Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Taking it easy is definitely not easy

I've been very well behaved, not doing dishes or switching laundry loads. I've barely set foot in the kitchen and have kept my mouth tightly latched about things I would do differently.

But inside, I'm struggling. Part of me is exhausted and wants to sleep 24/7. The other part of me is stressed out because Neighbor Gloria is spending Christmas with us and I have nothing to give her.

I had planned on making her a set of greeting cards, but ran out of time. Then Hayley suggested I knit up some wash clothes on the loom, but I don't know how to bind off from a loom.

I still have today and tomorrow to get my act in gear, but I shouldn't even be worrying about it. She certainly isn't expecting anything. But that's just it. She isn't expecting anything. Her family won't get her a single thing. I want to have some little things for her.

But seriously, the woman is almost 88. She doesn't need anything. She doesn't want anything except companionship. Can't wrap that in a box.

So here I am feeling guilty as all get out. I'm supposed to be letting this kind of thing go!

Tell me, Delicious Readers, how do I let the guilt go? I think I'll take a nap and then figure it out.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Home and resting after surgery...

I was pretty miserable just out of the OR, but once they hit me with the pain meds, I did much better. That and the fact that Scott had a my much adored walnut chicken salad sandwich waiting for me in my room. (I hadn't eaten in 16 hours so I was starving.)

During the surgery, the doctor found a fourth stone and was able to pull it and the other three out in tact. So no laser was needed. The best news? I don't have to pass any stone fragments! So once I recover from the surgery itself, no more discomfort!

Yippee!

I'm currently parked on the couch, with a stack of books, movies and my knitting. Oh, and can't forget to mention the two wonderful little slaves (oh, I mean helpers) I have nearby to do my bidding.

Heeheehee!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

A Deliciously Opinionated Poem

I'm so not claiming this as even a halfway decent poem, but it came to after a couple recent conversations regarding Christmas celebrations in schools.


Twas the week before Christmas
When all the through school
Not a picture of Santa
Was hung--it's a rule.

The children were all smiling
Excited, you know,
To talk about cookies and
And trees all aglow.

No cut outs of stockings or
Or reindeer that fly
Or Santa that drives
Through Christmas Eve's sky.

Chattering about presents
Both giving and given
All words about God
And Jesus forbidden.

Do not mention the night star,
Joseph or Mary
Don't talk about Christ.
School rules are scary.

What must Jesus think of this?
Of kids forbidden
To share their strong faith
Love to be hidden?

More than presents, more than words
More than candy canes
Christ in schools should be
Christ in schools must reign.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

For the love of all things Muppet.

And Christmas. And John Denver.

Incredible couponing at Walgreen's last week!

When all was said and done, I bought $67 worth of merchandise for $25!!! How cool is that?

I'm trying to remember what I all bought but, you know, the events of the last couple days have erased much of my recent memory.

Full size Nabisco crackers: 50 cents/box
Gillette body wash: FREE
Gillette deodorant: $1.99
2 Loreal lip glosses: $7.99 for both
32 oz All laundry detergent: $1.50
Skippy peanut butter: $1
6 pk. Dove bar soap: $4.99

Coolio, huh?

I was quite pleased with myself. Not that we'll eat five boxes of crackers or necessarily need a ton of body wash, but I've already packaged a lot of it up for the food pantry/holiday baskets at church.

Prior to this past year, I volunteered hours and hours and hours every month. (That's where the Volunteer Extraordinaire in my sub header above comes in.) But since I started working for a paycheck again, there hasn't been the time. Instead of feeling sad that I can't donate time and effort, I love that I've found an inexpensive way to help feed the many hungry people in our town.

Chug a chug a choo choo! CRASH!

I'm my own personal train wreck. And it totally sucks all the way around.

Yesterday, I stubbed my toe so hard on a Monopoly box that I broke it. Not the box. My toe. Fourth toe on the right.

It was painful enough yesterday, but during the night I did something to it and I woke up in excruciating pain. Today it's even more swollen and is turning all sorts of not so pretty colors.

Yesterday, at least, I could wear shoes. I walked slower than a baby turtle crossing a busy road, but at least I got out of the house.

Today, not so much. There was no going out. No shoes. No moving off the couch.

But wait! The train wreck gets better! Last night, I was sitting on the floor wrapping presents. Sounds innocuous, right? Wrong! You know how when you wrap presents, you never have everything you need right at hand? I had to keep getting up to get envelopes and stamps, etc. etc. but because of my toe, I was awkwardly using my arms.

Sure enough, I strained my tricep. Wasn't so bad at first, but by the time I went to bed, I couldn't even roll over. Today, my right arm is altogether pretty useless.

I couldn't stand long enough to take a shower this morning, but I managed to take a bath. Getting in and out was nerve-wracking, but I did it without inducing further injury. Then it took me about 20 min. to get dressed. By the time I hobbled back to the couch, I was too exhausted to even think about attempting to get breakfast.

No breakfast + incredible pain = one teary-eyed Kate

My sweet husband, upon prying information out of me when he called home a little later and found a crying wife, came right home and has been taking care of me all day. The only time he let me off the couch was to go take a nap in bed. Hayley cooked dinner (nachos!) and Emma's doing the dishes. I'm so blessed!

Think that's enough to be a train wreck?

Not for me. Next Monday, I have to go in for surgery for kidney stones. AGAIN! As if the first time, in January, was not enough! Apparently, though, not all the little fragments for the giant stone the doc lasered passed. I'm not feeling any symptoms, but insane pain is waiting to attack. It's only a matter of time. And seeing as Scott and I will both be traveling for work in January (I get to go to Germany!!), I don't exactly want to risk having issues then.

But surgery next week means that I will be happily ensconced in VicodinLand on my birthday and Christmas. Not exactly how I'd anticipated spending my holiday, but there it is. At least, Scott and I will have his birthday (Sunday), if you know what I mean. *wink wink*

So there it is, the not-so-delicious story of my own personal train wreck. (I trying really hard to find the humor in all of this!)

Friday, December 11, 2009

Emma and I had "the talk" this morning...

The Santa talk, that is.

She was supposed to be getting ready for school, but instead was distracted by reading her sister's diary.

Guess what she read? I'll paraphrase for you...

"Emma just asked me if I believe in Santa. I learned the truth when I was 8. She's 9 now and still hasn't figured out that Santa isn't real."

Thanks a lot, Sister.

So Emma comes in to my bathroom where I was curling my hair and asks me if what she read was true. Is Santa make-believe? There was no getting around it this time. The past couple Christmas' I've been vague enough with her questions that she still believed. This morning, I had to spill the beans.

I told her that Daddy and I were Santa and that Santa at the North Pole was a myth. She was completely confused. I was actually really impressed with her questions.

"I've mailed my letters to Santa before and they're never come back. What happened to them?" I only pretended to mail them and really have all of them in our fire safe box so you can look at them someday.

"What if Santa's really at the North Pole? What if he's invisible?" People have been to the North Pole. He's just not there.

"What about his handwriting on our presents?" That was me and Daddy being tricky.

She got off my bed where we were holding hands and talking. She very seriously handed me the aforementioned diary and walked away, her head hanging down.

I think I actually felt a piece break off of my heart.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Deliciously Tickled

Last night, I watched A Ticklish Affair with Shirley Jones. Released in 1963, it was filmed in San Diego, land my childhood and most of my adulthood (thus far).

The movie was actually pretty funny. Shirley Jones was adorable and I wanted to wear the super-short pink shorts she word and look that good! You can see her wearing them in this trailer...



But my favorite part of the movie was checking out what San Diego was like in 1963, a full 10 years before I was born and 17 years before my family landed there. There was actually open space! I recognized road and landmarks, though, and was so excited to see what the Cortez Hotel looked like before it was ramshackling and scummy. Downtown was so cute then! Not now. Eew. (That is, unless there's been dramatic revitalization in the eight years since I've left. In that case, my apologies to the city.)

Did it make me miss the home of my childhood? Not a bit. I'm continually relieved that I don't have to look at palm trees (high five, Amanda!), park more than a mile away from the beach and that I'm not stranded in my neighborhood for all but three or four hours in the middle of the day. (Yes, traffic is so bad that you don't even want to go near a freeway!)

I adored the Midwest and miss it every single day. The Pacific Northwest? I don't really care about it. Our town has no personality and I'm not weird enough for Portland, so I could take or leave the whole area.

Except that we're not leaving! Despite a recent offer that's come up, we're not moving!!!! (Mom, I'm talkin' to you!)

Just got Hayley's report card...

I'm so proud of my girl!

Symphonic band (she plays the trumpet): A
Leadership: A
Science: A-
Math (8th grade level): B+
English: A
World History: A
Impact: A

Total gpa: 3.857

Go, Hayley!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Oh, man. I am SO bummed...

At work, we recently hired a friend of ours (Hayley's piano teacher) to help with Support and in keeping Scott and the pres. of the company organized. Let me tell you, Jana is fantastic. She's awesome on the phone and has caught on to all the nuances our software really quickly. We couldn't ask for better.

She told me a little while ago that she's found another job, a job in her field (public administration). Having just recently earned her Master's Degree, she really wanted to focus on her expertise. Jobs are hard to come by, though, especially in the public sector. Our offer came along right when she was starting to get panicky, so the timing was perfect for her.

We knew, though, that she was still looking for her ideal position, so I can't say I'm surprised at her announcement. While I'm sad for our company, I am crazy excited for her. Jana deserves this and will be an amazing addition to their team.

*sniff sniff* Where are those tissues?

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Ack! I'm woefully behind on my reading goal for 2009!

Thus far, I have only read 52 books this year. I know, that sounds like a lot. But in both 2007 and 2008, I read 69. So to me, 52 is a sad, sad number!

Can I read 17 books in the next month? In between writing a novel, sending out query letters, working, holidays and two birthdays?

Doesn't sound particularly feasible, does it? But I have a plan!

I've got a book I read before I go to bed. I've got a book I'm listening to in the car. And another on my iPhone to read while I'm standing in line, etc. and yet another to listen to while I'm walking/running.

And while I'm trying not to choose the shortest books I possibly can, I'm also not choosing the longest books. (Gone with the Wind and War and Peace will just have to wait till next year.)

Don't forget that around Christmas and New Year's, I should have more reading time available since everything slows down. I'm hoping that there's another crazy three weeks of unheard of snowfall and we're forcibly housebound again. That was so fun last year! (Well, except for the part that my parents' flight in was canceled and they had to miss my birthday. That part was a bummer.)

Now it's late (almost 11pm), so I'm going to open up the book on my iPhone while I have a quick snack. Then, I'll read the book next to my bed while I'm falling asleep.

(BTW, I've come up with a fantastic new idea for reading in bed at night. Usually I go to bed before Scott (so I can read and he can watch his icky SciFi shows) and I always seem to fall asleep with the light on. I can feel myself falling asleep, but I'm too comfy to reach up and turn off the lamp on my nightstand. Now I use my booklight instead of the lamp, so when I start dozing off, all I have to do is push the button and the light is off. No more reaching up out the comfy depths of sleep to turn off a lamp.)

And progress toward my goal will be made!