... I ought to tell some people that I moved my blog? You think?
Australian Ice Cream. Speculaas flavour. Need I say more?
1. What was your most memorable moment from the last week?
Discovering that I had come to that part of the book before, after all.
2. What one person touched your life this week?
My doctor.
3. How have you helped someone this week?
By turning my thought patterns into drawings.
4. What one thing do you need to get done by this time next week?
Just the one? There's so many things I have to get done, and well before this time next week, too, I won't even start. I guess scheduling a dozen appointments with various people would be one.
5. What one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place?
Make those appointments. No, seriously? Babysteps and routines. Seriously.
1. Poetry or prose?
Prose, although I couldn't live without poetry.
2. Funky modern art or the older, "classic" variety?
Classic, I guess.
3. Sculptures or paintings?
Paintings. Sculptures. Both?
4. Theatre: exuberant musical or serious drama?
Serious drama, definitely. If I want to see a musical, I'll wait for the special dvd edition.
5. Ballet or modern dance?
Ballet. Both classic and the more modern, although I guess I prefer the classics, really.
6. Movies: major studio or indie?
They're both responsible for productions not to be sneezed at, and productions to run away from, trying not to trip in your own vomit.
7. Authors: Shakespeare or Dr. Seuss?
Shakespeare.
8. TV: PBS or A&E?
What? I mean: pardon?
9. Music: Beethoven or Beatles?
Both! Definitely.
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You are a contributing member of your favorite art museum, and visit on a regular basis. They announce a new, temporary special exhibit by an artist surrounded by controversy...this person's work and/or political views offend you. Do you stop supporting the museum, or just stay away during the time the exhibit is there?
Just the exhibit.
I think I've finally come to the part of H2G2 I didn't read before, or I'm getting close, since while all had me hanging on to the edge of my seat, what went before at least had a familiar feel to it, kinda like deja vu, with the consolidation that I did see it before. The latest chapters lack that deja vu notion, so I'm assuming it's new material, as in new to me.
I like that doctor! Yup, I saw my family doctor today, only it was another doctor than last time, due to my doctor being in a time-shared practice. Fine. Excellent, even. 'Cuz I can just tell that this doctor is an athlete, just like me. Okay, maybe I use the term athlete a little more losely than the general public or the commentors on the sports channel, but there you go, my doctor and me are both athletes.
He told me, just like the other doctor, that there was nothing to see on the x-ray, and that this wasn't surprising. Well, the other doctor predicted this, and this doctor just concluded it. Same difference.
Other than the other doctor, however, this one had a clue what the problem was, what the solution, and it didn't involve medication or surgery.
Just more of that stupid patience, and some physical therapy, taking it easy, and seeing a specialist.
What would this specialist be able to accomplish, I asked.
Maybe nothing, maybe everything. Just go ahead with the physical therapy and the patience, and see this other specialist if just to make sure you don't have to go see him in a couple of months from now and have them say "you should have come here a year ago!". Fair enough.
Ouch.
Revelation nr. 1:
If that meant the end of the world, the world would have ended by now.
Revelation nr. 2:
If food could fix my problems or my pain, I wouldn't have any, ever.
What do you do when you want to run, but your knees hurt when you do?
1. Take it easy for a while - it'll probably pass (the pain).
2. Stop running altogether for 2 weeks, and slowly start training again.
3. Slow down even more, and ask the on-site physical therapist for advice: treatment.
4. Contact family doctor, to have pictures (x-rays) taken.
5. Have x-rays taken.
6. Call in for results.
7. Call in again for results 2 days later.
8. Call in again for results. Get results. Results = nothing to see.
9. See family doctor again, to plan the next step.
Don't they know that patients have no patience, especially running patients?
Conversation at work today:
J: I'm sorry, I just can't see the forest for the trees anymore.
R4: Don't worry, I can.
J: Great, can I borrow your glasses?
(R4 reaching up to remove her glasses - only kidding!)
Really, though, if I have to think about product lists from one more angle, I'm gonna run out of the building screaming, knees hurting or not. I'm telling ya, I'll be lucky if I don't have nightmares about this tonight...
The results are not in yet. They should have been in last Friday. That's already 2 days late - make that 3; by the time they get them through fax or mail or magic - I don't care - more time will have passed, more pain will have been suffered before even a hint of a solution is even on the brink of the horizon.
Now I'm really beating myself up for forgetting to place the crucial phone call yesterday, even though that doesn't make any sense, the one day delay of me forgetting is not altered in lenght by another day delay because the hospital FUCKED UP!
Ok, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. Rather than blowing the good weather by sitting inside behind closed blinds and work, and rather than blowing off work and just taking the day/afternoon of, I decided to combine the two by taking this incredibly complicated document I wanted to scan through and just park myself outside in the sun.
So far, so good. Lovely weather. Nice and warm, so I take my jacket of. No disturbances, so I'm making good progress with the document.
After a while, I've absorbed all I can without further explanation by the author, so I head back inside. To discover my arms and face are redder than a cooked lobster.
Lesson learned: bring some sun lotion to work!
Strangely enough, I owe Mr. B. some thanks. Thanks to him, I have more time to read my book in the morning - since I categorically don't read the bits in the papers dealing with his business in Asia, and the papers categorically hardly contain any news other than that.
Funny quote on bbcworld: "... stuck between Iraq and a hard place." (okay, she may have said 'a rock' instead of the I-word, but can you blame me for hearing that differently?)
Last night was time for Tom Hanks in The Road To ...
Brilliant film, as to be expected from Mr. Hanks. The only flaw: I don't buy that the town where Sarah lived was called that, too. Towns aren't called that, not even in America.
Saturday was terrible. The film was good: Disney's Atlantis. The company was terrible. Terribly sleepy. We can be sleepy at home and alone, thank you very much.
Friday was another Disney. Disney? Yes, Disney. The Three Musketiers. Would you believe that was the first time I ever saw that? Well, it was. And I was quite surprised it was produced under the Disney label instead of Buena Vista, but who am I to argue? It was funny. A bit annoying that Robin (from Batman &) kept mispronouncing his own name, though. How American/stupid can you get?
All I wanted, was a friend.
Would I have more friends if I were ugly and had a less congenial personality? Would it be worth it?
To top things off, I can't even run away from my pain, because of the pain. I could really do with a - friendly - hug right now. Anyone?
It could be time for Friday Five
1. If you had the chance to meet someone you've never met, from the past or present, who would it be?
Douglas Adams
2. If you had to live in a different century, past or future, which would it be?
Second half of the 18th century, in Vienna, please. Imagine seeing the real premiere of all of Mozart's work... So I would like to be well off enough to actually go to the theatre on a regular basis, too, obviously.
3. If you had to move anywhere else on Earth, where would it be?
Any big island or peninsula in Northen Europe would do.
4. If you had to be a fictional character, who would it be?
Joanie. Lizzy. Hermione? Kate!
5. If you had to live with having someone else's face as your own for the rest of your life, whose would it be?
If keeping my own is not an option, I'd go with Mariah Carey's. And if I get her face, could I have her legs, too, please?
In the beginning, we all crawled out of the sea, didn't we?
You know how they always make Greeks in films explain how all words originally come from a Greek word? Well, they do. The Greeks. And the words.
Last night some Greeks explained to me that ok is the abreviation for the Greek word with the same meaning. Which totally confused me, since someone once taught me the Greek word for ok, and that sounded a lot like t-ah-xi.
No, the Greeks explained, taxi means all right.
Same difference, I thought, it's all Greek to me!
Phew! Just one more day until the new month starts. And I actually have spending money left for it (the next month) - after planned trips and money borrowed this month, and paying for lunches. How did that happen?
Never mind, I'm just very, very glad to finally have a grip on this part of my life.
Financial Awareness Continually Empowers, is what flylady says. It's all about financially loving yourself, heh.
Hey, that looks just like that show! You know the one... Funniest Home Videos.
Well, maybe that's because they are home videos. And they're digital. Yeah, baby, yeah! Just don't expect any of it to show up here. Not enough space, plus, I'm not a camwhore. Puh.
This may not strictly count as a book, but it's great reading material! The catalogue of the Dolls House Emporium. Instead of ravaging H2G2, or getting all depressed about the news, I've been ogling windows and other miniatures this morning. Oh, yes, I want to win the lottery!
This would be my preference. Forget boxes and vases - put me in a watch!
No further physical therapy until they can find the problem, which means pictures (x-rays? mri?) have to be taken. That could take a while. Aaaaarrrrggghhhh! I want to run! Running is me! Boohoohoo!
1. What was the last song you heard?
Marco Borsato - De Waarheid
2. What were the last two movies you saw?
Chicago
Les uns et les autres
3. What were the last three things you purchased?
Dumbbells
Shoulderbag/backpak
Toaster
4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?
Laundry
Groceries
Use steam cooker for the first time
Visit in-laws
5. Who are the last five people you talked to?
a colleague
physical therapist
fitness trainer
my boss
a project consultant
many days, sometimes stretching into months, go by and my
shifting diagnosis is no more my identity than what brand of toilet
paper I use.
True!
I struggle. Life is not the way I want it.
But that doesn't mean I should roll over and just let life wash over me.
I'm not powerless! I AM NOT my illness!
Even with all my problems, I AM WORTH LOVING!
I am saying these things not to try to convince myself, but with a
confidence and awareness that has been absent for way too long!
From another Flybaby:
Then disaster struck. I started feeling like I was the only one doing
anything in my home. And I felt put upon and angry that no one
recognized my work. THAT'S when I saw (and can I say I saw it the
very same day I exploded and felt the ugly feelings melt away) your
email on not being a martyr. On having a positive attitude, on being
a CEO of your own company. Taking pride in your home, not expecting
people to recognise you but doing the things you need to do because
you love to do it. Because it makes YOU feel good.
I'm being buried in my own martyrdom, my own perfectionism, my attitude of waiting for someone else to approve of what I'm doing. I can feel the wait of these enormous rocks pressing down on me. And now that I have read this testimonial from this lovely person, I can see the rocks, and I can see the sky above, I can see the sun shine, and I know I will free myself. Flywash the rocks away!
Thank you Thank you Thank you I love you Flylady for saving my home, making it safer and cleaner for my 11 month old baby, my husband and myself. And for giving me back something that I'd lost. My own self worth. My own self pride, not of being perfect- because I hate that word too, but for being the best
that I can be at the time and place that I'm at. For doing my utter best and for feeling good about it and when I'm ready to do more...I'll do more. Thank you for everything. I hope someday I can meet you in person and let you know just how much you have helped me. My mother is probably in tears looking down at my house from her cloud in heaven going FINALLY you figured it all out....
Yeah. I'm not there yet, obviously. One step at a time, I will get there.
Recurring topic
Zzzzzz-thud!
I need more than 6 hours of sleep per night, apparantly. Weird. And quite a challenge, actually.
Well, this isn't rocket science, how hard can it be? Let's start with the basics:
The amount of sleep one gets in one night depends on
- what time you turn of the light
- what time you get up in the morning
- how well you manage to fall asleep and stay asleep within that time period.
What time you get up
I like to get to work no later than 8:30.
This means leaving my house no later than 6:40.
This means getting up no later than 5:30.
Sheesh.
What time you turn of the light
Well, if the time I get up is given, then ideally, I would turn of my light between 9:30pm and 10:30pm, allowing me between 7 and 8 hours of sleep, if I drop off immediately and don't have a disturbed night.
Not gonna happen. 10:30pm might be feasible, 9:30pm is out of the question.
Still, 7 hours is more than 6 hours, right?
Zzzzzzzz - ow. Coffee!