Well, Christmas is over. I took the whole week off, and yet I still didn't accomplish much of anything. It was a nice holiday, although I never did feel very Christmasy this year.
I didn't manage to finish the 50,000 word Nanowrimo novel, but I have a better idea of what I'd need to do to write that much, so maybe I'll try again next year. I'm not sure I'll ever manage it, but you never know. Everything I came up with sounded too much like stuff that's already been written.
My three-month checkup is next month. It's nerve-wracking, waiting around to hear that everything's okay, wondering if it will be or not.
Anyway, I don't have a lot to say right now, I guess. Maybe I'll think of more later.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
NaNoWriMo
So, everyone wants to write a novel, right? I guess I do, too, although I have no idea how. But I'm signed up for NaNoWriMo 2008, the National Novel Writing Month. This is thousands of people who sign up to write a 50,000 word novel, starting November 1, in 30 days. No problem, right? That's only 1,666 words a day. Never mind that the last time I wrote several thousand words at once was in college, and those definitely weren't novels, and they weren't anywhere near 50k words.
Anyone got a good plot I can borrow? Because I've got nothing.
I'm off to ponder what to write about.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Not a lot going on right now. I went to the doctor for my three month checkup, and everything was fine. I should feel less stressed now, knowing that, but somehow I'm still worried. But then, I seem to be worried a lot lately, so what's new? Anyway, it's been 15 months that I've been cancer free, so I'm happy about that.
I'm trying to get everything ready to be able to work from home some, but between me procrastinating about it and the fact that I need Dad to come put in my extra phone jack, and then I need to get cable or satellite service, and then I need a TV to put in here next to the computer, it's a little slow. He'll be doing the phone line this weekend, and at least once that's done, I can do some work from home, the shows I don't need to see or wouldn't be able to see anyway.
I'm thinking that next year, I need to take a real vacation, one where I actually go somewhere, and I'm kind of leaning toward a trip to London. I've never been and always wanted to go, and there's no time like the present, right? (Well, not the present right now, but the very near future, anyway.) I don't know anyone who'd be able to go with me, but there's a tour offered by Rick Steves (the travel guy on PBS) that looks intriguing. If I'm going to do that, though, I really need to get back to exercising regularly or I'll never make it through the whole week.
Anyway, it's 1 am and I should really get some sleep, so that's all for now.
I'm trying to get everything ready to be able to work from home some, but between me procrastinating about it and the fact that I need Dad to come put in my extra phone jack, and then I need to get cable or satellite service, and then I need a TV to put in here next to the computer, it's a little slow. He'll be doing the phone line this weekend, and at least once that's done, I can do some work from home, the shows I don't need to see or wouldn't be able to see anyway.
I'm thinking that next year, I need to take a real vacation, one where I actually go somewhere, and I'm kind of leaning toward a trip to London. I've never been and always wanted to go, and there's no time like the present, right? (Well, not the present right now, but the very near future, anyway.) I don't know anyone who'd be able to go with me, but there's a tour offered by Rick Steves (the travel guy on PBS) that looks intriguing. If I'm going to do that, though, I really need to get back to exercising regularly or I'll never make it through the whole week.
Anyway, it's 1 am and I should really get some sleep, so that's all for now.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Random thoughts at 4:30 a.m.
Stupid internet went down. This is from yesterday:
I can't sleep. I had coffee earlier today, but haven't had any caffeine since one o'clock this afternoon, so I don't know if that's it, or if it's something else. I was tired, tried to go to bed, didn't fall asleep, got up, played solitaire on the computer, got tired, tried to go to sleep, didn't fall asleep, and now here I am. I was lying in bed thinking (maybe that's why I couldn't sleep), and just decided I'd get up and post some random thoughts here.
I've been reading the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett over the last few months, I think I'm about halfway through them now. I'm going in order by when they were published, and I've just finished Maskerade. I only found out about these books this year, I started reading about them on LibraryThing, and most of what people said was that overall they were really good, but the first one (Colour of Magic) was not the best and they don't like the character Rincewind, who is featured in that book and some others. Rincewind is a wizard. Well, technically, he's a Wizzard, according to what it says on his hat. He has a talent for staying alive, mostly because he runs away. He has no magical ability, except for the occasional spell that works by accident, and never passed any of his wizard exams, and yet he ends up going on many adventures. His one wish is for a nice, boring life.
I have to say, I like Rincewind. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say that I sympathize with him. I think a nice, boring, normal life would be wonderful. It's really all I ever wanted, a job I didn't hate, a few good friends, a nice place to live. I've got all of that, so I can't complain too much, but what has made my life less boring, in a not-so-good, I-want-to-run-away-now kind of way, is cancer. Unfortunately, I can't really run away from it, and even though I'm currently cancer free and not undergoing any kind of treatment, I feel like it's still out there, haunting my life. I can't not think about it, although sometimes I forget for a little while. It kind of sneaks up on me when I’m not expecting it. I’ll be driving home from work and burst into tears for no reason, or I’ll start thinking about the future, about maybe meeting someone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with, and then I wonder, will I meet someone who’ll really be able to accept that the cancer could come back? Who won’t care that I can’t have kids? Who’ll at least try to understand my fears and worries about all of this? I know that no one knows what the future holds, but somehow that uncertainty is more real to me now than it was in the past.
I've been reading the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett over the last few months, I think I'm about halfway through them now. I'm going in order by when they were published, and I've just finished Maskerade. I only found out about these books this year, I started reading about them on LibraryThing, and most of what people said was that overall they were really good, but the first one (Colour of Magic) was not the best and they don't like the character Rincewind, who is featured in that book and some others. Rincewind is a wizard. Well, technically, he's a Wizzard, according to what it says on his hat. He has a talent for staying alive, mostly because he runs away. He has no magical ability, except for the occasional spell that works by accident, and never passed any of his wizard exams, and yet he ends up going on many adventures. His one wish is for a nice, boring life.
I have to say, I like Rincewind. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say that I sympathize with him. I think a nice, boring, normal life would be wonderful. It's really all I ever wanted, a job I didn't hate, a few good friends, a nice place to live. I've got all of that, so I can't complain too much, but what has made my life less boring, in a not-so-good, I-want-to-run-away-now kind of way, is cancer. Unfortunately, I can't really run away from it, and even though I'm currently cancer free and not undergoing any kind of treatment, I feel like it's still out there, haunting my life. I can't not think about it, although sometimes I forget for a little while. It kind of sneaks up on me when I’m not expecting it. I’ll be driving home from work and burst into tears for no reason, or I’ll start thinking about the future, about maybe meeting someone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with, and then I wonder, will I meet someone who’ll really be able to accept that the cancer could come back? Who won’t care that I can’t have kids? Who’ll at least try to understand my fears and worries about all of this? I know that no one knows what the future holds, but somehow that uncertainty is more real to me now than it was in the past.
Anyway, that's my random thoughts for now. I should probably get some sleep, if the kitties have settled down. They were so cute earlier today, here's a pic:
Never Mind. Can't get the pic to work, I'll try again later.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
It's been a while since I posted anything, but then, there's not a whole lot going on. I have a new kitten, his name is Peanut. Here's a pic: 
Isn't he adorable? Oh, and my nephew turned one last weekend. Here's another pic:
Other than that, this Wednesday will be one year since I was declared cancer-free, but I'm not celebrating until after I go to the doctor and make sure I really still am, and that'll be next Monday.
Well, I just thought I'd pop in and post something.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Book Review
Simon Brett, The Body on the Beach
Ann B. Ross, Miss Julia Takes Over
These are both mysteries I picked up at a thrift store for $2 each, and I read them both over the course of 48 hours. I know I’ve never read any of Ann B. Ross’s books before, although I’ve seen other Miss Julia books and thought they looked somewhat interesting. I think I may have read something of Simon Brett’s before, the name certainly sounds familiar, but I’ve never read any of the Fethering mysteries. This was the first in that series. Both books were interesting light reading, nothing too difficult, perfect to read when you don’t want to think too hard. I think the thing that caught my attention was the similarity of the protagonists. Both Carole Seddon and Miss Julia are practical-minded women, not given to flights of fancy, each very determined that everything in her life be the way it’s supposed to be, according to her own interpretation of those unwritten laws societies are governed by. Carole knows, for instance, that in Fethering, it is not acceptable to stop and talk with someone out on a morning walk on the beach, nor is it acceptable to ignore them completely – one must give the “Fethering Nod.”
Throughout each novel, Carole’s and Miss Julia’s sense of decorum is challenged, Carole’s by a new neighbor who coaxes her out of her comfort zone, getting her to go to a pub, drink wine during the day, and visit people she doesn’t know without calling first; and Miss Julia’s by several people around her who drink beer and flirt shamelessly with people they’re not married to and then have the nerve to tell her she needs to take care of her own problems. By the end of each novel, the women have grown in some ways, though neither is ready to completely give up on her way of doing things.
I think the reason that these two books really struck a chord with me is that I feel like the two women at the beginning of the books – I want everything to be just so, and I’ve always been worried about doing something wrong, or even just appearing to do something wrong. Sometimes it makes me feel like I’m older than I am, somehow, that I’m old and set in my ways already, even though I’m only 32. Unfortunately, I’m not going to have some outside force come in and make me change whether I want to or not, it’s something I have to figure out how to do on my own.
Ann B. Ross, Miss Julia Takes Over
These are both mysteries I picked up at a thrift store for $2 each, and I read them both over the course of 48 hours. I know I’ve never read any of Ann B. Ross’s books before, although I’ve seen other Miss Julia books and thought they looked somewhat interesting. I think I may have read something of Simon Brett’s before, the name certainly sounds familiar, but I’ve never read any of the Fethering mysteries. This was the first in that series. Both books were interesting light reading, nothing too difficult, perfect to read when you don’t want to think too hard. I think the thing that caught my attention was the similarity of the protagonists. Both Carole Seddon and Miss Julia are practical-minded women, not given to flights of fancy, each very determined that everything in her life be the way it’s supposed to be, according to her own interpretation of those unwritten laws societies are governed by. Carole knows, for instance, that in Fethering, it is not acceptable to stop and talk with someone out on a morning walk on the beach, nor is it acceptable to ignore them completely – one must give the “Fethering Nod.”
Throughout each novel, Carole’s and Miss Julia’s sense of decorum is challenged, Carole’s by a new neighbor who coaxes her out of her comfort zone, getting her to go to a pub, drink wine during the day, and visit people she doesn’t know without calling first; and Miss Julia’s by several people around her who drink beer and flirt shamelessly with people they’re not married to and then have the nerve to tell her she needs to take care of her own problems. By the end of each novel, the women have grown in some ways, though neither is ready to completely give up on her way of doing things.
I think the reason that these two books really struck a chord with me is that I feel like the two women at the beginning of the books – I want everything to be just so, and I’ve always been worried about doing something wrong, or even just appearing to do something wrong. Sometimes it makes me feel like I’m older than I am, somehow, that I’m old and set in my ways already, even though I’m only 32. Unfortunately, I’m not going to have some outside force come in and make me change whether I want to or not, it’s something I have to figure out how to do on my own.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
April 27, 2008
Not a lot going on lately. I went to the doctor last Monday for my regular three-month exam, and everything was good. I'm feeling a little down lately, not sure why, but I did ask for recommendations from the doctor about therapists/counselors. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm going to call tomorrow and see if they've gotten any names for me.
I went book shopping today. Just what I needed - more books. And I ordered a couple that will be here this week. Sigh. I'll never catch up on my reading.
So this is what I bought:
Ordered: Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic
At Half Price Books: Dave Barry's Tricky Business; Carole Nelson Douglas' Cat in a Diamond Dazzle (signed), Cat in a Kiwi Con (signed), and Irene at Large; Harry Kemelman's Someday the Rabbi Will Leave and Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet; and somehow, inexplicably, a second copy of Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist - which I just read a few weeks ago. How did I do that? And I had a list of the ones I had - why did I not notice that? Oh, well, mom gets her own copy now, I guess.
At B&N: Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Michael B. Oren's Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present.
Right now, I'm reading God: A Biography by Jack Miles, and I'll probably start Sense and Sensibility as well. God's a bit of a slow read, but I've been wanting to read it for a while - even back when it first came out, I almost convinced myself to buy the hardcover a few times, but didn't. I don't know that I'll learn anything totally new, but I want to see what he has to say, since he's approaching the Bible as literature instead of talking theology or history.
I just finished Kinky Friedman's Meanwhile Back at the Ranch, and part way through realized I'd read it before at some point. I hate that. But I didn't remember who'd done it, so it was okay, I guess. I hate that even more - I'm only 32, I'm not supposed to have such a bad memory. Anyway, it was good for light reading, which is what I wanted - it's really my nonfiction that's piling up on the TBR shelves, I mostly keep up with the easier stuff.
Well, I think I'll go read for a bit now.
I went book shopping today. Just what I needed - more books. And I ordered a couple that will be here this week. Sigh. I'll never catch up on my reading.
So this is what I bought:
Ordered: Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic
At Half Price Books: Dave Barry's Tricky Business; Carole Nelson Douglas' Cat in a Diamond Dazzle (signed), Cat in a Kiwi Con (signed), and Irene at Large; Harry Kemelman's Someday the Rabbi Will Leave and Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet; and somehow, inexplicably, a second copy of Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist - which I just read a few weeks ago. How did I do that? And I had a list of the ones I had - why did I not notice that? Oh, well, mom gets her own copy now, I guess.
At B&N: Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Michael B. Oren's Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present.
Right now, I'm reading God: A Biography by Jack Miles, and I'll probably start Sense and Sensibility as well. God's a bit of a slow read, but I've been wanting to read it for a while - even back when it first came out, I almost convinced myself to buy the hardcover a few times, but didn't. I don't know that I'll learn anything totally new, but I want to see what he has to say, since he's approaching the Bible as literature instead of talking theology or history.
I just finished Kinky Friedman's Meanwhile Back at the Ranch, and part way through realized I'd read it before at some point. I hate that. But I didn't remember who'd done it, so it was okay, I guess. I hate that even more - I'm only 32, I'm not supposed to have such a bad memory. Anyway, it was good for light reading, which is what I wanted - it's really my nonfiction that's piling up on the TBR shelves, I mostly keep up with the easier stuff.
Well, I think I'll go read for a bit now.
Friday, April 18, 2008
April 18, 2008
I finished reading Caravan by Dorothy Gilman and God Bless John Wayne by Kinky Friedman this week. Caravan was interesting, but not as much fun as Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax novels, in my opinion. God Bless John Wayne was pretty typical of Kinky Friedman's novels, which I always enjoy, but which might not suit everyone.
Anyway, I don't really feel like writing a lot about either of them right now. I need to go catch the mouse that Mischief brought in. I think it's still hiding behind the fridge, but I could be wrong. I also have laundry to do and a million other things to clean/straighten around the house. Everything's been piling up lately, I just haven't felt like messing with any of it. I think it's nerves, at least partly - I go back to the dr on Monday. Plus, I think I've been a wee bit depressed, but I feel like maybe I'm getting better. The new hours at work are helping. Working three or four days a week is nice. I could get used to it. Unfortunately, there'll be a week in May, one in July, and then the month of August when I'll have to go back to the schedule I had before, and then from October through January as well.
Well, I have a mouse to catch, so I guess that's all for now.
Anyway, I don't really feel like writing a lot about either of them right now. I need to go catch the mouse that Mischief brought in. I think it's still hiding behind the fridge, but I could be wrong. I also have laundry to do and a million other things to clean/straighten around the house. Everything's been piling up lately, I just haven't felt like messing with any of it. I think it's nerves, at least partly - I go back to the dr on Monday. Plus, I think I've been a wee bit depressed, but I feel like maybe I'm getting better. The new hours at work are helping. Working three or four days a week is nice. I could get used to it. Unfortunately, there'll be a week in May, one in July, and then the month of August when I'll have to go back to the schedule I had before, and then from October through January as well.
Well, I have a mouse to catch, so I guess that's all for now.
Monday, April 14, 2008
April 14, 2008
I just finished reading Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. I enjoyed it, although I can see how not everyone would. It's the story of the family and friends of a murder victim, told from the victim's point of view as she watches from heaven. The point of the story is how the family and even the victim ultimately learn to move past the crime.
At times while I was reading, the thought of the victim's rape and murder made me angry, especially when you realize the man who did it had other victims and continued to get away with the crimes. However, I think by the end of the book, it became clear that one message the author wanted readers to hear in this story was that you can't continue to focus all your energy on the criminal, you have to let go in order to live your life.
I would recommend this book, and to people worried about any graphic descriptions of the crime, there is really only a brief description, and it's not as graphic as I was afraid it would be.
At times while I was reading, the thought of the victim's rape and murder made me angry, especially when you realize the man who did it had other victims and continued to get away with the crimes. However, I think by the end of the book, it became clear that one message the author wanted readers to hear in this story was that you can't continue to focus all your energy on the criminal, you have to let go in order to live your life.
I would recommend this book, and to people worried about any graphic descriptions of the crime, there is really only a brief description, and it's not as graphic as I was afraid it would be.
Monday, April 7, 2008
April 7, 2008
Well, I've just spent the entire weekend getting absolutely nothing done. I still have books to get on the shelves, a sink full of dirty dishes, laundry to do, and just general housecleaning stuff that really needs to be done. Instead, I spent most of today in bed, reading. Over the weekend, I read three Mrs. Pollifax novels, plus a Lord Peter Wimsey that I think I read at some point, ages ago, but didn't remember the details and didn't own it, so that's okay.
I started The Lovely Bones, but only got a couple of pages into it. I made the mistake of stopping at Half Price Books on Thursday on my way home, and I have a (smallish) pile of mysteries to read now. Since I have no willpower and know I'll like them, I'll probably end up finishing them before getting back to The Lovely Bones. I'm going to keep track of how many books I read this year, although I haven't set a goal for a certain number. I'm not going book shopping again for a while, though - I need to get through my stack of books I haven't read yet first. I may set some goals re: reading more classics or something like that, but right now, I want to read what I've got on hand.
As far as tracking what I've read, here's a list:
Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett (started in Dec. ’07)
Thunderstruck – Erik Larson
Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist – Dorothy Gilman
Mrs. Pollifax Three Complete Mysteries: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax; Mrs. Pollifax on Safari; Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station - Dorothy Gilman
Murder Must Advertise – Dorothy Sayers
I'll update my What I'm Reading Now list in a minute with the next three or four I plan to get to.
Also, I've found this great site - librarything.com - that lets you catalog your books (200 for free, but I'm going to have to join because that's just not enough) and also has message boards and some really neat statistical toys about what people have in their library. I've already spent a fair amount of time lurking there, now I just need to get the nerve to join in.
Anyway, I think that's all for right now.
I started The Lovely Bones, but only got a couple of pages into it. I made the mistake of stopping at Half Price Books on Thursday on my way home, and I have a (smallish) pile of mysteries to read now. Since I have no willpower and know I'll like them, I'll probably end up finishing them before getting back to The Lovely Bones. I'm going to keep track of how many books I read this year, although I haven't set a goal for a certain number. I'm not going book shopping again for a while, though - I need to get through my stack of books I haven't read yet first. I may set some goals re: reading more classics or something like that, but right now, I want to read what I've got on hand.
As far as tracking what I've read, here's a list:
Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett (started in Dec. ’07)
Thunderstruck – Erik Larson
Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist – Dorothy Gilman
Mrs. Pollifax Three Complete Mysteries: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax; Mrs. Pollifax on Safari; Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station - Dorothy Gilman
Murder Must Advertise – Dorothy Sayers
I'll update my What I'm Reading Now list in a minute with the next three or four I plan to get to.
Also, I've found this great site - librarything.com - that lets you catalog your books (200 for free, but I'm going to have to join because that's just not enough) and also has message boards and some really neat statistical toys about what people have in their library. I've already spent a fair amount of time lurking there, now I just need to get the nerve to join in.
Anyway, I think that's all for right now.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I have bookcases!
Finally, I got around to getting someone to build bookcases in my front room like I've wanted since I moved in three years ago. They look really cool. They've only been finished since yesterday, so I haven't put any books on them yet (I want to let the paint get good and dry), but still - I HAVE BOOKCASES! I'm so ready to have my books spread out on shelves where I can see them and pick them up and reread bits of them. And maybe I won't accidentally buy multiple copies of things when I can actually see what I have.
Now to find a comfy chair to go in there, and maybe a lamp. Oh, and this means I have to move the Christmas tree. It's folded up in the box, but I haven't had anywhere to put the box, so it's just been sitting there in that room.
Oh, and I just finished reading Pillars of the Earth over the weekend. I really liked it. I've always been fascinated by cathedrals since we did a unit on them back in Heritage 22 (a freshman history seminar that was required for all students at Austin College). At that point, I decided my ideal house would be built like a cathedral, somewhere in East Texas. Since then, I've learned about electric bills and decided maybe a cathedral would be too expensive to heat and more importantly to cool in the summer, but I still love the look of them, the symmetry and the huge open spaces. Anyway, I like that the book talked about building cathedrals, and I loved how he connected three generations of families and tied them all together in a way I never would have dreamed of. And I like that the bad guys do get their comeuppance, but not in a way you could have easily predicted from the beginning.
Anyway, I have a fairly early day at work tomorrow, and I'm going to be busy all week, since we'll be captioning March Madness games Thursday through Sunday, so I think I'll try to get some sleep.
Now to find a comfy chair to go in there, and maybe a lamp. Oh, and this means I have to move the Christmas tree. It's folded up in the box, but I haven't had anywhere to put the box, so it's just been sitting there in that room.
Oh, and I just finished reading Pillars of the Earth over the weekend. I really liked it. I've always been fascinated by cathedrals since we did a unit on them back in Heritage 22 (a freshman history seminar that was required for all students at Austin College). At that point, I decided my ideal house would be built like a cathedral, somewhere in East Texas. Since then, I've learned about electric bills and decided maybe a cathedral would be too expensive to heat and more importantly to cool in the summer, but I still love the look of them, the symmetry and the huge open spaces. Anyway, I like that the book talked about building cathedrals, and I loved how he connected three generations of families and tied them all together in a way I never would have dreamed of. And I like that the bad guys do get their comeuppance, but not in a way you could have easily predicted from the beginning.
Anyway, I have a fairly early day at work tomorrow, and I'm going to be busy all week, since we'll be captioning March Madness games Thursday through Sunday, so I think I'll try to get some sleep.
Monday, February 18, 2008
From Feb. 15 - re-posting
Okay, so the whole getting healthier thing - not going so well. I don't know why I can't seem to set my mind to it. I'm sort of trying, but then sabotaging myself too. Plus, right now I have some kind of cold/allergy/sinus crud, so I really don't feel so good. I finally rejoined the gym Monday and Tuesday I started feeling bad, so I haven't even been to work out yet.
My last doctor's appointment went well, they said everything was all clear, chest x-ray (just an annual one to have on file, not for any particular reason) looked good, CA-125 was 2.3, so well within the normal range which is up to 35. Then, the next day, the nurse calls. "Don't worry about it, but there's something on the x-ray, may not be anything, may just be the machine, but when you come back in three months, do another one." Okay, any nurses or doctors who stumble across this - DON'T DO THAT!! If the only thing you're going to do is wait three months and do it again, instead of letting me worry for three months, wait until I show up for the appointment and say, We were looking at your x-ray and there's something we want to take another look at - go downstairs and do another one for us, please. Then, two weeks later, on a Friday afternoon around 5:00, I look at my cell phone and realize I've missed a call from the doctor's office. Too late to call them back then, and they didn't leave a message. So I spend that weekend worrying that something else is wrong and waiting for Monday. They finally call back Monday, and it's just to say that my pap test was normal. Really, you couldn't just leave a message? And if you couldn't leave a message, did you have to call on a Friday? Just wait until Monday. That way, even if I missed the call Monday, I'd only be worried for one night, because believe me, I'd make sure I was near the phone all day Tuesday, and probably calling you if I hadn't heard anything by noon or so.
So, anyway, that's my medical related stress lately. Then, to top it off, my cat, Samantha, goes missing about two weeks ago. I kept thinking she'd just come back, like she did once before, but after a week, that started looking less likely. Then today, as I'm leaving the neighborhood to go run some errands before work, I notice an animal control vehicle coming into the neighborhood, a police car right outside the neighborhood, three more police cars in the park next to the neighborhood, and what might have been another animal control truck heading down the walking path that runs through the park right behind the neighborhood. I don't know what they're after, but I think it really doesn't look good for Samantha, if there's something that needs that much manpower to get it. I so want to know what the heck's going on, but I have no idea how to find out.
My last doctor's appointment went well, they said everything was all clear, chest x-ray (just an annual one to have on file, not for any particular reason) looked good, CA-125 was 2.3, so well within the normal range which is up to 35. Then, the next day, the nurse calls. "Don't worry about it, but there's something on the x-ray, may not be anything, may just be the machine, but when you come back in three months, do another one." Okay, any nurses or doctors who stumble across this - DON'T DO THAT!! If the only thing you're going to do is wait three months and do it again, instead of letting me worry for three months, wait until I show up for the appointment and say, We were looking at your x-ray and there's something we want to take another look at - go downstairs and do another one for us, please. Then, two weeks later, on a Friday afternoon around 5:00, I look at my cell phone and realize I've missed a call from the doctor's office. Too late to call them back then, and they didn't leave a message. So I spend that weekend worrying that something else is wrong and waiting for Monday. They finally call back Monday, and it's just to say that my pap test was normal. Really, you couldn't just leave a message? And if you couldn't leave a message, did you have to call on a Friday? Just wait until Monday. That way, even if I missed the call Monday, I'd only be worried for one night, because believe me, I'd make sure I was near the phone all day Tuesday, and probably calling you if I hadn't heard anything by noon or so.
So, anyway, that's my medical related stress lately. Then, to top it off, my cat, Samantha, goes missing about two weeks ago. I kept thinking she'd just come back, like she did once before, but after a week, that started looking less likely. Then today, as I'm leaving the neighborhood to go run some errands before work, I notice an animal control vehicle coming into the neighborhood, a police car right outside the neighborhood, three more police cars in the park next to the neighborhood, and what might have been another animal control truck heading down the walking path that runs through the park right behind the neighborhood. I don't know what they're after, but I think it really doesn't look good for Samantha, if there's something that needs that much manpower to get it. I so want to know what the heck's going on, but I have no idea how to find out.
Monday, January 7, 2008
New Year's resolutions
I hate the thought of New Year's resolutions. I never seem to keep them if I make them. However, there are definitely things I need to change in my life, and I plan to change at least some of them.
Mostly, I plan to get healthier. I sometimes worry that I may have waited too late, a very depressing thought since I'm only 32, but I have to quit worrying about that and just get back on track eating better and exercising. If I start now, by the end of the year, I can have easily lost 50 pounds. That's a completely realistic goal, and a pound a week shouldn't be that hard to do. I'll try to post my progress as I go.
Also, I'd like to try to relax a little more. I'm always worried about being places on time (which means 15 minutes early) and I work a lot, although I have stopped doing as much overtime as I used to. I know I can be a little bit uptight about things, and sometimes that's not a bad thing, but I do tend to take it to extremes sometimes. Some things I'm just not going to be able to relax and forget about, but I think I do need to have some time to just not worry about what other people think.
Finally, just as a point of reference re: the weight loss stuff, this is a pic of me a few weeks ago. It's not the greatest, but it'll do until I find a better one, which may not happen until I've lost 15 pounds or so.
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