One of the members of my care team, Mel, had experience with a web site a friend off hers had used coordinating volunteer requests, when she was dealing with cancer. She passed the web site information to another member of the group, Alice, who has the computer experience to adapt it for me. Happily, Alice has just retired, so she had time to do that. If you wants access to the web site, you can contact her at alicebloch@comcast.
I’ve been having trouble coordinating stuffing the chicken breast recipe we like. Carol pointed out I could get chicken tenders and layer them, instead. Smart woman.
We are going to see the Storm, our women’s basketball team, who Carol turned me on to.
The present moment is entertaining.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Feeling Left Out
Carol sometimes goes to events with her friends without me. Usually, that doesn’t bother me. For some reason, a recent one, a barbecue with her friend Kate, had me feeling left out. I talked to Carol about it. She said Kate’s house wasn’t very accessible. She also said including me can be stressful, because she winds up feeling like she has to take care of me. Knowing that helped.
We're off to Zoo Tunes to see Brandi Carlisle, another great performer Carol turned me on to.
The present moment has me laughing with contentment.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Very Generous Offer
I just got this email from my friend Barbara Daniels. That cheers up my transportation problem.
“I'm glad you qualify for the half-price taxi rate, Marian, but you also have my phone number. I am a night owl so give me a call anytime you want a ride, even at the last minute, daytime, evening, or night.”
The present moment is sunny.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
This and That
The other day, I did a scary goof, forgetting to remove the cardboard under a pizza, before putting it in the oven. Fortunately the temperature wasn’t over farenheit 451. I thought maybe I should stop using the stove. Carol said it was a fairly normal mistake and that it was probably safe to continue to use it. I was relieved, because it would be a pain to have to stop.
Carol told me she is uneasy about some times I come home by bus alone in the evening. She would like me to take a taxi sometimes. I’ve been hesitant about the cost. My friend, JoAnn, gave me the good news that I qualify for half price taxi rides. That will help a lot.
Carol told me she is uneasy about some times I come home by bus alone in the evening. She would like me to take a taxi sometimes. I’ve been hesitant about the cost. My friend, JoAnn, gave me the good news that I qualify for half price taxi rides. That will help a lot.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Good News
Office Depot wound up fixing our computer, so no one lost any data, including a slew of tunes.. Lena had a bit of homework go missing, but she had it in email form, too. So she didn’t have to say, “The computer ate my homework.”
We all three went to Minneapolis for the HDSA conference. Lena ran around with her friends. Scientists reported on promising research. We also got to see the sights there.
At our recent Care Committee, Alice asked me how I am doing about transportation. She nudged me about that I had been shy about accepting a lift from a friend of hers from Ann Patchett’s talk. She said, “Accept the ride next time.”
Dick said, “Just be careful not to ride with strangers with candy.”
Our friend Mel found us a small vacuum cleaner.
The present moment is sunshine.
We all three went to Minneapolis for the HDSA conference. Lena ran around with her friends. Scientists reported on promising research. We also got to see the sights there.
At our recent Care Committee, Alice asked me how I am doing about transportation. She nudged me about that I had been shy about accepting a lift from a friend of hers from Ann Patchett’s talk. She said, “Accept the ride next time.”
Dick said, “Just be careful not to ride with strangers with candy.”
Our friend Mel found us a small vacuum cleaner.
The present moment is sunshine.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Ring Solution
I have been going to Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 35 years, because I am a big fan. When Carol and I got together, she saw the charm of the trip. While we were there, this year, she bought me a band that fits my left ring finger and has the quote “to be or not to be”on it. She reassured me I don’t look too femmy wearing both rings.
Carol joked that her daughter Lena, whose birthday was last week, wasn’t going to get a present because Carol spent that money on me. I reminded her the ring was on my birthday list. She said, “Your birthday isn’t until the end of August.”
I said “I will remember.” And I will, even thought my memory is crappy.
I had trouble with the brakes on my walker getting loose. I was going to call my PT to find out who I could ask to fix them. Carol figured it out. She is what my friend Mel calls a can-do femme.
I asked Carol whether she thought I should stop cleaning my glasses, since that is how I broke the last pair. She agreed. I asked her whether she would like me to ask my friend Dick to make cleaning my glasses part of our standing date, so it all doesn’t fall to her. She said she doesn’t mind doing it.
I had been doing reading a page of Spanish as not a daily practice, but a regular one. It became irregular when I didn’t bring those books to Ashland with me. I’m winding up agreeing with my friend Kit that it is too slow to keep momentum. Fortunately, Carol also has Dreaming in Spanish in English.
My vocabulary in Italian is much better. I’ve switched to a page at a time from Corriere Della Sera, a newspaper in Turin, where I have friends. That went much more smoothly. It prepares me for the trip I’d like to make back there with Carol.
Carol joked that her daughter Lena, whose birthday was last week, wasn’t going to get a present because Carol spent that money on me. I reminded her the ring was on my birthday list. She said, “Your birthday isn’t until the end of August.”
I said “I will remember.” And I will, even thought my memory is crappy.
I had trouble with the brakes on my walker getting loose. I was going to call my PT to find out who I could ask to fix them. Carol figured it out. She is what my friend Mel calls a can-do femme.
I asked Carol whether she thought I should stop cleaning my glasses, since that is how I broke the last pair. She agreed. I asked her whether she would like me to ask my friend Dick to make cleaning my glasses part of our standing date, so it all doesn’t fall to her. She said she doesn’t mind doing it.
I had been doing reading a page of Spanish as not a daily practice, but a regular one. It became irregular when I didn’t bring those books to Ashland with me. I’m winding up agreeing with my friend Kit that it is too slow to keep momentum. Fortunately, Carol also has Dreaming in Spanish in English.
My vocabulary in Italian is much better. I’ve switched to a page at a time from Corriere Della Sera, a newspaper in Turin, where I have friends. That went much more smoothly. It prepares me for the trip I’d like to make back there with Carol.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Feeling Dopey
Mondays I usually go to the gym. I decided to take a holiday, Memorial Day, even though the gym was open.
My alarm goes off at 9:00 so I will remember to take my medicine. Wednesday, for some reason, I felt like going back to bed, so I did, after eating a croissant, so I wouldn’t lose weight. I have a standing date with my friend Dick for lunch Wednesday, so I got out of bed in time to make the bus to meet him. I told him I had been back to bed, and that I was feeling like it might be hard to get to the gym on Thursday, because of that dopiness. He usually sees me at the gym. Dick had noticed I wasn’t there Monday. He said it is all right to take a break, but important to get back to my exercise routine.
Dick also asked me if I was feeling depressed. I thought I might be and remembered it is a side effect of the tetrabenazine I am taking. I thought I could ask to increase my antidepressant. I mentioned the issue to Carol. She didn’t feel I was depressed.
On further thought I realized I had skipped my morning dose of creatine Wednesday, because it has a stimulant effect. I wanted to sleep in. I also missed my meditation to make it to lunch. The combination was why I had felt off my game.
Sure enough, Thursday, when I did both of those things, I only felt my usual resistance to going to the gym. Dick waved to me, through the window, as I was on the stationary bicycle. Our friend John stood beside him and applauded me.
Last night, I had quite a bit of trouble getting to sleep. I take a bunch of sleeping medications. It felt like I had forgotten one. So, I am sleepy again. I canceled Interplay, this morning, and a concert I was supposed to go to with Carol, tonight. Oh well.
The present moment is dozey.
My alarm goes off at 9:00 so I will remember to take my medicine. Wednesday, for some reason, I felt like going back to bed, so I did, after eating a croissant, so I wouldn’t lose weight. I have a standing date with my friend Dick for lunch Wednesday, so I got out of bed in time to make the bus to meet him. I told him I had been back to bed, and that I was feeling like it might be hard to get to the gym on Thursday, because of that dopiness. He usually sees me at the gym. Dick had noticed I wasn’t there Monday. He said it is all right to take a break, but important to get back to my exercise routine.
Dick also asked me if I was feeling depressed. I thought I might be and remembered it is a side effect of the tetrabenazine I am taking. I thought I could ask to increase my antidepressant. I mentioned the issue to Carol. She didn’t feel I was depressed.
On further thought I realized I had skipped my morning dose of creatine Wednesday, because it has a stimulant effect. I wanted to sleep in. I also missed my meditation to make it to lunch. The combination was why I had felt off my game.
Sure enough, Thursday, when I did both of those things, I only felt my usual resistance to going to the gym. Dick waved to me, through the window, as I was on the stationary bicycle. Our friend John stood beside him and applauded me.
Last night, I had quite a bit of trouble getting to sleep. I take a bunch of sleeping medications. It felt like I had forgotten one. So, I am sleepy again. I canceled Interplay, this morning, and a concert I was supposed to go to with Carol, tonight. Oh well.
The present moment is dozey.
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