Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Pumpkin Pie Blizzard
I've just returned from Dairy Queen and made the following conclusion: the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard is fabulous!!!!! Pumpkin pie filling and crust swirled in vanilla softserve ice cream. It's a keeper. Now if only the service was better...
Monday, November 07, 2005
The House Thing Again
Now that I'm not in pain all the time, I wouldn't mind sticking around in this house for awhile. Not forever, just awhile. Longer than a few more years, I think. Although...boy oh boy, talk about flip flopping! Ok, I know, completely contrary to what I said a few posts back about not wanting to live in old houses ever again. Well, hang on...it's not contrary because I won't move to another old house, just stay in this one a little longer. There's too much to do anyway. Besides, when we finally remodel the kitchen I want to have time to really enjoy it.
Anyway. This last spring we completely cleared out the front garden bed. To see if we got everything, we kept it empty for the summer. Sure enough, we did get everything! Credit goes to Patrick and Nick for their outstanding effort.
Today we picked up 25 bags of hardwood mulch, 18 garden mums (yellow: 12 pincushion and 6 daisy types) and 30 mixed but mostly pink/purple/blue pansies. We should have gotten about 30 more. It's a very large bed. Amongst all of it we'll plant Lamb's Ear and more Hosta which we haven't gotten yet. I'd like to plant Lenten Rose, too, if we can find it. Patrick laid in the first ten bags of mulch, and I've placed the plants. However, it's just too dark to do the rest of the mulch and plant the goodies. So, I'll do a few plants each morning so they don't all dry out.
When it's all done I'll post a picture (updated 10/6/2006: which obviously I did not do).
Anyway. This last spring we completely cleared out the front garden bed. To see if we got everything, we kept it empty for the summer. Sure enough, we did get everything! Credit goes to Patrick and Nick for their outstanding effort.
Today we picked up 25 bags of hardwood mulch, 18 garden mums (yellow: 12 pincushion and 6 daisy types) and 30 mixed but mostly pink/purple/blue pansies. We should have gotten about 30 more. It's a very large bed. Amongst all of it we'll plant Lamb's Ear and more Hosta which we haven't gotten yet. I'd like to plant Lenten Rose, too, if we can find it. Patrick laid in the first ten bags of mulch, and I've placed the plants. However, it's just too dark to do the rest of the mulch and plant the goodies. So, I'll do a few plants each morning so they don't all dry out.
When it's all done I'll post a picture (updated 10/6/2006: which obviously I did not do).
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
You're right, too long since the last post.
Gee, finally getting to my email and what do I see? Mom, chastising me for not posting often enough. She's right!!! Thank you, Mother :)
Nick is into his own life now. We had a wonderful visit with him during Basic
Training Graduation. He was so excited to be able to buy things with money he earned that he picked up a new CD player and a PSP, which is a cool little gadget. He's off to Fort Gordon for 29 weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in his field: signal networks, aka communications. He'll be one of the guys who supports the communications gear, the signal for walkie-talkies, wireless data transmission, satellite communicates, stuff like that. For those who understand the MOS system, he's in 25U. Here's a link that describes those duties: http://www.us-army-info.com/pages/mos/signal/31u.html. Fort Gordon is located on the Georgia/South Carolina border, 
it's the gray smudge just outside of Augusta. I-20 is the freeway that rolls by. If he golfed, he'd be in hog heaven. Who knows? Maybe he'll learn? Nah, won't happen; no joysticks involved.
He called this weekend to say he'd be home for Christmas for two weeks. He bought his plane ticket today and couldn't wait to tell us! I'll share his mailing address when I receive it later this week. His friend, Nick (a.k.a. Redgate Nick), moved a few blocks away and is within easy walking distance and he's excited about that. Redgate Nick got him his first job at Luna Maya Restaurant. Our Nick has since left, but Redgate Nick is head chef now and he's so thrilled and scared. He is "Redgate Nick" because he lived on Redgate Avenue and we kept getting confused - the possessive pronouns didn't always point to the right character, and otherwise it's just awkward to say or write. We have to call him Michigan Nick now, though, because he lives on Michigan Ave. Which doesn't make sense in Colonial Place where the streets are named after the first thirteen and a couple of important sea captains, of whom Michigan was not one, I'm sure. I don't think we'll really be able to break the habit of calling him Redgate Nick, though, because we've been doing that for a few years now. He shall always be...Redgate Nick.
My management changed at work so I have a new boss who has been keeping me really busy. He's an entirely different character than my former boss and that's mostly a good thing but he has pretty high expectations that are welcome but we're out of practice. I'm having a blast with my photography and I'm getting better but I'm behind on scanning and sharing so I hope to catch up on that this weekend.
Kent is involved in a local production of Don Quixote, abridged. It's supposed to be an "artistic interpretation" of the traditional story that the director was writing at the time of the first rehearsal; Kent isn't so keen on the interpretation. A Don Quixote scholar, in Germany, is long-distance coaching the director and reviewing the script as it's being written. Kent is in a supporting role (a good thing since he's still working on his Master's degree). Rehearsals are most nights and the show opens the week before Thanksgiving. School is mostly interesting but the fun part is some robotics activity that Kent is involved in. I don't understand all the details but when I do I'll share!
Patrick is rowing six days a week: qualifying for his first level of master skuller (or whatever it's called) in a single, coxing for the women's eight on Saturday's for Hampton Roads Rowing Club, weekdays rowing with Maury High School's men's four because Norview High, where he attends, doesn't have a rowing club, and having fun little races with his coach, James. He's really hooked on this stuff, is exhausted by 7:30pm, and has a permanent sparkle in his eyes. I'm pretty sure that last is because of the rowing, as opposed to drugs. He doesn't have time for them! Last weekend was the big fall race, Head of the Lafayette. I have video, I'm editing, I will share.
That's it on the home front, and I promised Mom I'd post this last night which I didn't so I will this morning and hope she'll forgive me :)
Oh ya. Here's another photo from Fort Benning. Apparently some French battalion had as their maschot a dachsund. "We're so confident in our manhood we'll have little dachshund as our maschot and display him with pride!" (You must, must say this with a Frenglish accent, please.)
Nick is into his own life now. We had a wonderful visit with him during Basic
Training Graduation. He was so excited to be able to buy things with money he earned that he picked up a new CD player and a PSP, which is a cool little gadget. He's off to Fort Gordon for 29 weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in his field: signal networks, aka communications. He'll be one of the guys who supports the communications gear, the signal for walkie-talkies, wireless data transmission, satellite communicates, stuff like that. For those who understand the MOS system, he's in 25U. Here's a link that describes those duties: http://www.us-army-info.com/pages/mos/signal/31u.html. Fort Gordon is located on the Georgia/South Carolina border, 
it's the gray smudge just outside of Augusta. I-20 is the freeway that rolls by. If he golfed, he'd be in hog heaven. Who knows? Maybe he'll learn? Nah, won't happen; no joysticks involved.He called this weekend to say he'd be home for Christmas for two weeks. He bought his plane ticket today and couldn't wait to tell us! I'll share his mailing address when I receive it later this week. His friend, Nick (a.k.a. Redgate Nick), moved a few blocks away and is within easy walking distance and he's excited about that. Redgate Nick got him his first job at Luna Maya Restaurant. Our Nick has since left, but Redgate Nick is head chef now and he's so thrilled and scared. He is "Redgate Nick" because he lived on Redgate Avenue and we kept getting confused - the possessive pronouns didn't always point to the right character, and otherwise it's just awkward to say or write. We have to call him Michigan Nick now, though, because he lives on Michigan Ave. Which doesn't make sense in Colonial Place where the streets are named after the first thirteen and a couple of important sea captains, of whom Michigan was not one, I'm sure. I don't think we'll really be able to break the habit of calling him Redgate Nick, though, because we've been doing that for a few years now. He shall always be...Redgate Nick.
My management changed at work so I have a new boss who has been keeping me really busy. He's an entirely different character than my former boss and that's mostly a good thing but he has pretty high expectations that are welcome but we're out of practice. I'm having a blast with my photography and I'm getting better but I'm behind on scanning and sharing so I hope to catch up on that this weekend.
Kent is involved in a local production of Don Quixote, abridged. It's supposed to be an "artistic interpretation" of the traditional story that the director was writing at the time of the first rehearsal; Kent isn't so keen on the interpretation. A Don Quixote scholar, in Germany, is long-distance coaching the director and reviewing the script as it's being written. Kent is in a supporting role (a good thing since he's still working on his Master's degree). Rehearsals are most nights and the show opens the week before Thanksgiving. School is mostly interesting but the fun part is some robotics activity that Kent is involved in. I don't understand all the details but when I do I'll share!
Patrick is rowing six days a week: qualifying for his first level of master skuller (or whatever it's called) in a single, coxing for the women's eight on Saturday's for Hampton Roads Rowing Club, weekdays rowing with Maury High School's men's four because Norview High, where he attends, doesn't have a rowing club, and having fun little races with his coach, James. He's really hooked on this stuff, is exhausted by 7:30pm, and has a permanent sparkle in his eyes. I'm pretty sure that last is because of the rowing, as opposed to drugs. He doesn't have time for them! Last weekend was the big fall race, Head of the Lafayette. I have video, I'm editing, I will share.
That's it on the home front, and I promised Mom I'd post this last night which I didn't so I will this morning and hope she'll forgive me :)
Oh ya. Here's another photo from Fort Benning. Apparently some French battalion had as their maschot a dachsund. "We're so confident in our manhood we'll have little dachshund as our maschot and display him with pride!" (You must, must say this with a Frenglish accent, please.)
Sunday, October 02, 2005
I'm sure I told you, Mom...
Says she who is the Mom that she didn't know I had arthritis. I thought for sure I mentioned that. Well, I've been seeing a rheumatologist for a little over a year. I was diagnosed with garden variety osteoarthritis in my hands (probably genetic), and psoriatic arthritis in my sacroiliac joints (not so genetic). I guess you could say a I have a pain in the butt, and Mom says I can blame her and the dads. Although maybe I didn't, because it's one thing to complain about the little aches and pains and another to spring major medical news. So maybe I didn't mention it.
I took an awesome picture on the way to a doctor appt last week. I was early so I drove around the area for a while. Dr. Luke is off of Battlefield Blvd near Volvo Parkway, so I just kept driving down Battlefield to see what was there. I don't go out into Chesapeake that much because it's so depressing: new housing developments everywhere where the cookie-cutter houses are way to big for the occupants, are built cheaply and sell expensively because they have a "cathedral foyer" and a kitchen island. 4000 square feet, ten measly little feet between houses, and no personality whatsoever. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I have a big house but it:
o) was built before 1995 (1913, specifically)
o) is less than 4000 square feet
o) has a foyer but it's the same height as all the other rooms in the house
o) has masses of personality
o) has real plaster walls (a blessing and a curse)
(hum, the second post where I've used bullets; I wonder if it's a sign)
So I was wandering off down Battlefield Blvd and I passed by one of those pumpkin stands. The kind that spring up out of nowhere next to the Mercedes dealership that scream "quaint country." It was 7:30AM and the sun was peaking over the trees and the green grass and the orange pumpkins looked hyper-saturated in the light. And no one was around. I swung a u-turn and shot the remainder of a roll of film I'd been trying to finish off for over a week. I got four or five nice shots, one of them is below.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, all arthritis are a form of an autoimmune disorder in that the body attacks itself (or it's joints). Psoriatic arthritis is a degenerative inflammatory type that is related to psoriasis. Not all people with psoriasis get the arthritic form, and not all people with the arthritic form get the skin form. I don't have the skin form or, if I do, it's so minimal as to be masquerading as something else, like dry elbows and dandruff. Psoriatic arthritis is related more closely to the rheumatoid than osteo forms, and one of the key differences is that supposedly the psoriatic form doesn't test positive for the rheumatoid factor; I've been known to test positive for that at various times but I've also heard that false positives are common and it's not definitive. At this point I have a moderate case that flares up occasionally. This last summer was one of the worst flare ups I've had in my lower back, which I sure hope doesn't happen again soon. Last winter my hands flared up. Being active with photography helps a lot because it keeps me moving and occupied :)
I took an awesome picture on the way to a doctor appt last week. I was early so I drove around the area for a while. Dr. Luke is off of Battlefield Blvd near Volvo Parkway, so I just kept driving down Battlefield to see what was there. I don't go out into Chesapeake that much because it's so depressing: new housing developments everywhere where the cookie-cutter houses are way to big for the occupants, are built cheaply and sell expensively because they have a "cathedral foyer" and a kitchen island. 4000 square feet, ten measly little feet between houses, and no personality whatsoever. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I have a big house but it:
o) was built before 1995 (1913, specifically)
o) is less than 4000 square feet
o) has a foyer but it's the same height as all the other rooms in the house
o) has masses of personality
o) has real plaster walls (a blessing and a curse)
(hum, the second post where I've used bullets; I wonder if it's a sign)
So I was wandering off down Battlefield Blvd and I passed by one of those pumpkin stands. The kind that spring up out of nowhere next to the Mercedes dealership that scream "quaint country." It was 7:30AM and the sun was peaking over the trees and the green grass and the orange pumpkins looked hyper-saturated in the light. And no one was around. I swung a u-turn and shot the remainder of a roll of film I'd been trying to finish off for over a week. I got four or five nice shots, one of them is below.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, all arthritis are a form of an autoimmune disorder in that the body attacks itself (or it's joints). Psoriatic arthritis is a degenerative inflammatory type that is related to psoriasis. Not all people with psoriasis get the arthritic form, and not all people with the arthritic form get the skin form. I don't have the skin form or, if I do, it's so minimal as to be masquerading as something else, like dry elbows and dandruff. Psoriatic arthritis is related more closely to the rheumatoid than osteo forms, and one of the key differences is that supposedly the psoriatic form doesn't test positive for the rheumatoid factor; I've been known to test positive for that at various times but I've also heard that false positives are common and it's not definitive. At this point I have a moderate case that flares up occasionally. This last summer was one of the worst flare ups I've had in my lower back, which I sure hope doesn't happen again soon. Last winter my hands flared up. Being active with photography helps a lot because it keeps me moving and occupied :)
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
More Doctors: Time for a Life Change
This will be a series of posts.
(10/1: or maybe not)
1. I have four doctors: my primary care physician, my rheumatologist, my therapist, and, now, a referral to a podiatrist.
2. Normal, healthy 40+ year olds do not have four doctors
3. While I am far from normal, I am also not healthy.
4. I have the power to change that.
#4 is the kicker, really. Because changing "it" means turning my life upside down, on it's head. It means that the way I've defined myself until this point in time has to change in fundamental ways.
And it scares the shit outa me. I read. I read a lot and I'd be perfectly happy to spend an entire day reading, but that doesn't support the more active me that I have to become. I need to sit down and outline the desctructive behaviors. That's a little harsh. I need to sit down and outline the counterproductive behaviors.
How do healthy people approach food? Exercise? The gap I see between my perception of a healthy lifestyle and an honestly healthy lifestyle has to diminish for this to be successful. There has got to be a balance in the middle.
(10/1: or maybe not)
1. I have four doctors: my primary care physician, my rheumatologist, my therapist, and, now, a referral to a podiatrist.
2. Normal, healthy 40+ year olds do not have four doctors
3. While I am far from normal, I am also not healthy.
4. I have the power to change that.
#4 is the kicker, really. Because changing "it" means turning my life upside down, on it's head. It means that the way I've defined myself until this point in time has to change in fundamental ways.
And it scares the shit outa me. I read. I read a lot and I'd be perfectly happy to spend an entire day reading, but that doesn't support the more active me that I have to become. I need to sit down and outline the desctructive behaviors. That's a little harsh. I need to sit down and outline the counterproductive behaviors.
How do healthy people approach food? Exercise? The gap I see between my perception of a healthy lifestyle and an honestly healthy lifestyle has to diminish for this to be successful. There has got to be a balance in the middle.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Sunday, 9/11/2005
Was 9/11 a horrific event? Yes, it was. Was Katrina a horrific event? Yes, it was. I appreciate the pain and suffering they have endured and continue to endure. How did we handle it all? Not as well as we could have but typically like we always do. Very pointed and very pertinent Slate.com article.
I have a problem managing my daily pain. I don't want this blog to be about pain, arthritis, or any of that stuff, but as someone newly diagnosed and dealing with periodic reduced mobility, it does kind of take a leading role in life. Today, though, I think I'm dealing with yet another ankle sprain. I've been battling these for a few years now, I think since I sprained it badly one winter from slipping on ice. Or is it tendonitis? In any case it's been weak and unstable ever since, and I have to deal with a sprain a couple times a year now. After doing some reading, I'm just gonna tape the damned thing for a month or two and see if that helps. Complete immobilization it just weakens everything around the ankle, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stop moving (although that's kind of what it feels like!).
I'm off to the pharmacy to buy cohesive tape, a better ankle brace, and refill my prescriptions.
I have a problem managing my daily pain. I don't want this blog to be about pain, arthritis, or any of that stuff, but as someone newly diagnosed and dealing with periodic reduced mobility, it does kind of take a leading role in life. Today, though, I think I'm dealing with yet another ankle sprain. I've been battling these for a few years now, I think since I sprained it badly one winter from slipping on ice. Or is it tendonitis? In any case it's been weak and unstable ever since, and I have to deal with a sprain a couple times a year now. After doing some reading, I'm just gonna tape the damned thing for a month or two and see if that helps. Complete immobilization it just weakens everything around the ankle, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stop moving (although that's kind of what it feels like!).
I'm off to the pharmacy to buy cohesive tape, a better ankle brace, and refill my prescriptions.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Labor Day Weekend
Three day weekends are great. I love them. Saturday? Did nothing. That's not entirely true. I messed around with my blog, tweaked a new template, consolidated my movabletype blog to this blog because I don't have the time to really dig into all the things I could do with the moveabletype one even though I prefer it. Played many games of Boggle, and watched five episodes of M*A*S*H season one. So, really, I wouldn't call all that Nothing.
Sunday (today) more playing with the blog template, which I think I'm happy with for now. Write a letter to Nick. Build a "photo gallery" with NetObjects Fusion. Watch the other three episodes of M*A*S*H season one. Log in to the corporate network and approve timesheets. Another "do nothing" day HAHA!
For those with any kind of spondylitis (mine is psoriatic spondylitis), or if you
know anyone with these conditions, or someone who may have broken their tailbone, I found a seat cushion at Walgreens called the "seat solution" that helps with mild to moderate pain. It's a wedge-shaped cushion with a cut-out at the back. The box claims it allows you to sit without putting extra pressur on the sacral joint, basically allowing it to hang more or less freely. The slight incline puts your body into a more aligned postural position. And hey, it works. It's pretty inexpensive at $14.99 and I have one at home and at work now. That was the other mitigating strategy that I used to manage my arthritis pain. It was one of those "as seen on tv" things. If they had this in that visco-elastic foam it would be wonderful. Follow "Today's Link" for info on spondylitis.
Sunday (today) more playing with the blog template, which I think I'm happy with for now. Write a letter to Nick. Build a "photo gallery" with NetObjects Fusion. Watch the other three episodes of M*A*S*H season one. Log in to the corporate network and approve timesheets. Another "do nothing" day HAHA!
For those with any kind of spondylitis (mine is psoriatic spondylitis), or if you
know anyone with these conditions, or someone who may have broken their tailbone, I found a seat cushion at Walgreens called the "seat solution" that helps with mild to moderate pain. It's a wedge-shaped cushion with a cut-out at the back. The box claims it allows you to sit without putting extra pressur on the sacral joint, basically allowing it to hang more or less freely. The slight incline puts your body into a more aligned postural position. And hey, it works. It's pretty inexpensive at $14.99 and I have one at home and at work now. That was the other mitigating strategy that I used to manage my arthritis pain. It was one of those "as seen on tv" things. If they had this in that visco-elastic foam it would be wonderful. Follow "Today's Link" for info on spondylitis.Army, Arthritis, and Stuff
Well, yes, it's been another long delay between posts.
Nick entered basic training on August 18th, and we've had two letters from him so far, as well as two update emails (with pictures!) from the brigade captain. That's pretty amazing because I think Nick has only written two or three email before this.
In case anyone ever said arthritis is fun, I'm here to tell you it ain't true. The hands are ok, and the knees are mostly ok. The sacral joints are the worst, and I spent the better part of August hobbling and looking for relief. I found it in the form of
(a) BenGay pain relieving patch
(b) Thermacare heat wraps
This stuff really works, although I prefer the bengay patches instead of the theramcare ones. Those thermacare patches get pretty warm which makes me really really warm. Dripping with sweat kind of warm. Blech.
I almost had my dream job last week. On Monday I was told I had it. On Wednesday I was told all the open positions in the department were frozen. Damn.
Nick entered basic training on August 18th, and we've had two letters from him so far, as well as two update emails (with pictures!) from the brigade captain. That's pretty amazing because I think Nick has only written two or three email before this.
In case anyone ever said arthritis is fun, I'm here to tell you it ain't true. The hands are ok, and the knees are mostly ok. The sacral joints are the worst, and I spent the better part of August hobbling and looking for relief. I found it in the form of
(a) BenGay pain relieving patch
(b) Thermacare heat wraps
This stuff really works, although I prefer the bengay patches instead of the theramcare ones. Those thermacare patches get pretty warm which makes me really really warm. Dripping with sweat kind of warm. Blech.
I almost had my dream job last week. On Monday I was told I had it. On Wednesday I was told all the open positions in the department were frozen. Damn.
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