Saturday, June 11, 2011

Wet dogs smell

I've been sitting next to a wet dog all afternoon and I don't think I'll ever get that smell out of my nose.  Professor decided, while on his leash in the back yard, to dig into the compost heap for the critters that frequent there.  When I got to him, his feet were caked with mud and compost so holding him at arm's length, I marched him into the bathroom, put him in the tub and turned the hand held shower head on him.  He didn't fight me, but he would have given anything to get out of that tub.

Unfortunately it was a bit nippy today so he got the shivers.  I took out my Greek afghan and wrapped him in it and he's been hiding under there ever since.  Right under my nose where I can smell him drying.

Zach got the yard mowed but my fatigue/pain levels wouldn't let me go out to work in the yard today.  Instead, I worked in bits and got quite a lot done for me.  On these days when I'm overwhelmed by the fatigue I usually just ride it out because in the past trying to push past it has left me in worse pain and more fatigue than before.  What I'm doing differently is not overdoing those bits I'm working through.  I'm just up for about 15 minutes, then go sit down and knit...so I'm actually being productive the whole time.  I've managed to get the kitchen under control again and have started on the back hallway, which is absolutely horrendous with clutter.  I've cleared a large amount of it but there is still so much to do.  Right now I'm focusing on barbequed chicken legs in the oven with au gratin potatoes and peas, while I make some sauceless spaghetti for Zach to go with his chicken.  He cannot eat mashed potatoes at all.

I also managed to get a couple of loads of clothes done.  I still have to fetch the clothes from the dryer, put the washed clothes in the dryer (load 3) and then start another load, but that can wait a while.  Supper is all I can focus on now.  So this new way of managing my fibromyalgia seems to be working well.  My problem of working through in the past was that I tried to do it all instead of doing what I was capable of.  I finally think I may even catch up on the house and...dare I think it...get ahead.

I'm making much progress on the curtain for the front door.  I'm about 3/4 done and might even have it up by Monday.  Then I'll start on the bathroom curtain and go back to working on the baby blankets.  Or the mitten I was working on before.  Haven't forgotten it.  I really need to start using up my stash so I don't have bags of yarn in the corner of the living room hiding behind my pillows.  And filling up the bottom of my closet where I could be hiding the pillows instead.

And speaking of pillows, I've been sleeping very well.  I've even been sleeping longer and getting some much needed delta sleep.  I've also noticed that neither Zach nor I have been eating as much lately.  I haven't been munching between snacks at all and Zach's cut back to just one snack a day.  I think he's lost a bit around his belly.  I don't think I've lost any weight yet but I'm okay with that.  I'm only going to focus on getting my life back, not making it perfect.

We both want to start taking nature walks, where we're not walking to lose weight but walking to enjoy life.  I like that idea. I think we're going to start at the Mounds first as it's grassy and shady, then maybe try the Marsh now and then.  The Marsh is closer but harder to manage until we build up some strength.  Zach was able to mow the yard in one fell swoop and wasn't exhausted afterward, which is a near miracle.  He's been doing some strength training every other day as well.

Well, off to get the potatoes started.  I'm being lazy and using a mix though because that energy level is only so much.

TTFN

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oy, wet dog smell is the worst.

Also, on humid days .... even though I keep my house like Martha Stewart, I still smell "dog". No one else can smell it, but I can. On days like that I light so many scented candles it looks like a Catholic altar.