Well, there's this little matter of the pattern piece not being marked as to which sleeve goes on which side of the smock.
Yes, my sleeves are on backwards. And I can tell - very weird fitting.
I am going to have to just deal with it for the weekend, then rip it apart and sew them on again. I am just going to zigzag the bottom, rather than hemming it, so it will be easier to take apart the sides and sleeves later. It's not like anyone is going to see the smock, except for the ruffled cuffs and the collar and smock above the low neck of my bodice.
Very pretty otherwise. It just fits awkwardly, because the instructions were not as clear as they should have been, and I couldn't tell anything was really wrong until I put it on.
What a pain...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Upgraded
Blizzard warning in effect from 6 am Thursday to 6 pm cst friday, Winter weather advisory is cancelled.
The NWS in des moines has issued a blizzard warning, which is in effect from 6 am Thursday to 6 pm cst friday. The winter weather advisory has been canceled. The blizzard watch is no longer in effect.
Temperatures will gradually warm through the early evening hours. While a mix of light rain and freezing drizzle is possible this evening it would be brief and will not warrant a winter weather advisory. As a result the winter weather advisory has been canceled. Although the winter weather threat has lessened for tonight, showers and even some thunderstorms are possible overnight into Thursday morning. Hail up to the size of nickels is possible over the far southern portions of the warning area. The precipitation will transition to snow during the morning hours and there may even be periods of thunderstorms with snow early. 4 to 7 inches is expected by late Thursday. In addition to the snow, a northwest wind will increase to 25 to 40 mph with gusts around 50 mph. The wind is expected to produce blizzard conditions through friday when the wind is finally expected to diminish.
A blizzard warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel. If you must, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.
Loads of fun ahead, just loads.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
More exciting than a brand new WWdN post...
Winter Storm Watch:
Issued at: 3:29 PM CST 2/27/07, expires at: 11:30 PM CST 2/27/07
Winter storm watch in effect from Wednesday morning through friday morning,
The NWS in des moines has issued a winter storm watch, which is in effect from Wednesday morning through friday morning.
Snow will likely develop across the region Wednesday morning, and mix with or change to freezing rain and sleet south of highway 3 by afternoon. There is the potential for ice accumulations of one quarter to one third inch near and south of highway 3 through wednesday evening. Snowfall through Wednesday evening will range between 1 and 4 inches, with the greatest amounts close to the minnesota border.
There will be a brief break in the precipitation Wednesday night before snow, heavy at times, and increasing wind develop across the region Thursday morning. It is very possible that much of northern iowa will experience near blizzard conditions Thursday afternoon and evening with west to northwest winds 15 to 25 mph and frequent gusts over 35 mph, causing near zero visibility and blowing and drifting snow. Preliminary storm total snowfall by Friday morning is 6 to 12 inches with locally higher amounts.
Although the snowfall will be lighter on Friday, continued strong west to northwest winds will cause considerable blowing and drifting snow.
A winter storm watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet, or ice accumulations that may impact travel. With the potential hazards of heavy ice and snow accumulations, compounded by increasing winds, additional power outages as the result of downed trees and power lines is a distinct possibility. Details of the storm will be refined over the next 24 to 48 hours. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.
It would be very nice to not have this happen, but I am realistic.
More fun on the way...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Aches, pains, and a heck of a lot of work to do tonight.
My son did not have school today. Due to the precarious weather situation, he had to go to work with me today.
I got up at around 6, and hopped into the shower. I woke him up around 6:25, got breakfast, and finished getting ready. By 6:55 am, we were outside with the broom, trying to get the 10 inches of snow off of the car. Luckily, the doors opened reasonably well, except for the fact that the driver's side door will not open from the outside. I think it is well and truly broken.
By 7:20, we had the car cleared off, and the ice scraped. I am glad that I went out on Saturday and cleared the worst of the ice off, or we'd have had to have been out there even earlier. As it was, I started backing out, only to realize that, yes, the people who plowed the parking lot blocked everyone in. I was kicking snow and ice chunks, and was finally able to get the car out.
We went out for lunch, and the main roads were starting to get snow tracked back onto them from the side roads. By after work, the bottom of my car was hitting snow on Lincoln Way, which had been clear earlier in the day. We saw one car in the ditch near Hy-Vee, and another car nearly get stuck on the other side of the street.
Tonight, on the way to our meeting, as we were sitting at our stop sign, a car turned onto our street, went about 10 feet, and got stuck right in the street. Big mess. Lots of cars getting stuck in driveways and the side street intersections. Things just keep getting worse tonight.
Tons of tree limbs down, and some look like they could go any minute. There is part of an evergreen tree draped over a power line near the Wells Fargo right next to HyVee.
Work was very physical today, on top of the early morning snow moving. I barely sat down all day, and my back and legs are on fire. I have more sewing to do than I can believe, but the good news is that the telethon on Saturday doesn't start until around 9pm. That means I have five days and several hours to lose 9 pounds in order to fit more comfortably in my dress.
Oh, and guess who is going to also be at the telethon, besides the Sheriff Norbert Sookup?
Superman, Brandon Rouch. If he were several years older, my poor little heart wouldn't be able to take it...
Sigh.... time to get back to work... and time to run around the apartment building after all of the ice cream that I ate at the meeting tonight...
I got up at around 6, and hopped into the shower. I woke him up around 6:25, got breakfast, and finished getting ready. By 6:55 am, we were outside with the broom, trying to get the 10 inches of snow off of the car. Luckily, the doors opened reasonably well, except for the fact that the driver's side door will not open from the outside. I think it is well and truly broken.
By 7:20, we had the car cleared off, and the ice scraped. I am glad that I went out on Saturday and cleared the worst of the ice off, or we'd have had to have been out there even earlier. As it was, I started backing out, only to realize that, yes, the people who plowed the parking lot blocked everyone in. I was kicking snow and ice chunks, and was finally able to get the car out.
We went out for lunch, and the main roads were starting to get snow tracked back onto them from the side roads. By after work, the bottom of my car was hitting snow on Lincoln Way, which had been clear earlier in the day. We saw one car in the ditch near Hy-Vee, and another car nearly get stuck on the other side of the street.
Tonight, on the way to our meeting, as we were sitting at our stop sign, a car turned onto our street, went about 10 feet, and got stuck right in the street. Big mess. Lots of cars getting stuck in driveways and the side street intersections. Things just keep getting worse tonight.
Tons of tree limbs down, and some look like they could go any minute. There is part of an evergreen tree draped over a power line near the Wells Fargo right next to HyVee.
Work was very physical today, on top of the early morning snow moving. I barely sat down all day, and my back and legs are on fire. I have more sewing to do than I can believe, but the good news is that the telethon on Saturday doesn't start until around 9pm. That means I have five days and several hours to lose 9 pounds in order to fit more comfortably in my dress.
Oh, and guess who is going to also be at the telethon, besides the Sheriff Norbert Sookup?
Superman, Brandon Rouch. If he were several years older, my poor little heart wouldn't be able to take it...
Sigh.... time to get back to work... and time to run around the apartment building after all of the ice cream that I ate at the meeting tonight...
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Woah.
Nothing like seeing a row of toppled high-voltage power towers.
Well, except maybe hearing the news that the line of toppled towers is over 20 miles long.
Seriously bad in the rural areas, in addition to towns.
This evening, as we were watching the last 15 minutes of Battlestar Galactica, my son turns to me and says, "Wouldn't you be pissed off if we lost power right now?" After choking on my margerita, and reminding him to not use that word, I agreed that yes, I would be upset, but I would get over it.
There are worse things than not getting to watch a favorite television show. If we lost power, the last thing on my mind would be TV. I'd be worried about keeping warm enough, and about the groceries in the refrigerator going bad, and wondering if the water would go off, too.
Thankfully, we've been lucky. I keep saying that, but if you were here, and saw how bad it is, you'd understand. Worst storm in close to twenty years.
Someone mentioned round two may be coming next weekend...
Well, except maybe hearing the news that the line of toppled towers is over 20 miles long.
Seriously bad in the rural areas, in addition to towns.
This evening, as we were watching the last 15 minutes of Battlestar Galactica, my son turns to me and says, "Wouldn't you be pissed off if we lost power right now?" After choking on my margerita, and reminding him to not use that word, I agreed that yes, I would be upset, but I would get over it.
There are worse things than not getting to watch a favorite television show. If we lost power, the last thing on my mind would be TV. I'd be worried about keeping warm enough, and about the groceries in the refrigerator going bad, and wondering if the water would go off, too.
Thankfully, we've been lucky. I keep saying that, but if you were here, and saw how bad it is, you'd understand. Worst storm in close to twenty years.
Someone mentioned round two may be coming next weekend...
Still here
I'm actually quite surprised that we still have electricity. I was surprised that I got all of the laundry done, and we still had electricity. I fixed lunch, and we still had it. I took a nap, and we still had it.
After I woke up from my two-hour luxury nap, I checked out the KCCI site, and found out that nearly 300,000 customers in Iowa were without electricity. They are setting up emergency shelters, as it could be days before some people get power back. Poles snapped, trees on power lines, big, huge mess.
I keep saying: "We are lucky!"
Let's hope the luck holds out...
After I woke up from my two-hour luxury nap, I checked out the KCCI site, and found out that nearly 300,000 customers in Iowa were without electricity. They are setting up emergency shelters, as it could be days before some people get power back. Poles snapped, trees on power lines, big, huge mess.
I keep saying: "We are lucky!"
Let's hope the luck holds out...
Can't sleep, lots of snow.
Sort of dozed off on the couch, then heard a big commotion outside. Some neighbors trying to get their cars into their garages. Took them awhile, and by the time they finished, I was awake.
Here is why they were having such problems:
Like I said earlier, this is supposed to go on through noon tomorrow.
Here is why they were having such problems:
Like I said earlier, this is supposed to go on through noon tomorrow.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Ice
I took this photo earlier, before the snow started. I tried to take another just a bit ago, but the screen door to my deck is now frozen shut.
The white stuff in this image is not snow - it is ice.
Interesting weather we are having...
The white stuff in this image is not snow - it is ice.
Interesting weather we are having...
Double-whew!
The ceremony I was supposed to go to tonight was cancelled.
This is good, as the snow is coming down in huge clumps right now, and is not supposed to stop until tomorrow. We are supposed to get a total of 7-13 inches.
Now I can relax with a good book, plan a nice dinner, and do absolutely nothing else (except sew), the rest of the day.
yay!
This is good, as the snow is coming down in huge clumps right now, and is not supposed to stop until tomorrow. We are supposed to get a total of 7-13 inches.
Now I can relax with a good book, plan a nice dinner, and do absolutely nothing else (except sew), the rest of the day.
yay!
'Cross-town Trek
At around 11 am, I decided that I really had to get out of the house, and get two errands done. I needed quarters, and i needed to get a neckerchief and slide for a new scout (his ceremony is supposed to be tonight).
So, I put on my old coat (no use getting my good wool coat soaked), and slid out to the car to chip off the ice. I could see that the roads actually weren't bad, from the amount of traffic. It didn't take long to clear off the car, and get into it. The driver's door was frozen shut, so I had to crawl over the passenger seat.
Once on the road, it really wasn't bad yet. I've driven on worse.
I was able to get my errands done, and managed to not fall on the ice that coated all of downtown. I am home safe, and am just hoping that this ceremony gets postponed, because it is only going to get worse as the day goes on.
I'll post pictures of the ice later, if we still have internet and electricity.
So, I put on my old coat (no use getting my good wool coat soaked), and slid out to the car to chip off the ice. I could see that the roads actually weren't bad, from the amount of traffic. It didn't take long to clear off the car, and get into it. The driver's door was frozen shut, so I had to crawl over the passenger seat.
Once on the road, it really wasn't bad yet. I've driven on worse.
I was able to get my errands done, and managed to not fall on the ice that coated all of downtown. I am home safe, and am just hoping that this ceremony gets postponed, because it is only going to get worse as the day goes on.
I'll post pictures of the ice later, if we still have internet and electricity.
Whew.
What the heck? This post disappeared. It was just a " TG I got my high-speed back!" post, but jeesh.
Oh, and the internet keeps dropping. It was out for over an hour, and just came back.
Lots of ice, lots of wind. Fun.
Oh, and the internet keeps dropping. It was out for over an hour, and just came back.
Lots of ice, lots of wind. Fun.
Weather update
Late last night, I saw that everything on the deck was covered in ice. I set the alarm on my battery powered alarm clock, so that I didn't oversleep this morning.
When I woke up this morning, things were worse, and reports were that traffic on the Interstate is down to a crawl, 10 mph. When I heard that, my first thought was, of course, "Oh Shit." My second thought was, "I forgot to get quarters for the laundry." Then, when I turned on my computer, I discovered that my high-speed internet was not working. Couldn't get an IP number. I am thinking that either the attenna on the roof is ice covered (probable, although it worked late last night), or the DHCP server at ICS needs a swift kick, or else they have no power. Luckily, I still have my work dail-up account (we are only charged if we use it, so it can sit idle until there is a need for it).
So, the power may go out. There is a part of me that is panicking that I can't do my laundry, even though we have enough clothes and towels. I also feel the need to start cooking a lot of food that we can eat cold later, if need be. My son, of course, thinks this is a huge holiday. I was just going through internet withdrawel, until I remembered this dail-up account.
It is raining now. I am hoping that it gets warm enough to melt some of that ice, so that I can get to the car wash for quarters. I can see traffic on the main road, now, and it seems almost normal. I may try to brave it here in a bit, providing I can even get into my car. I would at least like the option of doing laundry, and since we are supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow, we may be stuck here for awhile if I don't get out early today.
What a mess...
When I woke up this morning, things were worse, and reports were that traffic on the Interstate is down to a crawl, 10 mph. When I heard that, my first thought was, of course, "Oh Shit." My second thought was, "I forgot to get quarters for the laundry." Then, when I turned on my computer, I discovered that my high-speed internet was not working. Couldn't get an IP number. I am thinking that either the attenna on the roof is ice covered (probable, although it worked late last night), or the DHCP server at ICS needs a swift kick, or else they have no power. Luckily, I still have my work dail-up account (we are only charged if we use it, so it can sit idle until there is a need for it).
So, the power may go out. There is a part of me that is panicking that I can't do my laundry, even though we have enough clothes and towels. I also feel the need to start cooking a lot of food that we can eat cold later, if need be. My son, of course, thinks this is a huge holiday. I was just going through internet withdrawel, until I remembered this dail-up account.
It is raining now. I am hoping that it gets warm enough to melt some of that ice, so that I can get to the car wash for quarters. I can see traffic on the main road, now, and it seems almost normal. I may try to brave it here in a bit, providing I can even get into my car. I would at least like the option of doing laundry, and since we are supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow, we may be stuck here for awhile if I don't get out early today.
What a mess...
Friday, February 23, 2007
Busy day
After work, I went to pick up my son. We had to go to the grocery store, as the weather is supposed to get nasty tomorrow. I figured I'd save myself a trip, and get some kid-help while I was at it.
While we were in the store, it lightninged and hailed more. Everyone was talking about it. I was more concerned at that point with getting groceries, and my son was very occupied by the free samples. He discovered, after years of refusing even the smallest bite, that he likes apple pie (I was more adventurous, and tried the pineapple upside-down-pie - Heaven!). We did not buy any, however, as I have a dress to fit into a week from tomorrow.
Yes, a week from tomorrow. Variety Club telethon. Full-court dress.
After resting on the couch after dinner, I suddenly realized that this thing was only a week away, and I still hadn't finished the high-necked smock I needed to wear with my gown, nor had I stitched a single piece of trim to the bodice.
I worked an hour and forty-five minutes on the smock tonight. I managed to sew the underarm gores to the sleeves, the inner seam of the sleeves, and the gathering stitches for the wrists. I ironed the seam allowance on the cuff facing, and narrow-hemmed one of the cuff ruffles (TG for narrow-hem feet for sewing machines). This doesn't sound like much, but for the narrow hem, I had to press each edge to be hemmed 1/4 inch, then fold that in half and press 1/8 inch. This let me feed that edge through the narrow-hem foot. It took forever.
While I was working on the narrow hem, I realized that I was getting very, very sleepy. So, once I finished that one, I put my sewing stuff away, unplugged the iron, and decided to take a break.
(And it just hailed a little more...)
I am going to have to work really, really hard this weekend to get everything done around the house, and still be able to finish the smock, and get most of the work done on my gown. I have no wish to be up until past midnight every night this week.
How did I do this last summer? I worked a full day, five days a week, came home, made dinner, cleaned up dinner, then worked from 6:30 to midnight or later. Every day. Weekends, I did laundry Saturday morning, and spent the rest of the weekend sewing. Never slept past 8 am, never went to bed before midnight. Took breaks only to made meals and do chores.
Here I am tonight, having sewn for less than two hours, and I am exhausted. Happy, but exhausted.
Okay, it is lightning again. Time to unplug.
What a weird day...
While we were in the store, it lightninged and hailed more. Everyone was talking about it. I was more concerned at that point with getting groceries, and my son was very occupied by the free samples. He discovered, after years of refusing even the smallest bite, that he likes apple pie (I was more adventurous, and tried the pineapple upside-down-pie - Heaven!). We did not buy any, however, as I have a dress to fit into a week from tomorrow.
Yes, a week from tomorrow. Variety Club telethon. Full-court dress.
After resting on the couch after dinner, I suddenly realized that this thing was only a week away, and I still hadn't finished the high-necked smock I needed to wear with my gown, nor had I stitched a single piece of trim to the bodice.
I worked an hour and forty-five minutes on the smock tonight. I managed to sew the underarm gores to the sleeves, the inner seam of the sleeves, and the gathering stitches for the wrists. I ironed the seam allowance on the cuff facing, and narrow-hemmed one of the cuff ruffles (TG for narrow-hem feet for sewing machines). This doesn't sound like much, but for the narrow hem, I had to press each edge to be hemmed 1/4 inch, then fold that in half and press 1/8 inch. This let me feed that edge through the narrow-hem foot. It took forever.
While I was working on the narrow hem, I realized that I was getting very, very sleepy. So, once I finished that one, I put my sewing stuff away, unplugged the iron, and decided to take a break.
(And it just hailed a little more...)
I am going to have to work really, really hard this weekend to get everything done around the house, and still be able to finish the smock, and get most of the work done on my gown. I have no wish to be up until past midnight every night this week.
How did I do this last summer? I worked a full day, five days a week, came home, made dinner, cleaned up dinner, then worked from 6:30 to midnight or later. Every day. Weekends, I did laundry Saturday morning, and spent the rest of the weekend sewing. Never slept past 8 am, never went to bed before midnight. Took breaks only to made meals and do chores.
Here I am tonight, having sewn for less than two hours, and I am exhausted. Happy, but exhausted.
Okay, it is lightning again. Time to unplug.
What a weird day...
Um... okay...
Folks, it is thundering, lightning, and it just hailed enough to get people out of their offices and classrooms to witness this nearly unknown February event.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Sometimes, I annoy even myself.
I just had another, "Oh Crap!" moment. I was supposed to send out a time-sensitive email. I forgot to do it until just a little bit ago.
I am trying to not forget stuff like this, but since I have been forgetting to do things while in the middle of doing them, it is no surprise that it happened.
To combat this forgetfullness, I have been trying to do most things immediately once I know I need to do them. I had fully intended to send out this email Monday night when we got home. Instead, I made and ate dinner, because I had felt sick to my stomach after work, and hadn't eaten since lunch. After dinner, all thoughts of this email had fled in the food-induced coma.
It is going to be an early night tonight...
I am trying to not forget stuff like this, but since I have been forgetting to do things while in the middle of doing them, it is no surprise that it happened.
To combat this forgetfullness, I have been trying to do most things immediately once I know I need to do them. I had fully intended to send out this email Monday night when we got home. Instead, I made and ate dinner, because I had felt sick to my stomach after work, and hadn't eaten since lunch. After dinner, all thoughts of this email had fled in the food-induced coma.
It is going to be an early night tonight...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
What do you call a friend who gets a song stuck in your head?
E-Vil. Pure and simple E-Vil.
Okay, so it's not really evil, because I can't help smiling when I think about it, because of all of the good memories it brings back.
All for me grog
You can listen to it by clicking on the LoFi link on this site.
I can't believe that my son knows some of these lyrics, and will probably know more before the summer is over.
Now that my faire-nostalgia is at a peak (and yes, the smile is still on my face), I will leave you with this photo taken by a co-worker. I don't think I have shared this yet.
Okay, so it's not really evil, because I can't help smiling when I think about it, because of all of the good memories it brings back.
All for me grog
You can listen to it by clicking on the LoFi link on this site.
I can't believe that my son knows some of these lyrics, and will probably know more before the summer is over.
Now that my faire-nostalgia is at a peak (and yes, the smile is still on my face), I will leave you with this photo taken by a co-worker. I don't think I have shared this yet.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Pain
Work was very physical today. Yesterday, i was already feeling a bit of back and muscle pain. Tonight, my legs are on fire, and I can barely move.
This morning, we replaced backdrops in our photostudio. Lots of ladder climbing, and over-the-head lifting. Things weren't that heavy, just awkward. I also found out exactly how quickly a paper backdrop can unroll fully when the screws aren't tight enough. Whoops. I am sure that the look on my face was priceless. I managed to keep from swearing, but only barely. We carefully used the motor to gently roll up the backdrop. It did not tear or wrinkle much, so all is well. This, of course, was fixed after I climbed up the big ladder and tightened the screw better, and double-checked the others.
Lots of laser cutter training today. Lots of up-and-down stairs. And when I got home, I made a really nice dinner, standing mostly. Then I cleaned up dinner, and played Donkey Kong Country 3 on the super nintendo. After that, I worked on my smock from about 7:40 to about 9:00.
I should have been on the couch with a heating pad, obviously, as now I hurt worse than ever.
Did I get a lot done today? Yep. Will I be able to do as much tomorrow? Probably not.
I must be really, really out of shape, as opposed to just mildly out of shape. I have a long way to go before May...
This morning, we replaced backdrops in our photostudio. Lots of ladder climbing, and over-the-head lifting. Things weren't that heavy, just awkward. I also found out exactly how quickly a paper backdrop can unroll fully when the screws aren't tight enough. Whoops. I am sure that the look on my face was priceless. I managed to keep from swearing, but only barely. We carefully used the motor to gently roll up the backdrop. It did not tear or wrinkle much, so all is well. This, of course, was fixed after I climbed up the big ladder and tightened the screw better, and double-checked the others.
Lots of laser cutter training today. Lots of up-and-down stairs. And when I got home, I made a really nice dinner, standing mostly. Then I cleaned up dinner, and played Donkey Kong Country 3 on the super nintendo. After that, I worked on my smock from about 7:40 to about 9:00.
I should have been on the couch with a heating pad, obviously, as now I hurt worse than ever.
Did I get a lot done today? Yep. Will I be able to do as much tomorrow? Probably not.
I must be really, really out of shape, as opposed to just mildly out of shape. I have a long way to go before May...
Monday, February 19, 2007
Strained muscles
Somehow I strained my back, side, and shoulder muscles, particularly the ones under my right arm. It hurts.
Right when I got home tonight, I wasn't feeling particulary well, due to something I ate. I skipped dinner, and curled up in my bed until it was time to get ready to go to my meeting. My son grabbed a double-decker peanut butter sandwich for supper. I felt better after the meeting, so we used some of the leftover handburger buns to make mini-pizzas, since we were both pretty hungry.
Today was a headache day. Too much going on, not enough time to do it all. Story of my life.
Definitely early bedtime tonight.
Right when I got home tonight, I wasn't feeling particulary well, due to something I ate. I skipped dinner, and curled up in my bed until it was time to get ready to go to my meeting. My son grabbed a double-decker peanut butter sandwich for supper. I felt better after the meeting, so we used some of the leftover handburger buns to make mini-pizzas, since we were both pretty hungry.
Today was a headache day. Too much going on, not enough time to do it all. Story of my life.
Definitely early bedtime tonight.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Progress Report
I am still trying to dig out from being sick. It really has taken me until today to feel somewhat normal. I did not want to take a nap today! Yay! Instead, I ended up getting a lot done.
1. Woke up at 8:45 am. Late, I know, but I needed it.
2. Had breakfast. Strawberry Frosted Mini-wheats.
3. Wrote out the menus for the week, and the grocery list.
4. Bubble-bath.
5. Realized that I had a prescription that I needed to refill. Called it in, wouldn't be ready until after 2pm. Revised the plan to go get groceries before lunch.
6. Ate lunch early.
7. Read.
8. Played the Super Nintendo for a bit. No particular reason, really, just bored.
9. Started working on the collar part of my high-necked smock.
10. After sewing for an hour, realized it was 2, and time to go to the store.
11. Bought groceries, and actually kept to the list.
12. Washed the car, and got quarters for laundry.
13. Worked on smock until 5:30 pm
14. Made cheeseburgers and french fries for supper.*
15. cleaned up the mess.
16. Sorted laundry.
17. Did three loads of laundry, from wash to put away.
18. finished hand sewing the collar facing to the smock neck.
19. Watched BSG.
So, yes, boring day, but I actually got a lot accomplished. Washing the car was a major milestone, as it hasn't been warm enough to do that for weeks. Felt great!
Okay, time to try to get some sleep.
----
* This is officially the last week we are eating like this. I am going to have to go back to the severe low-sodium diet, as my blood pressure meds don't seem to be working as well lately. Yes, there was a change in the brand of my meds, but the dosage is the same, so it just has to be the sodium I am eating. Good-bye canned soup, and pretty much all pre-packaged foods. This is going to be very, very hard, but I can't let this get out of control. It is not as high as it was before I started the meds, but it is higher than I am used to. I am cutting my sodium intake to half of the daily recommended allowance. I am going to keep it under 1200 mg. For perspective: 1 serving of campbell's chicken noodle has 890mg of sodium. Canned veggies: green beans = 330 mg. 2 tbsp BBQ sauce = 240 mg. Bread... well, bread = 150 mg per slice. This is going to suck, but I will feel better. I am trying to ease into this, with our favorite foods for the first part of the week, tapering off into the low sodium foods later this week. This diet will mean that we will be eating mostly grilled foods, frozen veggies, and baked potatoes (my son's favorite). No fast food. Nothing tomato-based. Lots of bananas, for the potassium. I just have to focus on how good I am going to feel in a couple of weeks after the excess gets out of my system.
1. Woke up at 8:45 am. Late, I know, but I needed it.
2. Had breakfast. Strawberry Frosted Mini-wheats.
3. Wrote out the menus for the week, and the grocery list.
4. Bubble-bath.
5. Realized that I had a prescription that I needed to refill. Called it in, wouldn't be ready until after 2pm. Revised the plan to go get groceries before lunch.
6. Ate lunch early.
7. Read.
8. Played the Super Nintendo for a bit. No particular reason, really, just bored.
9. Started working on the collar part of my high-necked smock.
10. After sewing for an hour, realized it was 2, and time to go to the store.
11. Bought groceries, and actually kept to the list.
12. Washed the car, and got quarters for laundry.
13. Worked on smock until 5:30 pm
14. Made cheeseburgers and french fries for supper.*
15. cleaned up the mess.
16. Sorted laundry.
17. Did three loads of laundry, from wash to put away.
18. finished hand sewing the collar facing to the smock neck.
19. Watched BSG.
So, yes, boring day, but I actually got a lot accomplished. Washing the car was a major milestone, as it hasn't been warm enough to do that for weeks. Felt great!
Okay, time to try to get some sleep.
----
* This is officially the last week we are eating like this. I am going to have to go back to the severe low-sodium diet, as my blood pressure meds don't seem to be working as well lately. Yes, there was a change in the brand of my meds, but the dosage is the same, so it just has to be the sodium I am eating. Good-bye canned soup, and pretty much all pre-packaged foods. This is going to be very, very hard, but I can't let this get out of control. It is not as high as it was before I started the meds, but it is higher than I am used to. I am cutting my sodium intake to half of the daily recommended allowance. I am going to keep it under 1200 mg. For perspective: 1 serving of campbell's chicken noodle has 890mg of sodium. Canned veggies: green beans = 330 mg. 2 tbsp BBQ sauce = 240 mg. Bread... well, bread = 150 mg per slice. This is going to suck, but I will feel better. I am trying to ease into this, with our favorite foods for the first part of the week, tapering off into the low sodium foods later this week. This diet will mean that we will be eating mostly grilled foods, frozen veggies, and baked potatoes (my son's favorite). No fast food. Nothing tomato-based. Lots of bananas, for the potassium. I just have to focus on how good I am going to feel in a couple of weeks after the excess gets out of my system.
Sometime, even reading the instructions four times...
fails to stop me from making mistakes.
The collar to the high-necked smock was tricky. I ended up sewing the ruffle to the wrong piece of the collar, in addition to sewing it to the wrong SIDE of the collar. Funny, huh? Well, I also sewed the ties to the wrong side of the collar, and had to actually remove them. I was just going to sew them to the outside of the collar, but then decided, since there was on small area at the front inside of the collar that failed to match up exactly, that I will sew a ribbon around the base of the collar on the inside, leaving the edges long for a tie.
Whew.
And gathering the neck to attach it to the collar was another adventure.
Less than two weeks to go until the Variety Club thing, and it is a costumed event. Got to get this smock done, and finish the trim and beading of the red bodice.
Okay, BSG time, gotta run!
The collar to the high-necked smock was tricky. I ended up sewing the ruffle to the wrong piece of the collar, in addition to sewing it to the wrong SIDE of the collar. Funny, huh? Well, I also sewed the ties to the wrong side of the collar, and had to actually remove them. I was just going to sew them to the outside of the collar, but then decided, since there was on small area at the front inside of the collar that failed to match up exactly, that I will sew a ribbon around the base of the collar on the inside, leaving the edges long for a tie.
Whew.
And gathering the neck to attach it to the collar was another adventure.
Less than two weeks to go until the Variety Club thing, and it is a costumed event. Got to get this smock done, and finish the trim and beading of the red bodice.
Okay, BSG time, gotta run!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
First Rehearsal
You have got to be kidding me. I just wrote out my entire character study, hit the Publish button, and it is GONE.
The ONE time I don't do a quick copy/paste for something I don't want to lose. Urg.
The ONE time I don't do a quick copy/paste for something I don't want to lose. Urg.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Snow Again
More snow this afternoon. It was enough to cover the windows in the short amount of time it took us to run into Hy-Vee, grab a $5 Friday Pizza, bread, new peanut butter, and diet Pepsi.
About the peanut butter...
Yes, we ended up having a half-eaten jar of the peanut putter that was recalled. Peter Pan is the brand. Yesterday morning, I grabbed the loaf of bread and the jar of peanut butter, so that I didn't have to leave work to get lunch (and it just sounded good).
So, I bring up a news site yesterday morning, and I see the lovely news that peanut butter was recalled. I grabbed the jar, and sure enough, I see the 2111 code. I threw it away, and then found out this morning that I could have brought it in for a refund. Oh well.
Tonight, when we went to the peanut butter section in the store, in place of the Peter Pan was the store brand peanut butter. Since I don't like the store brand, we bought a different type that we had tried when it was on sale. We don't like it as well as the Peter Pan (which I could eat straight from the jar), but it will do until they can get more. Obviously, their entire stock had to be returned to the company, and who knows when they will get more.
About the peanut butter...
Yes, we ended up having a half-eaten jar of the peanut putter that was recalled. Peter Pan is the brand. Yesterday morning, I grabbed the loaf of bread and the jar of peanut butter, so that I didn't have to leave work to get lunch (and it just sounded good).
So, I bring up a news site yesterday morning, and I see the lovely news that peanut butter was recalled. I grabbed the jar, and sure enough, I see the 2111 code. I threw it away, and then found out this morning that I could have brought it in for a refund. Oh well.
Tonight, when we went to the peanut butter section in the store, in place of the Peter Pan was the store brand peanut butter. Since I don't like the store brand, we bought a different type that we had tried when it was on sale. We don't like it as well as the Peter Pan (which I could eat straight from the jar), but it will do until they can get more. Obviously, their entire stock had to be returned to the company, and who knows when they will get more.
Quick Update
Just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive, and still personally contributing to the deforestation of the rainforest with my flagrant use of kleenex.
Sorry about that.
Sorry about that.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Still hanging on
Lots of tissue use, still. I am exhausted. I felt really sleepy all day today, and I had a headache. At work, I couldn't get warm. I basically was ready to go back to bed by noon.
Instead, I worked until quitting time, went home, made dinner, cleaned up the mess, then parked on the couch with a book. The plan was to rest awhile, then get up and work on the high-necked smock I have been trying to sew for over a week. Instead, I decided that I was too tired to work on it, since it requires very close attention to detail.
Early bedtime tonight. I obviously still need rest.
(gad, am I a broken record, or what?)
Instead, I worked until quitting time, went home, made dinner, cleaned up the mess, then parked on the couch with a book. The plan was to rest awhile, then get up and work on the high-necked smock I have been trying to sew for over a week. Instead, I decided that I was too tired to work on it, since it requires very close attention to detail.
Early bedtime tonight. I obviously still need rest.
(gad, am I a broken record, or what?)
Monday, February 12, 2007
One down, four to go
Start of the work-week went okay, despite copious amounts of Puffs Plus with Lotion making its way to the wastepaper basket. I honestly do not know why there is anything left to get rid of, because you would think that four complete boxes of tissue since Thursday noon would be quite sufficient to help rid me of this phlegm (gross!).
I felt relatively decent today, despite the non-stop nose action, and the fact that I felt really wobbly for most of the day. Just kind of shaky, "off", if you will. I think it's because I spent so much time on the couch, unable to do much of anything.
Things accomplished today:
1. Groceries after work (snowstorm on the way, need bread and real food)
2. Made dinner
3. Cleaned up dinner
4. Did one load of laundry (jeans, with a few shirts thrown in)
5. Picked up misc. kleenex and stuff from the car floor
6. Went to a meeting
Snow on the way, but not started yet. Just a few days until Friday.
I felt relatively decent today, despite the non-stop nose action, and the fact that I felt really wobbly for most of the day. Just kind of shaky, "off", if you will. I think it's because I spent so much time on the couch, unable to do much of anything.
Things accomplished today:
1. Groceries after work (snowstorm on the way, need bread and real food)
2. Made dinner
3. Cleaned up dinner
4. Did one load of laundry (jeans, with a few shirts thrown in)
5. Picked up misc. kleenex and stuff from the car floor
6. Went to a meeting
Snow on the way, but not started yet. Just a few days until Friday.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Waste of a Day
I am still feeling pretty wiped out, but my sinuses are feeling a lot better. Still have a headache, though.
As I am starting to feel better, I am also starting to feel worse because I can see from the state of the house that it does not look as good as I thought it did. I thought I did a pretty good job at keeping up with things, except for the laundry.
Nope. The kitchen counter was cleared off quite nicely, until I spent most of the day in bed. Beware of thirteen-year-olds and an unattended kitchen. I also have to see if we have any food left...
I was tired enough today that I propped myself up in bed and watched DVDs on my computer, starting at around 10. After lunch, I fell asleep, and just woke up at around 3:15. I do feel loads better than I did even when I first woke up this morning. Rest is really important if I am going to be able to get through tomorrow, and the rest of the week. We are really, really busy every night this week, so there will not be a lot of opportunities to just relax in the evenings. Unfortunatly, we really can't miss these events.
Which brings me to another point. I am going to have to reevaluate what we spend time on in the future. I am not the type of person who has to be doing things every night of the week in order to feel important, or worthy, or happy. I know a lot of people compete to see who has less free time, who never eats at home, whose kids are involved in more activities. Not me. I don't really care if we are home more evenings and weekends than not.
Unfortunately, life has a way of pushing me into things I maybe should have said "No" to, and then suddenly, we are out of the house four evenings out of the week, or more. This wouldn't be such as issue if there were another adult around the house to take care of those things that need to be taken care of. But, there isn't. It's all done by me, the big stuff on the weekends.
Normally, I don't whine about the things that any adult needs to do to take care of a home. It just has to be done. Laundry, cleaning out the refrigerator, paying bills, vacuuming, dusting, periodically shoveling out what needs to go. Things weren't perfect, just done. Now I am looking down at the end result of being sick for most of last week, and it doesn't look pretty.
List of things to do to get the house back to normal:
1. Clean out the refrigerator - partially done
2. Laundry
3. Empty dishwasher
4. Reload dishwasher
5. Sort laundry
6. Dust
7. Clean bathroom (just did on Thursday)
8. Take out garbage (this is what kids are for)
9. Straighten up end tables, coffee table, and everywhere else my son has dumped stuff when I wasn't watching this week.
10. check vacuum for blockages
11. try to vacuum, or else get out that nearly useless carpet flick thing that I bought in a moment of weakness. The vacuum is sort of working better, but is is still having problems picking up lint from my red blanket. I will have to get a new lint roller, and see if I can get that to work, or else crawl around on my hands and knees and pick it all up by myself. Yuck.
Not the worst list, I suppose. Okay, time to get to work. I am going to set my timer and take care of the dishwasher first. I can get the kitchen into shape fairly quickly, and go from there.
As I am starting to feel better, I am also starting to feel worse because I can see from the state of the house that it does not look as good as I thought it did. I thought I did a pretty good job at keeping up with things, except for the laundry.
Nope. The kitchen counter was cleared off quite nicely, until I spent most of the day in bed. Beware of thirteen-year-olds and an unattended kitchen. I also have to see if we have any food left...
I was tired enough today that I propped myself up in bed and watched DVDs on my computer, starting at around 10. After lunch, I fell asleep, and just woke up at around 3:15. I do feel loads better than I did even when I first woke up this morning. Rest is really important if I am going to be able to get through tomorrow, and the rest of the week. We are really, really busy every night this week, so there will not be a lot of opportunities to just relax in the evenings. Unfortunatly, we really can't miss these events.
Which brings me to another point. I am going to have to reevaluate what we spend time on in the future. I am not the type of person who has to be doing things every night of the week in order to feel important, or worthy, or happy. I know a lot of people compete to see who has less free time, who never eats at home, whose kids are involved in more activities. Not me. I don't really care if we are home more evenings and weekends than not.
Unfortunately, life has a way of pushing me into things I maybe should have said "No" to, and then suddenly, we are out of the house four evenings out of the week, or more. This wouldn't be such as issue if there were another adult around the house to take care of those things that need to be taken care of. But, there isn't. It's all done by me, the big stuff on the weekends.
Normally, I don't whine about the things that any adult needs to do to take care of a home. It just has to be done. Laundry, cleaning out the refrigerator, paying bills, vacuuming, dusting, periodically shoveling out what needs to go. Things weren't perfect, just done. Now I am looking down at the end result of being sick for most of last week, and it doesn't look pretty.
List of things to do to get the house back to normal:
1. Clean out the refrigerator - partially done
2. Laundry
5. Sort laundry
6. Dust
Not the worst list, I suppose. Okay, time to get to work. I am going to set my timer and take care of the dishwasher first. I can get the kitchen into shape fairly quickly, and go from there.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Okay, yet another post today. Gad, will she ever shut up?
I still feel like crap. I just watched Miss Congeniality 2, which at least made me laugh. Laughter is the key to feeling better. Mentally better, anyway. I can stand light a little better today, so at least I wasn't as bored today as I was yesterday.
Three doses of antibiotics out of the way, seventeen more to go. Tomorrow is going to have to be a complete rest day. I am exhausted.
Three doses of antibiotics out of the way, seventeen more to go. Tomorrow is going to have to be a complete rest day. I am exhausted.
Tell me again how you ended up learning to sword fight this afternoon?
I registered my son for a stage combat class that was held this afternoon. I fully inteded to just drop him off, go get some movies, do errands, etc. But, some of my friends were there from DMRF, so you know how that goes.
Then, I intended to just stay and watch, but they made me get up and do the exercises, and then the next thing I knew, I was learning stage combat. Go figure. Not easy to do when your sinuses are still swollen, and your head hurts.
I actually didn't feel too terribly bad for about the first hour. The last hour and a half were not great. Right now, I feel pretty damn bad, and am regretting participating. Even if it was fun. And I got to play Benvolio in a scene in Romeo and Juliet, but didn't get to fight. I love Shakespeare, but I always forget that until I am actually reading it aloud. Beautiful!
And my son rocked it, totally. He's good with a line, and decent with a sword.
We'll get him on a stage yet.
Then, I intended to just stay and watch, but they made me get up and do the exercises, and then the next thing I knew, I was learning stage combat. Go figure. Not easy to do when your sinuses are still swollen, and your head hurts.
I actually didn't feel too terribly bad for about the first hour. The last hour and a half were not great. Right now, I feel pretty damn bad, and am regretting participating. Even if it was fun. And I got to play Benvolio in a scene in Romeo and Juliet, but didn't get to fight. I love Shakespeare, but I always forget that until I am actually reading it aloud. Beautiful!
And my son rocked it, totally. He's good with a line, and decent with a sword.
We'll get him on a stage yet.
Further proof that the Intarweb is smaller than you think...
AtTheFaire.com
I had a comment left by a "Jay" on my Tron Guy post, which I wrote while giggling at the new PC/Mac/Linux pic WWdN posted yesterday, sinus pressure and all. This commentor told me to ask that Pirate Comedy Show guy about him. So, I clicky-ed (sorry, still sick, so I am going to be clicky-ing and otherwhat-ing all over the place) his post name to get the profile, and got a "not public profile" thingy, so therefore was in a muddle as to who this person was who wanted me to ask JP, who I won't see for at least another few weeks, providing he is also doing this telethony thingy. There are Jays who worked at the DMRF, but since I came in so late, I mostly just knew people as Phileeeeeep!, Little John, or ScurvyLocks, unless they were on the court (yeah, I know, weird, but 'tis the way it is).
Now, there are some thingy's going on for the Des Moines Ren-faire people next month (telethony thingy), and i was wondering if there was an update thingy on the atthefaire site, so I clicky-ed over there, and saw that there was a video montage thingy posted from the 16th. Sweet!
Then I scrolled down, and Jay became - hey Tron Guy posted at my site! Sweet! And he knows JP! Sweet! And he does Rennie things! Sweet! It all becomes clear now...
---Okay, I watched the Video Montage, and it brought a tear to my eye - not just because of the sinus infection... I can't wait for faire season!!!!!!
(I'm the Lady in the Big Red Dress.)
11:23 PM - TRON GUY lives... (posted by JohnPaul )
Years ago, I met Jay Maynard via renfest circles. He's helped bring show guides down from a printer in Minnesota to events in Iowa, and he, and friend Valentine Payne, have been great supporters of regional renaissance events such as the Siouxland Renaissance Festival in South Dakota.
A few years ago, Jay put together a TRON costume for a computer/sci-fi convention contest. He won, and by posting pictures of his costume creation process, he became one of those "internet phenomenoms" that pop up from time to time.
I had a comment left by a "Jay" on my Tron Guy post, which I wrote while giggling at the new PC/Mac/Linux pic WWdN posted yesterday, sinus pressure and all. This commentor told me to ask that Pirate Comedy Show guy about him. So, I clicky-ed (sorry, still sick, so I am going to be clicky-ing and otherwhat-ing all over the place) his post name to get the profile, and got a "not public profile" thingy, so therefore was in a muddle as to who this person was who wanted me to ask JP, who I won't see for at least another few weeks, providing he is also doing this telethony thingy. There are Jays who worked at the DMRF, but since I came in so late, I mostly just knew people as Phileeeeeep!, Little John, or ScurvyLocks, unless they were on the court (yeah, I know, weird, but 'tis the way it is).
Now, there are some thingy's going on for the Des Moines Ren-faire people next month (telethony thingy), and i was wondering if there was an update thingy on the atthefaire site, so I clicky-ed over there, and saw that there was a video montage thingy posted from the 16th. Sweet!
Then I scrolled down, and Jay became - hey Tron Guy posted at my site! Sweet! And he knows JP! Sweet! And he does Rennie things! Sweet! It all becomes clear now...
---Okay, I watched the Video Montage, and it brought a tear to my eye - not just because of the sinus infection... I can't wait for faire season!!!!!!
(I'm the Lady in the Big Red Dress.)
Morning
This morning I was rudely awakened by the phone. Wrong number. It was 8:45 am.
I tossed and turned all night last night. I slept on the couch, because I could elevate my head more. The sudafed did not even make a dent in how miserable I was (I keep using that word, but there really is no other word to describe sinus infection). Light hurt. Not just bright lights, but the light from the television, the light from the computer screen, room lights, even the light from my son's room, which was mostly blocked by the back of the couch, and by being around the corner and down a hall. Morning is better so far.
Driving last night was fun, that's for sure.
I know what you are saying: why did you go anywhere when you were feeling this miserable?
Well, yesterday evening, I had to pick my son up from school at 5. I also had a prescription to fill, and groceries to buy. I haven't done anything this week, because I've felt so crappy, so we were out of milk, food other than soup (If I ever see another bowl of soup again... ug), and paper towels. So, I struggled through that errand, then went and picked up my son.
I waited a few minutes for him to come out of the school. He was excited. "There's a party at school tonight at 6, can I go?" I couldn't say, "no, you have to stay at home because I really just want to take some sudafed and go to bed right now." So, at 5 minutes to 6, I dropped him off, and went home to rest until it was time to pick him up at 9, sudafed free.
He had a great time. Apparently, while he was watching a movie (they had movies, DDR, which he sucked at so bad because he kept laughing because he sucked so bad, Some Tony Hawk game that he rocked at - his words, and of couse, dancing, which only the eighth-graders actually did). Okay, as I was saying, while he was watching the movie, two girls came and sat by him, giggled and said, "Hi, ----." He has no idea who they are, or how they knew his name, but they sat by him during the movie.
And no, he did not dance. Maybe next year.
Okay, my sinuses are getting too painful to do this much longer. I am so bored from not being able to read, watch TV, or wander aimlessly online. I hope that the antibiotics start working really soon... It's another clear, very cold, beautiful day.
I tossed and turned all night last night. I slept on the couch, because I could elevate my head more. The sudafed did not even make a dent in how miserable I was (I keep using that word, but there really is no other word to describe sinus infection). Light hurt. Not just bright lights, but the light from the television, the light from the computer screen, room lights, even the light from my son's room, which was mostly blocked by the back of the couch, and by being around the corner and down a hall. Morning is better so far.
Driving last night was fun, that's for sure.
I know what you are saying: why did you go anywhere when you were feeling this miserable?
Well, yesterday evening, I had to pick my son up from school at 5. I also had a prescription to fill, and groceries to buy. I haven't done anything this week, because I've felt so crappy, so we were out of milk, food other than soup (If I ever see another bowl of soup again... ug), and paper towels. So, I struggled through that errand, then went and picked up my son.
I waited a few minutes for him to come out of the school. He was excited. "There's a party at school tonight at 6, can I go?" I couldn't say, "no, you have to stay at home because I really just want to take some sudafed and go to bed right now." So, at 5 minutes to 6, I dropped him off, and went home to rest until it was time to pick him up at 9, sudafed free.
He had a great time. Apparently, while he was watching a movie (they had movies, DDR, which he sucked at so bad because he kept laughing because he sucked so bad, Some Tony Hawk game that he rocked at - his words, and of couse, dancing, which only the eighth-graders actually did). Okay, as I was saying, while he was watching the movie, two girls came and sat by him, giggled and said, "Hi, ----." He has no idea who they are, or how they knew his name, but they sat by him during the movie.
And no, he did not dance. Maybe next year.
Okay, my sinuses are getting too painful to do this much longer. I am so bored from not being able to read, watch TV, or wander aimlessly online. I hope that the antibiotics start working really soon... It's another clear, very cold, beautiful day.
Friday, February 09, 2007
My laugh for the day (non-hysterical, that is)
PC/Mac/Linux
Note: For those of you who are unfamiliar with the guy in the white Tron costume, a.k.a. Tron Guy. This page explains how he put the costume together, and it's really pretty cool. Just keep scrolling....
Note: For those of you who are unfamiliar with the guy in the white Tron costume, a.k.a. Tron Guy. This page explains how he put the costume together, and it's really pretty cool. Just keep scrolling....
Went to the doctor and the doctor said...
Sinus Infection.
Great.
I went to work this morning, but at around 8:30, I knew I was not going to last. I stuck it out until
around 10:30, the realized I was so miserable that I was babbling.
When I got home, I took off my mittens, put my keys on the kitchen counter,
and burst into tears. That is how glad I was to be home.
My doctor doesn't work on Fridays, so I had to get an appointment with a
doctor I didn't know. Couldn't get in until 3:10. I tried to sleep, but
I had to be awake between 1 and 2, because the apartment manager was
dropping off new keys for the security door (the locks are being
changed).
So, can't sleep, can't watch TV, can't handle any light.
Doc confirmed what I thought - definitely a sinus infection.
Antibiotics, hallelujah.
But it still sucks.
Great.
I went to work this morning, but at around 8:30, I knew I was not going to last. I stuck it out until
around 10:30, the realized I was so miserable that I was babbling.
When I got home, I took off my mittens, put my keys on the kitchen counter,
and burst into tears. That is how glad I was to be home.
My doctor doesn't work on Fridays, so I had to get an appointment with a
doctor I didn't know. Couldn't get in until 3:10. I tried to sleep, but
I had to be awake between 1 and 2, because the apartment manager was
dropping off new keys for the security door (the locks are being
changed).
So, can't sleep, can't watch TV, can't handle any light.
Doc confirmed what I thought - definitely a sinus infection.
Antibiotics, hallelujah.
But it still sucks.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Magic Pill
I am serious, folks. If you know of anything that will fix this, please let me know (key is that I have high blood pressure, so cannot take most OTC cold remedies, except in small doses. As in ONE-half a dose of sudafed severe cold formula ONCE a day).
Let's get out the list of symptoms, in the order of appearance:
Sunday:
1. Scratchy throat
2. Fatigue
Monday:
3. Throat is worse
4. Congested
5. just a cold, stuffy nose
Tuesday:
6. Woke up with a severely sore throat
7. Check back of throat for bleeding, it hurts so bad
8. slight fever
9. headache
10. dry cough
11. Did I mention that my throat hurt?
Wednesday:
12. Still sore throat
13. still headache
14. started sneezing
15. Okay, runny nose, but feel overall much better. Fever is gone by noon.
16. By bed time, very tired and sleepy, have used a large amount of kleenex
17. Sinus problems.
Thursday:
16. Woke up after decent night's sleep
17. Went to work cheerfully, with a third of a box of kleenex
18. Realize I may have made a mistake going in to work when box of kleenex is gone before 11 am.
19. Massive sinus pain
20. Nose is raw
21. Head still hurts
22. Another half a box of kleenex is now gone
23. Sudafed is not helping
24. How much longer is this going to last?
25. Still coughing, too, btw
So, yeah. Feeling pretty crappy. I really should have stayed home again today. If I can just get through tomorrow...
Let's get out the list of symptoms, in the order of appearance:
Sunday:
1. Scratchy throat
2. Fatigue
Monday:
3. Throat is worse
4. Congested
5. just a cold, stuffy nose
Tuesday:
6. Woke up with a severely sore throat
7. Check back of throat for bleeding, it hurts so bad
8. slight fever
9. headache
10. dry cough
11. Did I mention that my throat hurt?
Wednesday:
12. Still sore throat
13. still headache
14. started sneezing
15. Okay, runny nose, but feel overall much better. Fever is gone by noon.
16. By bed time, very tired and sleepy, have used a large amount of kleenex
17. Sinus problems.
Thursday:
16. Woke up after decent night's sleep
17. Went to work cheerfully, with a third of a box of kleenex
18. Realize I may have made a mistake going in to work when box of kleenex is gone before 11 am.
19. Massive sinus pain
20. Nose is raw
21. Head still hurts
22. Another half a box of kleenex is now gone
23. Sudafed is not helping
24. How much longer is this going to last?
25. Still coughing, too, btw
So, yeah. Feeling pretty crappy. I really should have stayed home again today. If I can just get through tomorrow...
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The line between misery and not-so-miserable
I think I hit it, finally. I barely slept again last night, but at least the number of hours of sleep I got before waking up was greater than on Monday night (I woke up at 3:30am, and my throat was absolutely on fire).
I dozed a bit until the alarm went off, then took my temperature. It was still a bit higher than normal, so I ended up staying at home again. My throat was the same as yesterday (awful). I caught another hour of sleep, as today was a late-start day for my son.
And then, a little before 10, I was looking at the school calendar, and thinking that i really needed to get my calendar set up, as I have a bunch of things going on in the next month. So, I fired up iCal, printed out a calendar through the end of the year, and sat down with the school calendar to get the important dates written down.
About halfway through, I realized that I was actually able to concentrate, despite the fact that the sneezing had started. I finished the calendar, then cleared the coffee table of the mountain of kleenex and magazines. Small accomplishments, but a good pick-me-up.
So, despite the headache, slight fever, and sore throat that are still holding on, I am actually feeling like I might have turned the corner. And that's a good thing, because honestly, one more day of daytime programming... ugh.
I dozed a bit until the alarm went off, then took my temperature. It was still a bit higher than normal, so I ended up staying at home again. My throat was the same as yesterday (awful). I caught another hour of sleep, as today was a late-start day for my son.
And then, a little before 10, I was looking at the school calendar, and thinking that i really needed to get my calendar set up, as I have a bunch of things going on in the next month. So, I fired up iCal, printed out a calendar through the end of the year, and sat down with the school calendar to get the important dates written down.
About halfway through, I realized that I was actually able to concentrate, despite the fact that the sneezing had started. I finished the calendar, then cleared the coffee table of the mountain of kleenex and magazines. Small accomplishments, but a good pick-me-up.
So, despite the headache, slight fever, and sore throat that are still holding on, I am actually feeling like I might have turned the corner. And that's a good thing, because honestly, one more day of daytime programming... ugh.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Don't underestimate the power of Wild Cherry Luden's Throat Drops
Too bad I can't just eat them one right after the other.
My son had a band concert tonight. I knew this, it tickled at the back of my mind all day. These concerts are mandatory, and he had no ride other than me, so I had to suck it up, and go. Luckily, I sat next to friends, and hid behind a handkerchief all evening. Unluckily, the concert was an hour and a half long, and we had to be there 45 minutes before it started. I nearly emptied my Luden's box. Oh, and no food or drink in the auditorium.
By the time we got home, after a quick run to the store for cereal, bread, soft things for me to eat, and more Luden's it was after 9.
I am wiped out. I woke up this morning at 1:00 am! Could not get fully back to sleep at all. I also could not nap today, thanks to the Sudafed (if you don't try to go to sleep right away after taking the severe cold formula, you get wired). I had to force myself to stay on the couch, and couldn't even focus enough to read. So today really, really sucked, and now I am exhausted. Hopefully, I will be able to sleep tonight, and by tomorrow, maybe the pain in my throat will be better.
Cross your fingers. Good night!
My son had a band concert tonight. I knew this, it tickled at the back of my mind all day. These concerts are mandatory, and he had no ride other than me, so I had to suck it up, and go. Luckily, I sat next to friends, and hid behind a handkerchief all evening. Unluckily, the concert was an hour and a half long, and we had to be there 45 minutes before it started. I nearly emptied my Luden's box. Oh, and no food or drink in the auditorium.
By the time we got home, after a quick run to the store for cereal, bread, soft things for me to eat, and more Luden's it was after 9.
I am wiped out. I woke up this morning at 1:00 am! Could not get fully back to sleep at all. I also could not nap today, thanks to the Sudafed (if you don't try to go to sleep right away after taking the severe cold formula, you get wired). I had to force myself to stay on the couch, and couldn't even focus enough to read. So today really, really sucked, and now I am exhausted. Hopefully, I will be able to sleep tonight, and by tomorrow, maybe the pain in my throat will be better.
Cross your fingers. Good night!
Sore throat, no voice, more snow
Staying home today. My throat is sore enough that it is physically hard to swallow, and my voice, what is left of it, sounds like Chef, from South Park. I also didn't sleep much past 1 am.
Yuck.
Oh, and it's snowing.
Yuck.
Oh, and it's snowing.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Adding Insult to Injury
Bad: Having this cold.
Worse: The Bears are behind, and playing a crappy game.
Please, please, let the Bears rally!
Worse: The Bears are behind, and playing a crappy game.
Please, please, let the Bears rally!
Superbowl!!!
Get thee to thy couch to watch the game!
If I could rouse my poor, sick self to watch this, you can too!
Commerical update will follow, if I am conscious enough afterwards. Sucks being sick, because I had bought Jose Cuervo Margaritas just for this...
If I could rouse my poor, sick self to watch this, you can too!
Commerical update will follow, if I am conscious enough afterwards. Sucks being sick, because I had bought Jose Cuervo Margaritas just for this...
Progress halted
I woke up early this morning (well, early for the weekend: 7:50), and was looking forward to an entire day of sewing, reading, and watching movies in the comfort of my apartment.
It wasn't too long before I realized that my throat was scratchy. Oh well, I thought, not too bad, feel great otherwise.
I started feeling really woozy while tracing off the pattern for the high-necked smock (which will have needle-lace on the collar and cuffs - early version of a ruff). So, I ate lunch, thinking I just needed food. After lunch, I finished tracing off the last two pieces of the pattern.
I am now very tired, achy, and this cold is really bad. I am ditching my plans to cut out this pattern today. I feel very crappy, and I don't want to risk ruining my fabric, since I need to get two smocks out of the ten yards that I have (very fine white cotton - big score: $1/yard). So, I am going to curl up, and try to read a bit, and wait for the sudafed to kick in. It'll probably knock me out for awhile, and there goes my Sunday.
It wasn't too long before I realized that my throat was scratchy. Oh well, I thought, not too bad, feel great otherwise.
I started feeling really woozy while tracing off the pattern for the high-necked smock (which will have needle-lace on the collar and cuffs - early version of a ruff). So, I ate lunch, thinking I just needed food. After lunch, I finished tracing off the last two pieces of the pattern.
I am now very tired, achy, and this cold is really bad. I am ditching my plans to cut out this pattern today. I feel very crappy, and I don't want to risk ruining my fabric, since I need to get two smocks out of the ten yards that I have (very fine white cotton - big score: $1/yard). So, I am going to curl up, and try to read a bit, and wait for the sudafed to kick in. It'll probably knock me out for awhile, and there goes my Sunday.
Consequences of Cold Weather
Yesterday, I had to venture out into the cold. My son was invited to a friend's house, and I decided that I would go to the library to get movies and books so I could better enjoy this weekend. As we were just about to leave the house, I got a call from work about the lasercutter lens, so a stop at work ws also necessary.
The clock on the bank near the library also shows the current temperature. It was -2°F. I ran like crazy to get from the parking lot to the library, because it was so cold that it hurt to breathe. Same for work. Just too cold to linger, despite the sun.
This morning, my throat is scratchy, and my cold is worse. We are definitely not going anywhere today. I've got sewing to do, and a stack of movies and books from the library. My son has a million games to play, and on Sundays, Cartoon Network shows movies in the morning. And there is that whole Superbowl thing...
I think today is going to be pretty fun...
The clock on the bank near the library also shows the current temperature. It was -2°F. I ran like crazy to get from the parking lot to the library, because it was so cold that it hurt to breathe. Same for work. Just too cold to linger, despite the sun.
This morning, my throat is scratchy, and my cold is worse. We are definitely not going anywhere today. I've got sewing to do, and a stack of movies and books from the library. My son has a million games to play, and on Sundays, Cartoon Network shows movies in the morning. And there is that whole Superbowl thing...
I think today is going to be pretty fun...
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Boggles the mind
Wind Chill Advisory:
Issued at: 12:17 PM CST 2/3/07, expires at: 4:30 PM CST 2/3/07
Wind chill advisory remains in effect until 12 pm cst Monday.
Highs are expected to be no warmer than just above zero through early Monday. In many instances they will even remain sub-zero with highs only in the single digits below zero. This bitter cold in combination with varied speeds of west to northwest winds will keep wind chill indices in the 20 to 30 below zero range for an extended period, likely through Sunday night into early Monday morning. Wind chills may vary from 30 to 40 below zero at times closer to the Minnesota border.
A wind chill advisory means that very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chills. This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken. If you must venture outdoors, make sure you cover as much exposed skin as possible with multiple layers of clothing best to stay warm. Frostbite on exposed skin can occur in as few as 30 minutes when wind chills dip to under 20 below zero, and in 10 minutes when they reach 35 below or less.
And yes, folks, I saw people on campus today with just a sweatshirt, no hat, no gloves.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
More cold. Get over it. It's Iowa.
This afternoon, I received a message that our outdoor activity for the weekend had been cancelled, due to the forecast for extremely cold and dangerous windchills.
I am not ashamed to admit that my spirits lifted enormously at the news, as I was dreading this weekend due to the expected temps. You might even say that I broke into a little dance, not because I didn't want to go camping. I just didn't want to go this weekend, if it was going to be so cold. Now it's a non-issue (except for calling very early tomorrow morning to cancel our cabin reservation, and make a new one, as they are only in the office between 7-8am).
Our high for Saturday is supposed to be 1°F. Our low, -4°F. By Sunday, our low will be -12°F. These are actual temperatures, not just wind chills. By tomorrow morning, our windchills will be in the -20's°F. By Saturday, they expect them to be between -25 and -35°F. In other words: Bad. Dangerous. All of next week will be pretty much the same, lots of negative numbers...
Okay, time to crawl into my nice, comfy bed, and get some sleep. I am just hoping this is not one of my bad nights. Thinking nice, peaceful, warm thoughts...
I am not ashamed to admit that my spirits lifted enormously at the news, as I was dreading this weekend due to the expected temps. You might even say that I broke into a little dance, not because I didn't want to go camping. I just didn't want to go this weekend, if it was going to be so cold. Now it's a non-issue (except for calling very early tomorrow morning to cancel our cabin reservation, and make a new one, as they are only in the office between 7-8am).
Our high for Saturday is supposed to be 1°F. Our low, -4°F. By Sunday, our low will be -12°F. These are actual temperatures, not just wind chills. By tomorrow morning, our windchills will be in the -20's°F. By Saturday, they expect them to be between -25 and -35°F. In other words: Bad. Dangerous. All of next week will be pretty much the same, lots of negative numbers...
Okay, time to crawl into my nice, comfy bed, and get some sleep. I am just hoping this is not one of my bad nights. Thinking nice, peaceful, warm thoughts...
Takes a lickin', keeps on tickin'
This morning, I realized that I had left my iBook in the truck of my car since leaving work yesterday. The temps were well below freezing last night.
I am writing this post on that same little iBook, after letting it acclimate to room temperature all morning. Still working, and we'll see how the battery holds up this afternoon.
This is one of the original white iBooks, released in May 2001. I bought it in October of 2001, after it had served it's early life as a floor model at our computer sales department. It has been through a lot, and just refuses to give up.
It's slid off of the car seat when I had a sudden stop, while it was on, BTW. No problem.
Dropping it about a foot onto the corner where the power jack is located merely broke something in the tray-load DVD drive, so that it won't stay shut without tape. Still works, though. Scary moment.
Somehow, though, the ethernet port decided to die. So it appears that this is the beginning of the end for this little workhorse. Well, it hasn't been my workhorse machine for a couple of years, but it holds my music and pictures very well, and is extremely useful when I have to go to the labs or studios to work on machines, or to hunt down rogue wireless base stations.
I love this little iBook, and hope it continues to work well for at least another couple of years.
And I promise I will try very hard not to leave it in the car overnight again...
I am writing this post on that same little iBook, after letting it acclimate to room temperature all morning. Still working, and we'll see how the battery holds up this afternoon.
This is one of the original white iBooks, released in May 2001. I bought it in October of 2001, after it had served it's early life as a floor model at our computer sales department. It has been through a lot, and just refuses to give up.
It's slid off of the car seat when I had a sudden stop, while it was on, BTW. No problem.
Dropping it about a foot onto the corner where the power jack is located merely broke something in the tray-load DVD drive, so that it won't stay shut without tape. Still works, though. Scary moment.
Somehow, though, the ethernet port decided to die. So it appears that this is the beginning of the end for this little workhorse. Well, it hasn't been my workhorse machine for a couple of years, but it holds my music and pictures very well, and is extremely useful when I have to go to the labs or studios to work on machines, or to hunt down rogue wireless base stations.
I love this little iBook, and hope it continues to work well for at least another couple of years.
And I promise I will try very hard not to leave it in the car overnight again...
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