and was not re-wire able. I like the shade and the small size of it. I have carried it in my car for over a year looking for another lamp for it to live on. I have even taken it in stores trying it out on different lamps. The catch of my find was no wires. We looked it over and even took it a part examining the possibility. Carly said the cut glass alone was worth $20 or more. I took a leap of faith and purchased it for $15. Neither of us knows how to wire a lamp but how hard could it be?

Jenna's Artwork

You cant see the wonderful highlights but Jenna had fun taking these photos. The last one she said "Show me the Lion". What a goofball.

Changes happening - Blog under Construction

I am going through older posts and trying to fix them. The HTML was bitchy in 2004. I'm taking the posts into Windows and cleaning them up. It takes about 20 minutes a post. It seems a silly thing to do but it has bugged me for a long time! If I try to make changes in Blogger it wont change. :/ I cant do this at work where I have time since the Windows on my computer at "the window" is messed up. It will be a slow process but I will enjoy it.

I also re-arranged my side bar quotes. I will be adding more favorites now and in the future so check that on your visits. I added where I got the quotes from since people were asking.

the Year of Marta

Courage Perseverance Commitment

Gone with the Books

I have really been enjoying the book I got at the library. "Rhett Butler's People"by Donald McCaig. Has other books about Civil War he has written. I may check them out as well. I highly recommend this book! The story is fictional but he adds historical facts and events to make it more life like. He also weaves the original story (MM's GwtW) and key events in his story. It is a stand alone book but if you are a "Gone with the Wind" fan it almost makes it seem like part of a series. I never read the novel by Margaret Mitchell but "Gone with the Wind" is one of my favorite movies. I think my mom owns the book so maybe I will read it. You cant have dated me without seeing this movie. Seriously.

I have another book in the same vein that was written by Alexandra Ripley called "Scarlett" the sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind". It carries on the story where Margaret Mitchell left off. The book flap says "Alexandra Ripley, the writer chosen by the Margaret Mitchell estate to write this sequel." She has written several other books about the south. I really enjoyed how the characters evolved. I believe they recently made a movie of this book. To me the actors that played Rhett (Clark Gable) and Scarlett Vivian Leigh) in "Gone with the Wind" are them. I probably wont see it.

Gone with the Wind has been called the "Greatest love story ever". I think I would say a typical love story. Great love and misunderstanding/lack of communication that kills their all consuming love. In the end you still are in some way in love with that person you just cant be with them. One woman's opinion.

OctoberFest Mt. Angel Style

As some of you know I name all the photos I take. I was recently told this was weird. I name them by the feeling I get looking at them, the color maybe what the photo says to me. Anyway, These are of course named. The first one is "Die Fruchtsaule " which means the harvest monument. It is a sign of a bountiful harvest and of the goodness of Creation. The Monument is typically in the center of the festival and good place to meet up friends.






The next is called "Impatient Feet" The girls were ready to do the opening dance but one of the news stations wanted them to wait so they could broadcast live with the girls in the back. The news crew did their 30 second shot then packed up and left before the second dance!I thought that quite rude after stalling the opening for 15 minutes.



Third photo is called "Waiting to weave". The Maypole dance is a folk dance done throughout early Europe. Traditionally done in the spring for the May Day Festival. The Swedes save the fun for their Mid - Summer Festivities. In Germany, there’s a different maypole tradition. "The young men of a village treat maypoles as totems to be defended, and different villages strive to steal each others’ poles. If a young man has a sweetheart, he might erect a small maypole in front of her bedroom window. I’m not sure if Freud ever commented on that tradition, but I wouldn’t be surprised." The dance costumes try to evoke the notion of faeries, elves, and wood nymphs. That leaves the door open for a lot of creativity. Most I saw at October Fest were similarly patterned. More on the Festivial


My last photo is called "Music Please" This woman seemed to be very relaxed but in charge. The kids had waited sooo long and really wanted to get going. They had practiced for many months and fussed with costumes. They were probably wanting to hang with their friends and eat!


As for the Fest itself we had a lot of fun. Danny was a few days away from his trip to Europe and basically living with us. Wil made some CD's for our traveling pleasure for our trip down to Mt. Angel. Dennis Leary's comedy and singing, "Iron Maiden" and one other we never even got to. Danny had never been to the Fest but was eager for the taste of Germany before going there.


We lucked out on a parking spot. We were down two blocks from last years early-before-the-crowds spot. I felt that a pleasant car ride down and good parking were a great start. We arrived around six and made a slow round of the place. The opening May Pole dance was not til 6:30. We missed it last year so I really wanted to see it this year. The dance was fine but the feeling of the community and the all the costumes are what bring me back. Well, the food too. I get that same feeling at the Edelweiss Deli. The boys were patient about watching the dance but then wanted to look around again. We browsed the craft booths and Danny bought a hat for his trip. It is able to pack flat and bounce back. It's also Teflon coated for rain I guess. It was nice and slightly German. There were less people this year as vendors and attendees. I'm not sure if the date kept people away.


Last year Wil and I were there early since I had to be to work early the next day. They let minors in the Beer Garden to sit with family and enjoy the music. Since we came much later there were no minors allowed. We stood outside a couple of times to listen to the music. The vendors we had enjoyed last year seemed absent so we opted to share a mixed platter at a restaurant. We had sampled sugared almonds, apple strudel, hot german potato salad and a sausage. The boys enjoyed fancy root beer served traditionally (no ice) and I tried the Spaten Optimator. I had never had it but will add it to the list of yummy.


We ended our night in Mt. Angel around 9:20ish. We stopped at Fred Meyer to get the last few ingredients for Wil's awesome inspired-by-Dave chili. Wil was glad we had a bit of cash this year. Last year there was a husband and wife chef team that made marinades. He really liked them and hoped (but didn't ask) we could get some this year.The name of the line they have is called Maurer's. They are really helpful with ideas. They give several recipies with purchace as well as on the web site. Both years Wil and the Gentleman got into cooking discussions. We got the "Jamaican Rub", "Hot Chickpigcow Sauce" and "Mighty Hot". The product is great and the folks are really nice. Support them. Wil is excited to experiment. He added the Jamaican Rub to the chili - Wow!

YoM

Entertain Me

A couple of weeks we chose to watch the movie "Shoot 'em Up" with Deeg. We wanted to watch a bad-good movie and boy did it fit the bill! If you turned this on expecting a big budget action movie you would have been pissed! Susu came in near the end and kept asking us "What the fuck are you watching?" I did like it for the sheer ridiculousness of it. The characters are likable and you get hooked waiting to see what will happen to this guy next. I do recommend this movie for a laughing good entertain - me time. The action is unbelievable but fun to watch. His leather jacket seems to be made of Teflon.

Another movie we saw a couple of months ago I really liked is called "Fido" It is a semi-comedy zombie flick. There is some blood because it is a zombie movie. It had a good story and was enjoyable to watch. I liked how they made it look like an old fifties film. We found it on On Demand. I think I would like to own this one.

Wil didn't think I would like "Knocked Up". We were looking through On Demand and he told me I probably would think it was too immature. That seemed like a challenge to me so I said I wanted to see it. I found it to be a good movie to watch. I liked the characters and the story line. It is a clumsy love story which makes it more realistic. It reminded me a bit of "Forty Year Old Virgin" though I'm not sure why besides the male lead.


"The Bucket List" was a good movie. Wil wasn't sure he wanted to see it but Deeg insisted. We all liked it a lot and did not expect some of the twists. I would recommend this movie for the beautiful story. It was a heart squeezer at times. I love Morgan Freeman so just because of him I would watch it. We watched it at an interesting time for me. It was the week after my ER visit. I was still at a critical time so the story made me think. I didn't make a bucket list but I did think of some loose ends I wanted to tie up - just in case. I did feel some regret for things I have not done or finished. It also made me feel that I if I was going to go I would go down swinging. For anyone that knows me - no shock there.

I have already commented on some movies I have seen in the theater recently but I will recall. I really loved "Sex in the City". If you are a fan of the series I highly recommend this movie. The story moved well and continued where the show left off. BTW it is coming out on video Sept. 23rd. There were a couple of things I didn't like the outcome of but if you have not seen it I wont spoil it for you.

"Mama Mia" was beautiful. I sang, I felt surges of joy and the pain of the sadness of the story. The music and story blended well toghter. I almost felt as if I was there and part of it. I have to own this movie! Meryl Streep bowled me over! She has great stage presence and is a hell of a singer! Mary didn't think Pierce Brosnan was the right choice for the male lead. My mom and I didn't agree with her. My mom's reason is she thinks he is hot. I think the chemistry was beliveable so I was satisfied. I was a little hesitant to see this with my mom. We saw "Moulin Rouge" together in the theater and she hated it. That movie hit home with me. It is an important movie to me and gives me strength to be me. Interestingly it is a re-make of a 1952 movie of the same name. John Huston wrote the screen play and directed it. I will have to check out the original.

I Look forward to winter where you dont want to go out so a movie is in order. Since our summer has finally arrived (late August?!?) I am out biking instead of sitting on my ass. Hopefully a hike, Deeg?

I want to ride my Bicycle; I want to ride it where I like

I went for a "sprint" ride yesterday. A sprint ride is a ride where I don't have much time but want a workout. It is amazing what you can get done in 30-40 minutes! I will ride hard knowing I am in my neighborhood zig zagging so that when my time is up I'm not far away from home. The streets are my gym. Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to ride on the streets. I am really trying not to like Doc asked. I pick times of day and side streets to be safer. I just think it's silly to strap your bike to your car and drive somewhere in order to exercise! I have my bike rack to take my bike with me out-of-town not cross town.



Today I got up wanting a longer ride before work. I went across the Broadway Bridge to the Esplanade that joins up with the Still Water Corridor. That is the path I would ride to Derby practice since it goes right behind Oaks Park and the Hanger. It also leads to SE Portland and intersects with the 205 path. The day was beautiful and not too hot yet at 11:20am. When I got to the part of the path under the Hawthorne Bridge (before OMSI) there were lots of people in stupid yellow shirts. It was for an event called "Walk and Roll". Mommies pushing their babies and having pause times to to muscle strengthening exercises. Anyway, this multi-use path is normally very busy but you get a bunch of suburban mommies out in the big city? They had no idea that this was a well traveled path and they should follow the "rules of the road". On the way out it was not too bad. I could have hit a few folks that didn't even look before crossing the path from the Dragon Boat parking lot to sit on the Vera Katz resting (?) area. The way back is where I kinda blew a fuse.


I was happy to see the crowd had dispersed from the parking lot. My happiness was short lived. I was almost to the Burnside Bridge where the ramp leads down to the floating dock before going back up to the intersection where you can cross the Steel Bridge to Water Front Park side or head up to The street by the Rose Quarter. They were blocking the whole path heading their way. Runners and dog walkers were being mowed over. I politely asked if I could pass but the crowd including supporting husbands and Grand Parents were so chatty and exuberant they did not hear me to let me through.That pissed me off! I saw the solid wall of stipid yellow t-shirts and snapped. I biked over to the stairs that lead up to the Burnside Bridge and proceeded to carry my not so light bike up six or seven flights of stairs. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack by the time I got to the top. I sure showed them. BTW one of the companies sponsoring this ridiculous event? Ken's companies logo was on the back of the stupid shirts. I tried to call him on my way to work. As if he knew why I was calling (to bitch) he declined to answer. Smart man.

Lost Fall photos!

"Stop and feel the
Fall in the
Evening"













"Blended"




"Bark
and
Flames"







These lovely pictures were in my camera from last fall! My printer was being bitchy so I could not upload photos! That was a delightful discovery yesterday when I was getting my camera ready for Octoberfest. I have many more but I want to get a bike ride in before work!

Enjoy the day!

9/11

Remembering the tragedy that happened seven years ago. It changed many lives instantly.

Live as if it is your last minute. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Be good to yourself.

M

Sounded Like a Good Time

I am four hours away from completing my first "double" at work. I worked last night until 11:40pm. I got to bed about 12:20am to wake up at 5:30am. My first shift started at 6:30am to 3:00pm. The second shift goes until 11:30pm. Cheer me on!

Tomorrow Wil and I are going to continue our tradition of going to Mt. Angel's OctoberFest! I have Thursday off but not the rest of the festival. That is what happened last year too but I was at Ikea.

Later

It's 11:15 and I know I'm gonna make it! I did not get a lunch so my overtime (time and a half) for the second shift is sweet!

Post Note: After my double shift (that I got overtime after 8 hours) I was at 81 hours for the pay period that ends Saturday (13th) night. Friday and Saturday I am getting paid overtime. Double sweet!

Following Hal's example

Friday when I got off work I had to dash to Lloyd Center. My new bling jewls had to get altered. The bracelet was too big sliding down my hand. The necklace does not have a clasp. You just put it over your head but the chain was too long. It sat in my bra. The chain would swish around and either be annoying or sexy. That was kinda weird. I had dropped them off Thursday.

Since it was payday we needed to do grocery shopping. I picked Wil up at 3:50 and after going to Target, Costco, Winco, Baxter Auto Parts and Tobacco Town we arrived back home around 8pm. (We got a ton of stuff done.) Normally that is my bedtime when I'm on days but I really needed to unwind a bit. I had one of my Spaten Munchen Octoberfestbier (available at Costco - a great deal!) and watched some "Coupling". I went to bed around 9:30. Boy did I slept hard.

I had a wonderful day off Sunday! Actually I got off work Saturday at 3pm and did not have to return to work until Monday at 3pm. So I had a longer day off than I'm used to. The weather was so beautiful to do anything. I went for a bike ride on Sunday and washed my car. Much later I went to the Comedy Sportz show.

Saturday when I got off work I had some energy left when I got off work so I detailed the inside of my car. I spent about three hours doing all the windows, cleaning surfaces and treating the leather. The only thing I was not able to do is vaccum. I park on the street so no place to get power for the vaccum! I actually enjoyed myself doing it. I had my i-Pod on and rocked out. I'm sure more than one neighbor was treated to some dance moves and bootie shaking. Even after all that I still had some energy left to color my hair. I went with a bolder red. Next week I will see Hard Knox for a less conservative cut.

Sunday I got up fairly early since I was still on day shift time. I got some work done on the computer that included preparing to sell some items on ebay. I cant find the pictures I took a long time ago so I will have to do that again. I got most of the time consuming stuff done. It takes a long time to set up an account! After that I straightened the kitchen and my bedroom as I got ready for my ride. I was getting some of the chores done so I could enjoy the rest of my day off. After my bike ride I was going to Susu's to hang out and wash my car. I was pretty excited to do that since I dont have a place to wash a car at my apartment. I had no idea it would take three rounds totaling two hours! It had not been cleaned with soap since my birthday last year.(thanks Pop) By the time I got done Susu and I had some wine and strolled round her yard and one neighbors. The other neighbor was cleaning out his garage. He kept popping over with treasures he did not want anymore. I got three smaller glass bricks and a galvanized flower vase. Susu was monitoring the time for me. Suddenly it was just after 6pm. I was meeting Chuck/Ken for the farm team show. I had to go!

I know that some of this energy is coming from feeling "back to normal". I've always been an energetic person. The other part is sexual tension. It reminds me of the "Malcom in the Middle" episode when Lois has a female infection. She cant have sex for two or three weeks. Hal turns into Mr. Fix-it. Their house looks like someone else owns it. He turned all his lust for his wife into chores and accomplished lots! That is me right now minus the Lois. I need a Lois! Not a wife just a person to have some fun with. I will still get lots done but I will be more relaxed with a grin on my face.

Break Out The Champagne!

Had my appointment with the Blood Doc about my latest Ultra Sound yesterday. My Deep vein blood clot has been stopped! The blood thinner has dissolved it and the valve for the vein has closed. I am no longer in immediate danger of a PE! (what a wimpy way to go) I still have a surface clot from my calf to my groin but that is (probably) not going to kill me. This is celebrating news!! I even get to start biking as long as I stay on a bike path. I can monitor myself and my actions but not those of others. (dumb-asses in cars) Doc does not want me biking on the streets since an accident would kill me. I'm just excited I can go out on my bike and exercise! Double celebration! The weather is beautiful and fall is in the air. The only better than how I'm feeling right now would be sex. (run the other way again. even if you were willing I would break you.)

Getting My Stride Back

Today was a day of familiarity. It was a day like I used to have before painful feet and DVT. It felt so right and I smiled often. The hood was hopping, the sun was shining and I was out in it. I didn't do anything extraordinary but it was wonderful to "Be".

I walked to the library to return several books. The books I put on hold were not there yet but a book cover caught my eye. "Rhett Butler's People" The authorized novel based on Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind" I love the movie based on Margaret Mitchell's novel. I'm hoping the novel of Rhett Butler is in keeping with the original story and characters. Oh, and it's 500 pages. This should keep me busy for a bit. I am a fast reader but I only have a 45 minute lunch!

It's weird not to worry about back to school stuff. No last minute trips to the store or washing new clothes. My heart squeezes a bit thinking about Nick. He is doing okay but still wont talk to me. He will talk and see my parents so that is the most I get. I hope he does well this year. I really miss him terribly.

I start days this week only to return the next week to evenings. Then back to days . . . That is how my month of September will go work wise. Hopefully with the flip flop of schedule it will not be as hard as a couple weeks on one then the other. Only time will tell.

Now that I have all the furniture back where it goes after shampooing the carpets I have my laptop at the dining table. I love to look out the window at the view while I work. It makes me feel more connected to my hood. My desk in my bedroom affords a great view too but we still need to get the internet cable run in there.

It has taken over a month but I am feeling back to normal. I am getting my stride back. My old pep is coming around. The worry and the critical to my condition is lessened. I was startled (okay freaked) by the DVT and possible death. Geez, you would be too! Now that I have done everything needed to keep me around I am still standing. Cool.

Post note: The book is wonderful! I am really enjoying it.

My mom took Nick school clothes shopping Sunday. He wanted to go to used clothes places so he could get comfy stuff. She said he was nice but gaurded. Not speaking to me anytime soon. I'm glad he is in school and has a job. Here's hoping he grows up some.

Labor Weekend Good

This weekend has been very labor productive for me. I got everything put away that never quite got where it goes in the apartment. I moved all the furniture I could onto bigger pieces so I could vacuum well then shampoo the rugs. They have not been cleaned since we moved in three years ago. Wil was going to be at PAX in Seattle all weekend so it was the perfect time to do it.

I worked Friday, Sunday and today so I just did my tasks around work. Thursday and Friday were putting away and stacking. Saturday was all about the vacuum and shampooing. I vaccumed really well before I did anything else. I had borrowed the rug cleaner from my mom. It didn't have any instructions with it anymore. I had not used it for over 10 years but how hard can it be? I applied stain remover first to the bad spots all over. When it came time to use the machine I added the water and cleaner. I turned it on and pulled the trigger but nothing sprayed! I checked all the hose connections. Nothing seemed blocked or disconnected so I tried again. There was a noise but no water. GRRRR! I called my parents to see where they were since they were dropping some stuff by. When they got there ten minutes later my dad and I looked it over but couldn't see the problem. I knew if I left him alone and showed my mom some stuff he would figure it out. That is just what happened. I had put the water in the area where the dirty water goes. I didn't see the side spot to put the clean water/soap in. Thanks Pop!



Once my folks left I really went to town. I sprayed the shampoo in the front room then sucked up the dirty water. I reapplied a second time and sucked up as I went. At that point I had to refill so I decided to dump to "used" water. It was really disgusting. I did the rest of the apartment until I ran out of soap, dumped again and filled with just hot water. I did the whole place that way since I had used a lot of extra stain remover. Time to dump again and it was really yucky water still! I went ahead and did it all again since I had gone this far what's another hour. I filled up one last time with hot soapy water and blasted through. After four hours and three rounds I would think things would be clean? The water was just as gross! I wanted dinner at this point so I called it good for the day. It sure looked a lot better. I am going to keep the machine and do the high traffic areas again in a few weeks.

Friday I went into overtime at work so that is good money news. 81 plus hours for the two weeks. I picked an extra shift Sunday so that next Saturday I will go into overtime again. Getting closer to that home I want. Today is time and a half as it is a holiday. Yeah!

Happy Labor Day all you hard working folks. Enjoy the day somehow. My celebration was the last of the furniture placement and mopping. The place is clean for now.

YoM