One More Sleep ...

Sure hope we're ready on time.

Oh, we'll be OK ...

I just always get antsy before a flight.

"What have I forgotten?"

"What if the plane crashes?"

Just little naggy doubts, you know.  Nothing serious.

Went for a massage session this morning -- wow, did I ever need that!

I walked in singing, "I neeeeeeeeeeed you to knead to me."

We enjoy giggling!  Laughter is good for the soul.

Once that therapy was done, I ran some errands (last minute stuff for the trip).

Got home and started frantically packing.

Now it's done.

And I can relax.

Drinky-poo time as John says.

Not sure I'll post from Halifax -- depends on how things are going.

In any event, I will post on our return, which is October 6th.

So, if nothing else, you'll hear from me on the 7th of October.

Two more sleeps ...

... until we leave for Halifax.

Busy times in this household.

Thank the good Lord we resolved our mattress issue and we're both getting a good night's sleep now because we'll need to be properly rested for the week-end we're facing.

John is being a very good boy about what he needs to do to get ready too.

Perhaps for this trip, we'll actually have all our ducks in a row and we're not even going hunting!

John actually wanted to pack today.

A full day before we need to!  A full day before we realistically can, actually, for a lot of reasons.

You see, the cleaning lady comes tomorrow and I would rather not have her climbing over any more paraphernalia than is already in the way (remember the extra mattress I need to remove from my front hallway?).

Besides, I think that packing the late afternoon before a morning flight is plenty soon enough, but not too soon.  Usually, John leaves that chore until the very last possible moment!  In fact, I know some people who are still packing their suitcase an hour before their flight is due to take off (yes, really I do, don't I my little chickadee?).

Yesterday was spent putting our financial house in order.  We recently replaced our Visa cards and you have to know that the new ones arrived in the mail the day John left for Saskatchewan.  So, I couldn't activate them or he would have been left without a credit card while he was away.  The last day to activate the cards was the day John returned so I did that the minute he boarded the plane in Regina.  That meant I had to switch all my auto billings to the new card yesterday (wouldn't want anyone NOT to get paid).

(Rant starts)   I could not believe how painful it was to try to give Bell Canada the new Visa information.  First, I could not hear the other person -- he insisted that he was wearing his headset properly; but only when he "adjusted" his headset could I hear the occasional phrase.  Besides not being able to hear him, I could not comprehend anything he was asking me.  When I initially placed the call, the automaton put me through certain "security" hoops, one of which was voice recognition, which I apparently passed.  That did not prevent this jerk from having to ask me every question under the sun, except I couldn't understand what he was asking!  He insisted on asking questions I couldn't figure out -- something about did I want to access my account on-line?  (I had told him that the system would not let me update the credit card info on line.)  When I tried to explain that all I wanted to do was give him a new Visa card number so that my bill would be paid, he didn't seem to understand that concept!  I finally hung up in frustration after telling him that I would wait for the bill NOT to be paid -- then maybe someone from (Bell) Canada might have to call me. I should mention that it was a joy to deal with certain other companies who do not use off-shore call centres where I actually reached someone whom I could understand and hear clearly and who was quickly able to take the information and end the call.  (Rant ends)

Yesterday was also spent doing laundry of course.

And resting up from my two days of fun with my grandson.

He is such a joy!  But I hardly knew he was there. My beautiful boy is growing up way too fast to suit me.

His swimming lesson went off without incident, although he took waaaaay too long in that change room.  He did eventually emerge unscathed.  And he tells me that men do NOT prance around the boys' change room undressed the way women do in the girls' change room.  I discussed the phenomenon with John and he was quite surprised too when I described what our change rooms are like (although he admitted his experience is limited to the YMCA of years ago when it was ONLY men and they actually SWAM in the nude!).  He found it quite disturbing to think that adults would not demonstrate a little more dignity and respect for all parties in a public setting.  He has always known that I am uncomfortable for me in those rooms and that is a large part of why I don't go to public swimming pools.  But he had not previously given a lot of thought to the message(s) being sent on many levels to our children.  And it's a very tough call as to how to handle it.

I was the parent of a daughter so I never had to deal with that problem but this is a serious issue for me (what was the first clue?).  I didn't appreciate my child being exposed to the sight of every other woman's body; I was trying to teach her about modesty.  When our children were small, and my girlfriend's boys hit the magic age, she would not allow them to go into the room without her.  So they changed right there at poolside with very large towels wrapped around them.  Now that my grandson is caught in this mess, Grandma has to learn not to worry, cuz he's ... oh, hell, we know Grandma's gonna worry ...

Anyway, time to get back to preparatory activities ...

Only two more sleeps you know ...

In Other News:

My boys won the game handily last night, even with having the game cut short by rain.

Beat the Boston Red Sox 11 - 3 in seven innings.  Now that's impressive!

Too bad it's too little too late.

They are now only 11 games under .500 -- with just five games left on the season.

At least I'll get to see Doc pitch once more -- he's scheduled to take the mound tomorrow night, perhaps for the last time with Toronto (and imagine, Rogers Sportsnet is actually gonna broadcast it!).

Rogers Corporation Does it Again

Rogers Centre - Home of the TORONTO BLUE JAYS.

Rogers Corporation - owners of the ROGERS CENTRE.

Rogers Sportsnet -- owned by ROGERS CORPORATION.

"We take pride in promoting the Toronto Blue Jays ..... ....... ...... "

Oh yeh???????????????????????????????????

So why then, when the TORONTO BLUE JAYS are playing their final home game of the season would Rogers Sportsnet be broadcasting ANYTHING other than that game?

Noooooooooo, they leave it to TSN2 -- a channel only available to subscribers of a specialty Sports package -- to broadcast the game.

So, what happens to fans like me who aren't at home with their satellite dish which packaging I make very sure includes my baseball package?

I can't watch the game because not everyone thinks that sports packages are necessary to their everyday life (for instance, once the final pitch of the baseball season has been thrown, I switch packages with my satellite service , replacing the sports bundle with something else because baseball is the ONLY sport of interest in this household).

My daughter does not subscribe to the extra sports packages with her cable service so I was unable to watch my beloved Jays pull off what was reportedly a very exciting come-from-behind win in their final home game of the season.

This might very well be the season that ends my love affair with these boys.

Not because I want the affair to be over, you realize.

But how long can someone keep hoping that ownership will really take interest and do what's necessary to return this team to what it really can be?

I truly believe that the "powers that be" sold Cito Gaston a bill of goods when they talked him into coming back.  They must have made significant concessions to convince him he could work with them again (in spite of the back-stabbing they had given him back in the '90s; I know, different owners, but same philosophy apparently).  Or it was just his pure love of the game and the Blue Jays that drew him back.  I don't know.  But whatever it was, he was not given the tools he needed to do the job he was asked to do.  And nobody can do a good job without the proper tools.

So the end of the Blue Jays is imminent.

It's been a long, slow death.

What really riles me is what the organization has done to Roy Halladay.

A pitcher of Doc's caliber should be recognized for not only his contribution to the game, but also for his continued commitment and professionalism in spite of the lack of support he received.  Several of his losses were due to lack of run support, simple failure of the players to get those runners in.  While some of his recorded losses were clearly his, many of his "no decisions" through the years were because of bullpen losses after he had pitched brilliantly and should have had a win against his name.  Turn those "no decisions" into "wins" and how many of his seasons would have finished with Cy Young numbers?  He has had an exemplary career and his one wish is to end it with a World Series ring.  I'm sure he would have liked to win that ring as a Toronto Blue Jay but  that's obvioulsy not going to happen!

Doc is approaching his best before date and he deserves that ring before his career ends.  It is not going to happen in the Toronto organization.  That is abundantly clear.  I truly hope that Roy lands somewhere that he is happy and that gets him that ring.  But it had better be with a Central or West Division team (beat dem damn Yankees and/or Red Sox)!   God, please don't send Roy to the National League -- they make their pitchers go to bat and he might get hurt!

OK, OK, Already

Husband is home from hunting trip.

He had a terrific time.

I have had a very long, tiring two days.

Gotta give in and give up.

G'night.

Not sure how much time I will have to post here over the next few days but I will try my best.

It's going to be very hectic getting ready for our Halifax trip on top of getting John unwound from his hunting trip.

But I will try.

In any event, I will have the laptop with me while we are in Halifax so I will be able to post while we are travelling.

Til later.

I gotta stop before I drop.

Last Day of Alone Time

John doesn't return until tomorrow but this is my last day of "alone" alone time.

Today, I'm going into Ottawa to spend twenty-four hours with my grandson while his parents go to Toronto (have fun my little chickadee -- I know we will).

So, from about 1:00pm today, I won't be alone anymore.

But it's certainly been fun while it lasted.

And herein ends my "doing nothing" vow cuz I'm thinking I'll be kind of busy for the next 24 hours.

Although it's not going to be too onerous for me.

I plan to break all the rules -- isn't that what Grandmas are for?

We're going to McDonald's for supper tonight.

We're meeting a friend for breakfast tomorrow morning.

That'll take care of the meals.

Then I have to take him to his swimming lesson.  That's really going to take me out of my comfort zone.

It's not the first time I've taken him to his swimming lessons.  But he's no longer allowed in the girls' change room because he's eight years old now.  Up to and including the age of seven, children are allowed to accompany their opposite-sex parent in the change room so that they are not unsupervised.

(Rant starts)     It's always bothered me that women would prance around these rooms fully naked when little boys are present (I wonder if the same scenes play out in the boys' rooms, with men/little girls).  It's one thing to be so nonchalant in front of your own child; quite another with the general public.  Apparently it's OK for seven year old children to witness this display of public nudity; not so for eight year olds.  I understand that such intermingling needs to be stopped at some age but I really wonder if eight years old is a suitably appropriate age to be sending our unsupervised children into rooms filled with strange adults.  (And don't anyone try to tell me that ONLY other parents of children taking lessons can be lurking about these crowded pools, or for that matter that a person cannot be a threat simply because his/her child is taking swimming lessons!)   And not just men are potential predators.      (Rant ends)

By eight years old, children can certainly be taught to kick up a storm if someone tries to do something. And for the most part, given the setting and the child I'm dealing with, I really don't anticipate any problem.  Besides, my daughter tells me that my grandson is under strict orders to be "very fast or she's going in" and he knows she means business.  I'll issue the same edict.

Having said that, I will nevertheless be out of my comfort zone for however short a time he's in that room!

Mom & Dad will be home by the time he's finished his lesson, so I guess we'll all have to go out for lunch.

Then we'll just hang out until it's time to go to the airport to pick up my husband ...

... whom I've missed so very much all these six long days ...

... are they over already??????????????

Silence is Golden ...

I woke up with that song ringing through my head and couldn't figure out why.

Then I remembered.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons -- one of my very favourite singing groups through my teen years.

Earlier this week, Oprah Winfrey did an episode of "Back to the Sixties" or some such thing.  And the episode included an appearance by The Jersey Boys who are currently performing in Chicago.  The group performs exclusively songs by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  They weren't bad but they weren't the real thing.  I thought they were a show particular to Chicago.

My daughter later enlightened me.  The Jersey Boys is a broadway production playing in various major cities in North America, one of them being Toronto.  She predicts that they will appear in Ottawa by the 2010/11 season.  You can be sure that when that happens, we'll be in the theatre to see it.  (Since she was raised listening to the songs, she found herself bopping along while she watched the Oprah episode.)

In any event, the show obviously planted the songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in my head.

And one of the many songs I especially loved by the group was "Silence is Golden."  I guess the title is also particularly relevant to my current living conditions.  Because, silence IS golden this week.

Well, it isn't very silent in here right now.

You see, I found my collection of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons records.

And I figured out how to work John's sound system (that is a major feat in itself, let me tell you).

So, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are now belting out their many hits that I remember so well.

And I still remember every word like it was yesterday! (Damned good thing there's nobody here to witness that show!)

When I put on the first record, I still needed to blow dry my hair.

I hadn't yet put on my hearing aids and I needed to have the music loud enough to be heard over the blow dryer.

When I finally put on my hearing aids, I discovered that the music was, I'm sure, loud enough to be heard in the next county.

Ooops!  Good thing I live in isolated, rural conditions.

Gotta get these babies transferred to CDs to take in my car ...

Day 4 of Doing Nothing

And I think I'll actually achieve it today!

Yep.

I'll probably actually do nothing today.

Well, a very good friend is making it really easy for me to do nothing today.

Lunching at 11:30am -- which means I have to leave home by 11:00am, so that will greatly help my cause (because of my need for rest breaks, I'll have to be in the shower by 10:00am).

The place where we'll meet closes at 3:00pm so our "lunch" can't extend beyond that hour.  Although the last time we met there, we simply sat outside and continued our gabfest for another hour or so before we moved across the street to where she was parked, and propped ourselves against her car while we talked.  I think I got home at around 5:00pm that time.

John called last night, and he asked what I was doing today.  When I told him who I was lunching with, his response was, "Oh, ok, I won't bother looking for you tomorrow then."

Anyway, by the time I get back from this lunch I'll certainly not start "doing" anything productive around here.

So, thank you friend, for helping meet my goal for at least one of my alone time days!

Day 3 of Doing Nothing

I'm not doing a very good job of doing nothing.

Started out with good intentions.

I had to go and bottle wine this morning.

And since I left the house, I also stopped at the gas station, the ATM, the grocery store, and the pharmacy.  All errands that needed to be done, you realize.  But my cargo area was jammed with boxes of wine and flats of bottled water.  The back seat held the 18L bottle of distilled water.

Once I got home, I had to put all the stuff away!

But you see the photo in this morning's post showing the walk that I had to take to put the garbage out?

Well, that's John's truck in front of my car, and it just happens to be parked right in front of the door.

So I had to move John's truck so I could back up to the door to allow me to unload the car.  It took eight trips to empty the car.

Then I jockeyed the vehicles back into their rightful places.

Once back in the house and after I had a chance to catch my breath, I binned the wine (don't tell John I moved those full boxes of wine around).

When I went to go rustle up some food for lunch, I got distracted by certain items on the kitchen counter that needed to be cleaned.  So I started cleaning.

Oops.  That violates my "do nothing" policy.

Then I realized what I could have scheduled for this year's "alone time."

Having cleaned the pantry last year, I could have tackled the kitchen drawers and cupboards this year.

Oh well.  Too bad.  So sad.

Kitchen drawers and cupboards will just have to wait another two years (it's the pantry's turn next year).

So on this, day 4 of my alone time, I realize that by the time John gets back, he may not recognize me.

Remember, Cesamet has caused me to lose my appetite so I eat very little, which is causing weight loss (love that for now).

This week, with John away, I've been a lot more "active" than I would normally be.

• I walk to the end of our laneway to get the newspapers every morning.
• I have to get up from the bed and/or couch to provide my own coffee refill service while I'm reading my newspapers in the morning.
• I walk to the end of our laneway to get the mail every afternoon (yes, that's another of John's daily jaunts)
• I have to empty both dehumidifiers every day (those buckets are heavy OK?) -- we have two dehumidifiers and John and I each take responsibility for one.

Bottom line is, I'm building muscle; conditioning; toning; just all-round doing good stuff along with that weight loss.

So, perhaps, by the time my husband returns from his six day hunting trip, he won't recognize his wife.

She'll be half the woman he left behind!

Now For Day 3 of Doing Nothing

Had another fairly good night.

I went to bed at about 11:00pm last night -- woke only once for that damned pee break -- and got up at 6:00am.

So that counts as a not bad night for me.

Again, it's too early to take my meds for today so there is a little more pain right now than there will be later this morning once the meds have a chance to do their thing.

Today's agenda is very light.

I'm going to bottle wine this morning (bottling wine is a necessity -- I'm down to my last five bottles) and other than that I have absolutely nothing on my agenda!

So perhaps I'll actually manage to do nothing today.  Fortunately, it's season premiere week on television so I have lots of canned television to watch while I do nothing. 

John finally managed to connect with me last night.

It's the first I've talked with him since he left.  He had called on Day 1, but I was on the phone.  Then he called yesterday morning -- while I was at physio.  I guess he forgot that on Wednesdays, his wife goes to physio.  Or perhaps he didn't realize it was Wednesday -- he is, after all, on holiday.

Anyway, they are having a fabulous time. 

He was telling me their plans for the rest of the week and he asked, "Is it Sunday that we're going home?"

"Yes,"  I said, "At least that's when I'll be at the airport to pick you up."

"OK," he said, "I guess that's when we should be there too then."

Perhaps a longer trip is in the cards for next year?

But do I miss him yet?

You bet I do!

Especially this morning!

It's garbage day ...

So not only do I have to walk down that very long laneway to get my newspapers, but this morning I have to take the garbage out too!

Alone time has some very high costs!

About that Chi Machine

I can't tell you anything about it.

Why?

Because according to the website, Chi Machine Canada is situated at 900 Greenbank Road, Suite 366, Nepean, ON -- but that address doesn't exist.

That's right.  There is no Suite 366 at 900 Greenbank Road in Nepean, ON.

I tried calling from the parking lot when I couldn't find a Suite 366, but all I got was an answering service telling me they were too busy to take my call.

We visited one of the offices in the mall and asked about Chi Machine Canada.

"Never heard of it," was the response we got.

According to the Canada Post clerk, that address sounds like a rented mail box through the UPS Store which is located in that mall.  (We did not confirm with UPS that Suite 366 is in fact rented from them by Chi Machine Canada, expecting that they would have refused to answer our questions.  We decided to go for lunch instead.)

The Chi Machine may in fact offer all sorts of therapeutic benefits,  but I cannot attest to it.  If they don't have a "storefront" that enables me to actually see a unit before springing for one, I become immediately suspect.

My physiotherapist was all excited when I told her that I was going to check out the Chi Machine.  I had brought some printed material for her about the unit and we discussed its potential benefit at length.  If there is something out there that is worthy of being used in her clinic, she is very interested in being able to offer new modalities to her clients.  She will be very disappointed when I report to her that I have nothing to report.

Anyway, my girlfriend and I had a lovely lunch, so my trip to Barrhaven was not lost. 

Plus, a few of my naggy problems have been resolved.

John's pants for the Halifax wedding are being hemmed (by a very competent seamstress too).

The question of what I will wear for the wedding is just about resolved (I even managed to borrow a pair of shoes for the event).

I'll be seeing this friend again on Saturday (to pick up John's hemmed pants) and we'll complete my wedding outfit consultation then.

All in all, it turned out to be a beneficial afternoon, even if we weren't able to find out anything about the Chi Machine.

Let's Start Day 2 of "Doing Nothing"

Well, I slept all night last night.

At least I didn't "get up" 'til 6:00am this morning.

But I had awakened twice during the night -- both times for pee breaks!

That is so annoying.  Sometimes, I swear my bladder is the size of a thimble!

Regardless, I do feel rested this morning, although my hips and legs were quite sore before I took my morning meds.

It's interesting you know.  It seems like my body has come to "look" for its shot of Cesamet to start each day.

With John not being here, I have to go get the newspapers from the paperbox at the end of our laneway.

Our laneway is quite long. To most people, it is not really all that long. But for my legs, which have difficulty walking even short distances, it is really, really, long.

Anyway, I've noticed on past occasions when I've gone to get the papers (sometimes even when John is here I do go get them!) that I can make the walk to the paperbox, but the walk back to the house is what does me in.  Usually, by the time I'm making my way back to the house from the paperbox, I am dragging my right leg, and using every ounce of energy I have to get back to the house.  That is pathetic!

The story of going to get the newspapers is informative because of the timeline of its activity relative to my taking my medications.

You see, I can't see in the dark so I don't go to get the newspapers until it is light enough outside for me to do so (this morning, that was about 6:30am).

I try to take my medications at around the same time each day, and I try to space my medications as close to twelve hours apart as I can (my morning meds are usually taken at around 8:00am).

This morning, when I came back with the newspapers, I was in such agony from having made that trek that I sat and iced my groin while I read one paper with my first cup of coffee.  But when I got up for the first refill, I decided to take my morning meds in spite of its being a full hour earlier than I normally take them.

Once the Cesamet kicked in, my pain level was significantly lowered.

That tells me that my body has come to expect its Cesamet hit each before it will "co-operate" willingly at the start of the day.

I have to go into Ottawa for a physiotherapy session this morning (and man do I need one!).

Then I'm going out to Barrhaven to meet a friend for lunch.  But first, we're going to check out Chi Machine Canada, which just happens to be headquartered in that neighbourhood. My niece had mentioned to me that she had really enjoyed the Chi Machine she had tried at a spa.  Apparently, sessions on these units provide wonderful therapy for fibromyalgia sufferers. I checked it out on the net, and if one were to believe its claims, we only need put one of these suckers in every home in the nation to solve all our health care woes! So we're going to visit the headquarters and find out what we can about the Chi Machine.

Then we'll do lunch which will take us forever because we have lots to talk about.

Once I get home -- which could be as late as 5:00pm -- you can be sure I won't be up to "doing" anything.

So I should meet my goal of doing nothing for today!

What I Really Did on Day 1

I promised to document my success with "doing nothing." Well, today -- on my first full day of this nonsense, I managed to:

• fold and put away the laundry I had done yesterday;
• wash another load of laundry and hang it up to dry (will take it down before I go to bed);
• put a load of dishes through the dishwasher (come on, that counts as work -- it's called doing dishes.  Besides, having done that, I then had to empty that dishwasher!)
• did my bookkeeping, a task which hadn't been done in several days;
• checked John's e-mail for anything that might need his attention (like I'm gonna recognize something that needs attention in amongst all the spam);
• called Visa to clarify the situation with our new cards (which arrived in the mail yesterday - the very day John left for Saskatchewan -- if I validate the cards, he will be without credit while he's away.) Turns out, the last day to activate the new cards is the day John returns. Talk about cutting it close!
• called my brew-your-own wine outlet -- gonna run out of wine soon.  My new batch will be ready to bottle tomorrow.  Now I have a commitment on Thursday morning!
• vegged in front of the television for long periods of time.

I guess that's not a bad start for day one of doing nothing.

What did I NOT achieve, that was on the agenda for today?  I did not address the matter of the Halifax wedding. After all, we don't leave for that wedding until October 1st.  OMG -- I've turned into my husband! I am now officially a procrastinator.

I neither hemmed John's pants nor figured out what I'll wear for the wedding.

I hate sewing with a passion.  Never liked it; so why in hell would I want to do something like hem a pair of pants when it actually matters? I know precisely what needs to be done (cut, fold, sew -- fughetaboutit).  I believe very much that "a job worth doing is worth doing well." So I will bow to a higher power and I will pay someone to take care of that particular job.

As to what I'll wear for the wedding -- well, back to the drawing board on that one.

On the agenda for day 2:
I have to go into Ottawa tomorrow for a physiotherapy session (and man do I need one!), after which I'm going out to Barrhaven to meet a friend for lunch. Then we're going to check out Chi Machine Canada, which just happens to be headquartered in her neighbourhood. My niece had mentioned to me that she had really enjoyed the Chi Machine she had tried at a spa and apparently it provides wonderful benefits for fibromyalgia sufferers. I checked it out on the net, and if one were to believe its claims, we only need put one of these suckers in every home in the nation to solve all our health care woes!  So we're going to visit the headquarters and find out what we can about the unit.

So it will be late tomorrow before I'll be able to update you on my Day 2 progress. Obviously, it won't be a report of having done nothing since I won't have done nothing tomorrow.

Day 1 of "Doing Nothing"

Well, here we are on Day 2 of my "Alone Time" which I have now rechristened my "Doing Nothing" time.

And since I'm doing nothing I guess I can't update this blog either?

Naaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh

Surely I can still think of stuff to yammer about in this space.

So how did I manage the first shift of doing nothing last evening?

• I put a load of laundry in the washing machine (and later transferred it to the dryer). OK, that violated the "do nothing" rule but I do have to maintain my household responsibilities.
• I spoke on the telephone for, oh, about two hours (and missed John's call as a result). Note to self: When returning calls, or if a call will be lengthy, use the fax line so John can reach you on the house phone!
• I was completely out of gas by 7:30pm so I hit the sack by 8:00pm -- which resulted in my waking up at 11:30pm feeling quite refreshed (I felt like I'd had a wonderful nap).
• I watched canned television until 3:30 this morning (thank God it's season premiere week -- I had new shows to watch).
• I went back to bed and woke again at 7:00am -- my normal wake time! I had really hoped to sleep much later but I guess that wasn't in the cards.

Am I tired of being alone yet?

Not at all -- as I've already said, alone time has always been very precious to me.

I often wonder if my need for alone time comes from growing up in a large family and never having "my own space." I remember often feeling very crowded and closed in -- a feeling I still don't like. For example, I cannot bear to be seated between two people in any situation (including dinner parties where I know all the players), always choosing to sit at one end or the other of a table. I never choose a window seat of an airplane or train because that places a wall (albeit a "windowed wall") on one side of me with a person on the other, effectively closing me in. (Now, because of my problems with my right hip, I always choose an aisle seat to allow me to extend my right leg as needed.)

I don't know what that all has to do with "being alone" but my mind just went off on the analogy. Somehow, the two quirky behaviours must be connected.

In any event, I've never had a problem being by myself.

Am I missing John yet?

You bet I am.

While he's away, I have to walk down to the end of the laneway to pick up my newspapers.

And I have to interrupt the reading of said newspapers to provide my own coffee refill service.

That's the price I have to pay for my alone time!

Today's agenda:

Do another load of laundry (I have to maintain my household responsibilities!)

Hem pants John plans to wear for Halifax wedding (OK, that violates the "do nothing" scheme but the pants have to be hemmed -- he has short legs!)

Figure out what I'm going to wear for Halifax wedding (I know, I said I had that nailed down; apparently, I lied!)

Prepare foam bed roll for Halifax trip (I have a "travel" foam bed roll that I need to condense for flight packing purposes -- I have a few ideas that I want to test)

Continue doing nothing.

Day 1 Alone Time Update

Okay, I arrived home just before 2:00pm, having achieved all my commitments.

Ready to start my alone time.

At the funeral parlour this morning, I reconnected with a lot of people from my youth.  Marylou's many siblings were there, all of whom I knew very well through my teen years because our families lived in the same neighbourhood. Marylou and I were in the same class in school, and we spent a lot of time together just hanging out (if that's what you call what young teen girls did in the 60s).  A good deal of that time was spent at her home.

I also reconnected with two of my cousins whom I hadn't seen since their mother's funeral a few years ago.  Marylou was the aunt of these cousins (although Marylou and I were not related) -- are you confused yet?

Here's how it works.

One of Marylou's older sisters (Marylou was the fifth of eight girls) was married to my father's brother.  Her children (who are my cousins) are Marylou's nieces.  So they were at the funeral too and it was nice to see them again and meet their children and grandchildren.  My, we are all aging aren't we?

It was a lovely service. Marylou had made all the arrangements prior to her passing.  She wanted a Dixieland Jazz band to play.  And she got it!  It was simply marvelous.

In fact, the service we were at on Saturday had played recorded Dixieland Jazz music before and after the service.  John and I thought it was a novel approach to a funeral service but it very appropriately suited the personality of the person we were bidding farewell.

And here I was, two days later, at the very same funeral parlour, and Marylou had chosen the same music type -- but she wanted the real thing and somehow her family had managed to arrange it.  Her sister told me before the service that they were just delighted when they actually were able to find someone to come in and fulfill Marylou's wishes.  I was stunned when I looked up and saw a very familiar musician walk in with his band.  John and I pay money to watch this guy perform -- Dave is a greatly respected jazz musician, in great demand in Ottawa and the surrounding area.  Quite an unexpected treat, under the circumstances, and one John will be sorry he missed.

Anyway, now I'm home and it's time to start doing nothing.

Day 1 of Alone Time

Well, this will be day 1 of my alone time.

My schedule for today?

4:40am - depart home for airport

5:30am - deposit John and bird dog at airport (yes, I will give both John(s) -- he is going with his son -- a big kiss and hug good-bye and wish them all a bon voyage etc etc)

6:00am - arrive at favourite sister's home (someone has to accept me at that time of the morning, and what else are best friends for?)

7:00am - meet others at nearby restaurant for breakfast

8:30am - deliver favourite sister to her workplace (some people do still have to work for a living, poor souls);  then fill in time and until

10:00am - arrive at Ottawa funeral parlour to pay respects and attend service for childhood friend who lost her battle with cancer last Thursday (John & I were just at the same funeral parlour on Saturday bidding farewell to another good friend who lost her battle a week ago)

1:00pm (or thereabouts) - stop at Hazeldean Mall to pick up item that was purchased last week

2:30pm (or thereabouts) - arrive home and veg

Yes, veg -- as in do nothing.  OK, I'll sit and read the newspapers, finally.

Actually, I will probably fall asleep, having been up since 4:00am to get out of the house before 5:00am.

And of course, I'll be on my own for meals.  So I'll have to find somthing to eat.  That's always a good idea, I guess.  I'll have to remember to do that, with John gone and all.  Hmmmmmmmmmmm, hadn't thought of that wrinkle.  Whoever is going to cook my dinner for me while he's gone?????????????????

Glorious Alone Time

Does that sound awful? I really relish my alone time.

When John goes on his Saskatchewan hunting trips, I take advantage of that alone time to get important jobs done around the home -- stuff that might otherwise be a tad difficult to complete with him under foot.

One year, I hired someone to build a deck -- BUT the builder had to be able to start on the day that John left for Saskatchewan and he had to guarantee that the deck would be finished by the date that John was returning. (John knew nothing of this plan -- he found out when he arrived home and saw the completed deck.) The deadline was met with little time to spare -- and the deck has proven to be a very welcome addition to our home, although we haven't had much use of it this summer!

Every other year while John is in Saskatchewan, I take advantage of his absence and I clean the pantry. Yes, that's a treat for me because it's a huge job and it simply cannot be done WITH his help. I empty the room completely, which means that every flat surface in the kitchen, dining room and porch are filled to capacity. I wash down every shelf and all the walls. Then I hope I return everything to its rightful place.

Cleaning the pantry is a four day exercise for me because it's terribly strenuous work and, as you know, I have to pace myself very carefully.

But the pantry got the major go-over last year.

So, whatever will I fill my time with this year?

John leaves tomorrow.

He doesn't return until next Sunday.

Six full days of alone time.

Gonna have to think of something!

Oh wait -- I know.

I'll do NOTHING.

Wonder how long that will last?

I do have commitments for two of the days, but only two.

So on the days for which I have nothing booked, I will do nothing.

Yeh, that's it -- N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

Glorious nothing.

Gonna document it here.

We'll see how long Bonnie lasts doing nothing.

In Other News:

My boys couldn't pull out a win again last night -- lost 4-0 to Tampa Bay!

Just 14 games left on the season -- and they sit at 16 games under .500 (obvioulsy they'll finish with their worst record ever)

Quick Update for my "FanBase"

Tee hee -- like my fanbase is soooooo huge.

But I do know that they need to know what happened with my mattress saga.

I slept like a baby and got up this morning without being all hunched over and stiff -- what a treat!

I'm reluctant to say that I have no pain though.

Because people get the wrong idea when I make that statement.

You see, "I have no pain" is a relative statement for a fibromyalgia sufferer.

And when I say that I have no pain, I am making the statement relative to the degree of pain I used to have (or the amount of pain I am in today vs yesterday; or even this hour vs last hour).

"No pain" for me now is just a naggy little reminder that I shouldn't make certain movements (if I ignore the message, I will be in more than naggy little pain).

But let me say, for the record, that I have no pain.

I realize that my level of pain relief is due to the fact that I take Cesamet and Lyrica.  But I was taking both of those medications two days ago, and I had pain then -- because I was not sleeping well.

I slept well last night.

My pain level is lower this morning.

A good night's sleep obviously makes a difference (which I know is not a new discovery).

In Other News:
My boys really blew the game last night -- lost 11-4 to Tampa Bay.
Oh well, the season is a definite goner for them anyway.
They are now 15 games under .500 -- with only 15 games left in the season.

In Other Other News:

On Thursday night, another friend lost her battle with cancer.  We had lost contact over the years, unfortunately only seeing each other at family funerals.  For that I am sorry because we were pretty tight in elementary school and through our teen years.

Rest in Peace Marylou -- your laughter can now be shared and enjoyed up above.

Mattress Woes

My mattress has stopped delivering for me.

That's right.

Five years ago, we bought a super-duper top-of-the-line, guaranteed to last a lifetime (OK, lots of years) cushion-top Kingsdown mattress that would take care of my pressure-point issues.

And take care of my pressure-point issues it did.

I sang its praises far and wide.

My physiotherapist referred others to the same line of mattress based on my recommendations.

The mattress was not cheap.

And now, five years later, it has stopped delivering.

So, has my fibromyalgia worsened in the past five years? Not likely.

In fact, my fibro is better controlled today than it was five years ago.

I'm no longer working, so that removed a lot of the stressors from my life.

I'm using both Lyrica and Cesamet to effect significant pain relief.

I now have the TENs machine and the acupen which both afford pain relief.

None of these "tools" did I have available to me five years ago.

So I think I'm in a better place today insofar as managing the fibro is concerned.

As to my hips, I have no way of assessing them.

Certainly, my left hip is a bigger problem than it was five years ago. I don't think my right hip is any worse than it was but we do know it isn't any better. The Cesamet is working well at keeping the worst of the hip pain at bay.

All I know for sure is, my mattress -- which is only five years old -- has stopped delivering for me.

Not because there's anything wrong with it, you realize.

It's just that the technology has changed and improved so much in five years, you realize (to quote a certain salesman).

So last night was the last night we slept on that version of our therapeutic mattress.

And today we take delivery of a new, super-duper, top-of-the-line, guaranteed to last a very long time, Kingsdown mattress -- that will once again take care of my pressure point issues (just as the other one did when new).

Now, what to do with a perfectly good super-duper, top-of-the-line, lots-of-life-left mattress with not a thing wrong with it? Like we have lots of room in this place to store a humongous queen size mattress until we find a buyer!

Getting Ready to Travel

John is leaving for Saskatchewan on Monday morning -- really, really early (we will have to leave here before 5:00am).

He is busily readying whatever he needs for the trip (clothing, gun, ammo, dog, etc).

We'll get him to the airport on time and once he leaves, my time is my own for six days.

He returns on Sunday, September 27th.

Four days later, we leave for Halifax to attend a wedding (at least I now have something to wear for that).

Needless to say, I'd really like to know that everything for the Halifax trip is in order before John leaves on Monday (ie what my husband is wearing for said wedding).

Yeh, we're getting there.

Sort of.

Still have to do some shopping for both trips.

And of course, there are still "issues" around here that were supposed to be completed before John leaves on Monday.

Saturday is now a wash-out because of other, unforeseen, commitments that have arisen.

That leaves the rest of today, tomorrow and Sunday to get lots done. 

Time is running out.

Oh dear, my fingers may have to do some walking next week.

In Other News:

My boys blew it again last night -- threw away the game in late innings.

So now, they are 14 games under .500 with only 16 games left to play.

Busting the Tooth Fairy Myth

My beautiful boy is determined to bust the myth of the tooth fairy.

For quite some time now, my grandson has been trying to figure out the whole Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, business and we've been fairly good at keeping the fantasy going. (Or he's been pretty good at playing along with us to keep the loot coming -- he is, after all, not stupid!)

Last year, he came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea of how to catch the tooth fairy in the act.

He would not tell anyone when a tooth had come out and he would see if the tooth fairy appeared and made the exchange.

Well, she did appear and made the exchange.  Because, of course, he shared his plan with his Mom.

All she had to do -- once she knew he had a loose tooth -- was check the tooth fairy box nightly until there was a tooth in it.

It didn't take long; he had told her of his plan on the day the tooth fell out!

She and I had a good chuckle at the time wondering how long it would take him to figure out NOT to let his Mom in on his scheme.

Well, I guess with his most recent tooth loss, he tried again.

But he was going to catch the tooth fairy this time.

As he got into the car to be taken to school this morning, he announced, "Oh Mom, I forgot to tell you.  My tooth came out yesterday."

"It did?" queries Mom.

"Yup.  When I was eating lunch," he says, with a big grin.

"Well," says Mom, "we'll have to put it in the box for the tooth fairy then."

"Oh, I already did and I got my money," says he.

End of discussion.

He has now proven that the tooth fairy exists!

Imagine the discussions that will happen at school today!  I can just hear them!

Now, how did his scheme fail this time?

Well, for a very smart little boy, sometimes he is such a man (shortsighted thinker)!

This time, he told his DAD!  I'm sure a tooth fairy can only be female (think about it for a minute).  I'm sure he thought it would be perfectly safe to share his secret scheme with his Dad.  Either that, or he figured he'd better have a back-up just in case -- he likes the loot so someone in the household better know. 

In Other News:

My boys, with Doc on the mound, DID manage to beat up on the Yankees last night.

They are still 13 games under .500 -- with only 17 games left on the season.

Saw my Doctor Today

He's not the least bit concerned about anything with respect to me.

My fibro is being well managed with the Lyrica and the Cesament.

We discussed all my issues.

He feels that the appetite suppressant effect will settle down (as do so many things with drug side effects).

He gave me a requisition to have my blood clotting abilities measured so we can see if anything sinister is going on in that department.

He gave me a mitt-full of new prescriptions to cover me off for the next three months (my massage and physio prescriptions both come up for renewal in that intervening timeframe).

I had an 8:45am appointment -- I left there at 9:20am.

That, I want to tell you, is a record!

My doctor's office has become a modicum of efficiency of late.

I don't know what's happened -- but I like it.

Having left there at 9:20am, it took me until noon to get home because I made several stops en route.

I took care of things around here (unpacked from having been in the city overnight, etc) and sat down to read the newspapers.

Yeh, sure.

I fell asleep at I have no idea what time.

Woke at 5:50pm.

OK, John woke me at 5:50pm so I could catch the last, most important, segment of the political program that we like.

So here we it sit -- 7:00 pm and the ball game has started.

John is cooking supper and Doc is about to take the mound against the Yankees.

Let's see if he can pull off a win for these guys!

Sad day today.

A good friend lost her fight with cancer last night.
Rest in peace, Verna.
We'll miss you.

Fowler's Slow Saturday Standard

We have a routine in this household.

Every morning, John walks to the end of the laneway to retrieve our newspapers.

Part of my "therapy" if you will is to start my days slowly. So, unless I have to go into Ottawa, when I wake up, I make my coffee, grab the newspapers and return to bed with a full coffee cup to read said newspapers. What's the point of being retired if not to proceed through life as one wishes?

Only once I am through reading both the Ottawa Citizen and the National Post do I get up and make breakfast. I also have to do both the Jumble and the Sudoku puzzles in the papers each day -- it's like an addiction! John usually provides coffee refill service for me while he patiently waits for breakfast.

As you know, Saturday papers are rather voluminous -- they take verrrrrrrrrry long to read. That means it is often near noon before Saturday breakfast is served in this household. But oh what a delectable feast it is when it finally reaches the table.

Six days a week, our breakfast consists of a bowl of cereal, with toast or bagel; or muffins. Only on Saturdays does John get a breakfast of poached egg on english muffin with hollandaise sauce, bacon, blood pudding, home fries, and asparagus (usually it is fried tomatoes but today he had to "settle" for asparagus). (You'll have to forgive the lousy photographs -- I've never been able to take a photo to save my soul!)

Today, it was actually 12:40 pm before breakfast was put on the table.

Good things are worth waiting for, aren't they?

In Other News:

Using the acupen on my hips before going to bed seems to be having a cumulative benefit -- I did not wake at all last night. So obviously, I do have to get in the habit of using the acupen every night.

In Other Other News:

My boys won their game last night. The bullpen tried hard to throw away the 6-1 lead they had in the 7th inning but they managed to hang on and won 6-4 in spite of themselves.

They're 13 games under .500 now -- with only 21 games left to play!!!!!

Remembering 9/11

I remember the morning of September 11, 2001 ...

At the time, I had a dream job: the MP I worked for had no problem with my working from home when he wasn't in Ottawa (which I tried to arrange as frequently as possible!) and we closed the office for the summer months.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was going into Ottawa to ready the office for Parliament's return after the summer break. My usual 45-minute commute was taking much longer because I was driving in later in the morning than I would normally have been.

This was not going to be a routine day at the office -- I was just going in on my own clock and would leave whenever it suited me. Parliament wasn't actually "opening" for another week so my MP was still in the riding and we would touch base by telephone the way we did every day.

That morning, my car radio was on CBC so I could catch the news and ... well, you know what I heard. And like everyone who heard the horror that morning -- my ears heard it, but my head didn't want to believe it.

I immediately phoned John (yes, even then I had hands-free cell phone in my car) to ask if he heard the news and to see if had the television on. He was able to fill me in on what little extra information he could glean from the television broadcast so we stayed on the phone while I drove the rest of the way into Ottawa.

Once I arrived at the office, I quickly took care of what needed my attention while my eyes were glued to the television and the telephone was glued to my ear (talk about multi-tasking).

John wanted me to get out of the Parliamentary precinct NOW. He felt that if there were terror attacks being levied against governments (and remember, at that point, nobody knew for sure what was happening or how far reaching its threat) he didn't want his wife sitting in an office at the centre of Canada's government.

I remember thinking, "I need to hug my daughter and grandson." My beautiful boy was not quite three months old at the time so my little chickadee was at home with him. I of course telephoned and told my daughter that I would be there as soon as I could.

Once I contacted my MP, his first words were, "Get the *&*^ out of there, you crazy fool! We'll talk later." He shared John's concerns about the unknown aspects of terror threats. We actually talked as I drove to my daughter's place and we agreed to leave the office closed for a few extra days until we learned more about the situation.

I spent an hour or so with my daughter and grandson before driving home to a very anxious husband. I remember calling my step-daughter that evening and telling her that I just felt the need to hug my family and since I couldn't actually visit her, would she please consider the call a hug?

On this, the 8th anniversary of such a horrid disaster, we remember the thousands of people who died when New York's Twin Towers were destroyed. We also remember those who perished hours later in a similar attack on the Pentagon, and in the attempted attack which went down in Pennsylvania when the passengers overpowered the hijackers. RIP all of you.

Hug those you love when you have the chance ...

My Local Pharmacist ...

My local pharmacist is a truly marvelous resource; it's almost like having a doctor in my back pocket.

I stopped in to pick up my next supply of Cesamet and had a few questions about the drug. I'll be seeing my doctor next week and will be asking him several of the same questions, but I wanted to get my pharmacist's take on a few things I've noticed since I started taking it.

What an interesting discussion it turned out to be!

• The bruises that I've been acquiring from no apparent cause (I can no longer make jokes about being a battered wife because I'm starting to actually look like one!) are most likely the result of my taking Lyrica. Blood tests will indicate if there is any need for concern.
• My lack of appetite and resulting weight loss are directly related to my taking Cesamet -- woo hoo! Finally, an obscure side effect that I can actually welcome, as long as it doesn't persist beyond a healthy level. (Once I reach my appropriate weight, if I continue to lose, I will have to revisit this issue.) My doctor may not agree with me on this approach to weight loss.
• Apparently, there is an addictive aspect to Cesamet. And the "come down" effect I've noticed on both occasions following our recent travel outings (when I've taken the higher dose on several consecutive days) is in fact my body saying, "Give me that extra shot please." So my friendly neighbourhood pharmacist suggested that I try taking .5mg extra on the day (or two days, if necessary) following such instances to allow my body a slower return to the lower dose. That means I will need two Cesamet scripts: 1.0 mg capsules, and 0.5 mg capsules.

So many topics to discuss with my doctor (there are other items on my list as well).

And the sign says to limit my issues to two.

What ever will I do?

Good thing I only ever see my doctor about one issue: ME.

I am well rested today ...

Had a wonderfully restful sleep last night.

All night.

Never woke up once.

Not once I tell you.

And my hips knew it too.

But I am rested.

And not at all stiff and sore.

What made the difference, you ask?

I had my physio session yesterday. That's what made the difference.

Duhh! Why have I not seen the pattern before this?

Obviously, I benefit from the sessions or I wouldn't keep going. They are one of my pain management tools and my weekly chats with my physiotherapist also give me lots of good tips on how to control whatever little naggy problems might come up in the intervening days. My physiotherapist has a very deep knowledge base of interesting ways to deal with pain.

It was my physiotherapist who convinced me to get the TENs machine and the acupen -- so that I could better manage my pain without having to run to her every other day (which is what I used to have to do when I was working). And both the TENs machine and the acupen work to their own strengths.

That would also explain why, when we travel, I sleep not so badly. I use my acupen on my hips every night before I go to bed when we are not at home; that's the next best thing to an acupuncture session! And I always have the TENs unit with me when we travel so that I can slap it on if need be.

But I have to use these pain management tools to gain the benefit of their therapy.

So I will start using the acupen again tonight, and I will use it every night before I retire, just like I used to when I was working (before I retired - ha ha)!

Now, one might wonder why, if I have these tools at home, do I need to bother going into Ottawa at all then?

The simple answer is, I'm not an acupuncturist. Seriously though, I can't place 40+ acupuncture needles into strategic locations in my body (from neck to ankle); preceded by the insertion of ice packs under my groin; followed by the careful placement of heat packs on my back.

Then I lie there for 30 minutes and let the needles do their thing. When my physiotherapist comes back, she sometimes disturbs my just-about-to-go-to-sleep state. She tells me that most people hit that state at about the 15-minute mark (I often NEVER get there).

The needles are removed in reverse order to which they were placed, providing maximum therapeutic benefit to the areas that need it that week (always the hips). It often takes up to fifteen minutes to insert all the needles (sometimes there are interruptions); less than two to minutes remove them!

In Other News:

My boys lost the game again last night -- with Doc on the mound. And he went the distance for them again! Why, oh why, can't those guys give my man the run support he deserves?

Oh well, 23 games left boys. Tempus fugit!!!!!

A Long Horrid Night ...

Well, was I paying the price for too much "cleaning up?"

Although I have had worse, last night was absolutely horrid!

I need to go into Ottawa for a very long day today, so I could have used a good night's sleep. Guess that wasn't in the cards for me.

From what I can tell, while Cesamet is doing its thing during the day, it just doesn't seem to be quite enough during the night?

Or do I again need to ramp up the extra hip padding on my mattress? (I'll be touching the ceiling soon!)

My hips are not able to withstand the pressure of laying on my side; I can usually manage about an hour on my left, but not more than 30 minutes on my right.

And I cannot physically switch sides without fully waking up to do so -- if I'm awake, my brain goes into its constant mental churning, which takes a while to turn off, so it takes time to get back to sleep.

So I lose a significant amount of sleep time during the night just because I have to turn over.

And then there's those darned pee breaks ...

Anyway, here I am, 6:00am and very tired.

But I'm not stiff and sore.

Which proves my point that IF I have a good night's sleep (read, I don't wake up, which means I have stayed put, without switching sides) I wake up stiff and sore and I have very sore hips from having laid on one side or the other all night. (I still haven't figured out how laying on my left hip can cause such severe pain in my right hip, and vice versa; but it happens.)

So my options are?

Be rested, but be stiff, sore and have sore hips.

Be tired, but be limber, and only a bit sore.

So, you can't win for trying.

We're going into Ottawa today for appointments (hearing aid follow-ups; physiotherapist) and we'll have lunch between them. Then we have a few errands to run before we can come home. So it's going to be a very long day.

I will be taking the extra Cesamet capsule today (my "out-and-about-dose") -- wish me luck!

In Other News:

My boys actually pulled off a win in last night's game!

Just 24 to go -- keep up the good work, boys!

Finished the Basement Storage Room!!!!!

Woo hoo !!! Shall we celebrate?

OK, I didn't quite do the remake that I had originally envisioned.

But it certainly is cleaner than it was.

And the new back shelf makes for a much neater and much better organized black hole.

So the front entrance to my home is now back to normal too.

At least it will be -- as soon as all the bags of clothing that are waiting at the door to be taken to the drop-off centre make their way to my car tomorrow.

And I did laundry too.

Now I have to go deal with that laundry.

Yucko!

In Other News:

My boys may have lost their game last night, but 2nd baseman Aaron Hill won big time!

Congratulations to Aaron and his wife on the birth of their first child -- Victoria.

Got the Bathroom Finished

Finally, after numerous rest breaks, the bathroom is returned to its proper state.

I cannot believe the frequency of breaks that I have to take for these exercises -- it really is quite discouraging!

But at least I know that Cesamet is still doing it's thing because I have no pain.

In any event, the bathroom is done now, and the closet is sooooooooo much cleaner than it was.

This proved to be an excellent opportunity to review the clothing that was hanging in there and vet the closet of stuff that hasn't actually seen my body in many years and won't ever see my body again.

I also found stuff in the back corners of the shelves that I didn't know I had (common phenomenon that we've all experienced at one time or another).

Isn't it funny how there's almost always a silver lining to be found in these disasters?

So at least the bathroom is done now.

Tomorrow, back to the basement storage area.

In Other News:

My boys dropped today's game.

Only 25 games left to turn their fortunes around!

Only 10:00am and I'm already Pooped ...

Had a reasonably good night last night.

Don't recall really coming to consciousness at any point so I must have slept right through.

But I woke this morning really sore and stiff again.

Not pain really -- just sore and stiff.

Again, it worked itself out once I was up and about.

So maybe the answer is ....

... don't sleep?

Nah, that obviously is not the solution.

Anyway, I have started to put the bathroom back together again.

John got to that project right away this morning so the shelf in there is fixed (and won't be coming down again in this lifetime).

But it's only 10:00am and I've run out of gas.

So now I'll take a break and wait for my energy level to rise to an appropriate point to go back at it again.

I guess the basement storage area is waiting yet again ...

My Household Travails Continue

Oh dear when does it end?

There's a saying, "If you own your own home, you deserve it."

How fitting these days.

We haven't yet returned everything to "normal" from our water leak and ...

... the shelf in my bathroom storage closet came tumbling down.

Yup.

Kaput.

So now all my off-season clothing is piled high on my bed (have to find somewhere else for them before bedtime tonight).

The bathroom is a disaster -- every flat surface in the room is now filled with contents of the shelves.

Just another project to add to the list.

In Other News:

My boys won their game today -- big time! Made the Yankees look like the Bad News Bears.

So now they just need 19 more wins out of the next 26 -- piece of cake, as they say in the business.

Difficult Night Again

Woke every hour and a half, two hours last night.

Very stiff and sore.

Couldn't seem to get comfortable.

Once I was up and about this morning though, I limbered up and I feel pretty good now.

I'm tired, but I'm not stiff and sore.

No pain, especially.

Guess everyone has a bad night once in a while.

I'm taking R&R days today and tomorrow (although I do have to run an errand today or we will have no milk).

I will, however, have to remember to do those stretches so I don't stiffen up again.

Ooooooops.

Interesting isn't it?

One must rest to recover from the abuses one heaps on oneself.

But one must not remain stationary -- keep those muscles moving because if one does not move, one will not be able to move ...

R&R days are critical -- but stretches are imperative to my ability to move at all!

My meds (Lyrica and most especially Cesamet) can only work their magic if I do my part!

In other news:

My boys lost their game last night (6-4 to the Yankees).

So now they are 15 games under .500 (60 - 75).

All they need do now is win 21 of the 27 games left this season.

Voila -- they finish with a .500 season!!!!!!

Ha Ha sometimes I am so funny!

Good luck my beloved Blue Jays -- you're gonna need it!

My Boys WON !!!!!!!!

Woo hoo -- 6 - 0 against the Yankees last night!

Doc was brilliant -- he pitched the complete game; a one-hitter shut out. That's a very impressive outing! It was such a treat to see him back in his old form.

The Jays are now 14 games under .500. They have 28 games left. They will need to go on a hell of a tear if they want to finish the season with a .500 record -- that's the best they can hope for now and we know that's not likely to happen.

So they are destined to finish this season with what will be their worst record ever.

This is the team that Doc so desperately hopes to win with; but he wants a World Series ring. If ever there's been a pitcher who has had a career deserving of a ring, Roy Halladay is that pitcher. Unfortunately, it isn't going to come his way via the Toronto Blue Jays. Let's hope he lands on a winning team before his career ends.

In other news:

Cesamet is wonderful!

A very long day in the city (Monday), followed by three days on the road (our mini-holiday) and I lived through it! The road trip was not exactly easy because long periods in a vehicle are never easy but we had frequent breaks which made it bearable.

Where Cesamet shines through is in its ability to effect fast recovery from the abuses.

Not only was I able to withstand the physical abuses of the four days, after taking yesterday as an absolute R&R day, I woke this morning feeling quite returned to normal.

I am, however, still taking today and tomorrow as R&R days as further insurance.

The storage area has waited this long; it can wait a few more days.

I don't want to push the envelope.