Blizzards aren't just from Dairy Queen

I'm still in my jeans and sweater because Zach and I will have to shovel the driveway before Tom gets home.  Which means I have to stay awake long enough to do that.  I hadn't intended to go anywhere today but with the threat of nearly a foot of snow between now and Wednesday, I thought I should stock up on bread and a few other items.  Oatmeal as well.

I took the truck so Tom could take the car to work since the truck is crap on snow.  In fact, on the way home, even though there was hardly any snow on the road, I was slipping a bit.  I slowed down and pulled over whenever anyone got behind me but I'm not about to take that truck out when it's snowing ever again.  Unless it's necessary.

I also bought myself some boots today.  I've lived here for nearly 14 years without boots.  Boots that fit.  I have a pair that are short and they scoop snow onto my socks and they're really tight and miserable to wear.  These look like wellies, those rubber boots farmers wear, but they fit and I can get an extra pair of socks on and they come up to my knees so I won't be filling my boots with snow anymore.  Unless the snow is taller than my knees.  Not to expensive and I can use them this summer in the garden.

My niece and nephew are in the midst of an ice storm in Indianapolis.  School was canceled for tomorrow which is good for them as they both work for the schools.  I said something on my nephew's fb status and I got no response.  I have suspected for a while that they've hidden me.  sigh  So glad my family is interested in my life.

Or not. I'm not the same person I used to be.

I really want to crawl into bed right now but we're waiting for the snow plow to go through so we can shovel a path through it.  I stood and sadly sighed over a small snow blower today.  No way we can afford it. 

I guess I'll get some knitting done and watch another episode of Midsomer Murders so I can get them back on Friday.  I'm pretty sure the roads will be clear by then.  At least I hope so.

TTFN

What else will stop working?

We're under a winter storm watch but I'm not sure we'll get anything from it.  Or not much.  Our news comes mostly from Milwaukee (or Madison) and Milwaukee is gearing up for several inches of the white stuff, but we're pretty far away so I don't know.  At any rate, I'm not going anywhere tomorrow and Tom's taking the car, which drives so much better on snow than the truck does.

Our printer went out today. Great. It had been groaning and moaning for a couple of weeks and then just refused to load the paper today.  I picked up two so Tom can have one upstairs.  Printers are now cheaper than the ink.  Go figure.

And I really did want to stay home today, but I didn't want to wait a week to get another printer as I've got stuff I want to print out this week.  But I'm home now and need to figure out supper.  Tom laid a chicken out that he wants Zach to cut up but it's still frozen solid so I've got to come up with plan B, which is thawing out some hamburger in the skillet and making a rice dish to go in it.  Instant casserole.

I'm going to plant some herbs this week.  I'm getting antsy to get some green in my life and my little Christmas tree just isn't enough.  I need to start looking at online nurseries because I want some unusual herbs, not the kind you can pick up at the grocery. 

Well, supper is on the stove and the clothes are in the washer so I think I'm going to go lie down for a bit while the meat thaws and the washer does its thing.

TTFN

Nearly finished with January

So much for staying home today.  More stuff in at the library and I didn't want to let them sit there all weekend so I went today and just did some shopping while I was out.  I only got a few things, but since we only needed a few things, I think we're set for a while.

Four new Midsomer Murders dvds so this weekend will be full of MM and knitting...or crocheting.  I worked on the Tree of Life afghan this morning and have been making steady progress on the gansey scarf.  The Navajo coat is also growing steadily but I've been looking longingly at my kick spindle so I think some spinning is called for this weekend, too.  I am so close to finishing up the pound of Welsh top.  Think of all the socks I can knit from that much yarn.  And mittens.  I can keep busy for ages.  I'll have to figure out the colors I want to dye it though.  I don't want to dye it all one color.  I want many dye lots of yarn.

It started snowing as I was walking out of StuffMart today.  Just a light snow, not sticking so far, which is good.  I had refilled the bird feeders before I left but they weren't completely empty, although close to it.  I have been noticing birds at the suet but when I checked it hasn't been nibbled at.  I don't know what the problem is.  It doesn't feel frozen so I can't figure out why they're not getting anything from it.

It was almost like spring today.  Well, our springs consist of temps in the 30s but today the mid 20s felt nice and warm.  Mostly because there was little wind today.  I noticed a lot of people out with coats open, no hats or mittens and acting like spring was in the air.  I wish.

I was going to wash clothes tonight but I might not dry them until I see what the weather is like tomorrow.  I might get by with hanging them out.  I'll have to wade through 6 inches of snow to do it, but why now? 

I so need to get caught up on the house this weekend but it's hard when Tom is home because the house is tiny and more people at home means less room to maneuver.  I'll put it off until next week.  I'm really good at procrastinating.

Off to fix supper and then my favorite time of day...crawling into my jammies and under the covers to work on projects and watch whatever on tv.

TTFN

Ready for the dreaded tax day

I got the money transferred into checking today to pay the first installment of the property taxes tomorrow.  I could wait until Monday but with my luck something would prevent me from getting there.  So I will walk down to City Hall and pay them tomorrow.  Yes, I said walk.  And believe me when I say it's uphill both ways. It really is.

Plus it snowed again last night.  Only two inches and thankfully one of our lovely neighbors with a snowblower did our public sidewalk and the driveway apron so there's no frantic rush to get out there and shovel before we get a ticket.  And more flurries are expected the next few days.  I'm seriously done with winter.

Another night with little sleep and I woke up early fretting about the state of our finances.  Things aren't as dire as I thought they were but we're still working on a pay reduction with costs skyrocketing and I've got to find money each month to stick away for the second installment.  It never lets up, does it?

I'm hoping to spend the weekend organizing my bedroom better so I can use it as a studio/work station area.  I don't have a door.  In fact, I don't even have a wall.  I have sheets that function as curtains and can hear the tv in the living room over mine (which is why I have the closed captions on all the time) so there is no privacy at all, but maybe I can find moments to work in peace and solitude even if I can't find hours.

What I need more than organization is sleep though.  I forgot to drink some tea or take a half a sleeping pill but it wouldn't have done any good anyway as Tom wanted to watch tv in my room when he got home last night and I ended up staying up until 3 a.m.  To be fair, I'm the one with the dvr and the digital channels so I try to accommodate him when possible.  And it was an interesting program about meteorite hunters in Wisconsin. 

I forgot to fill the bird feeders today...again.  I must remember to do that tomorrow.  I've been watching the forecasts to see if the temps will get close enough thawing so I can start hanging clothes outdoors to save a bit on electric costs, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon.  If we had more room in the house I could use the racks.  In fact, for the dark colored clothes I might go back to doing that.  The light colored stuff won't work because of all the little items. 

I need to start thinking about the garden.  I'm not going to use seeds from StuffMart this year.  I don't think they do well.  I'll try a nursery online instead.  That way I've got more options, too.  I want to start an herb garden as well.  I've got a rack in front of the only southern exposure window so I can start my seedlings there.  Hannibal won't be able to get to them because there are bars instead of shelving.  Plus I can drape the curtains around the whole rack so it's always exposed to the outside light and I don't have to get up early to open them.

Hoping to catch up a bit on dvr stuff tonight as it's getting full and I have more documentaries set up to record.  I finished up the Midsomer Murder dvd but I don't want to start Earth: Final Conflict yet.  I think I'll do another season of Farscape while I wait for the other MM episodes to come in at the library.

Well, time to start the macaroni and cheese and then go to bed.  I might work on my Navajo coat tonight or look at the patterns from the knitting books I got from the library today.  I'm looking to use up some yarn by making smaller things instead of huge projects.

TTFN

Something has to give

Crap.  Not much sleep last night.  I saw the sun rise again and tried to sleep in but at 11 a.m. Professor couldn't hold it any longer so I had to get up and let him out.  Not long after I posted last night I started coughing and feeling really crummy, like my cold had come back.  I took some cold medicine and some echinacea and went to bed but pain from the fibromyalgia reared its ugly head and kept me awake until I lost my sleep window.

I've felt generally lethargic all day and my ribs are so sore from coughing.  I had thought this was allergies but I'm not sure that I haven't recovered from that last bout of a cold as I've been coughing every day since then.  Still, I'm inclined to think allergies.  No fever or general malaise.  I'm allergic to mold and mildew.  Makes my sinuses drain like crazy and I think that's why I've been coughing.  The crumminess last night was most likely due to a flare up of the allergies rather than anything viral.  I've got to find the energy to scrub the house down and get rid of all the mold/mildew in here.  It accumulates in corners and behind furniture that is up against the walls.

As a result I'm not doing anything today in the realm of creativity.  I have no ambition and no energy.  I've got two loads of laundry going and cooking supper but after that I'm heading for bed.  I hope that little nap I took doesn't screw up the rest of the evening for me.  I might cut one of those little blue over-the-counter sleeping pills in half if I need to.

I keep thinking that if I could establish a sleep pattern, I could fix the other health problems I have.  I mean, I've been struggling with insomnia for over 22 years and that has to have taken its toll on my body, especially in the way I've gained weight around my waist (cortisol plays a huge factor, my doctor tells me.)  I'll try a few more things but if I can't get control of this, I might consider a trip to the dr just for this reason to see if she has any suggestions, even if they do involve medicine.  I'm stretched so thin I'm about to crack.

Well, supper needs my attention so I'm off to get it in the oven.  Here's hoping I can find a way out of this fog I'm living in.

TTFN

Will I manage to sleep two nights in a row?

I hadn't intended this to be a full errand day but I had a prescription come in at the pharmacy and we were out of cheese so I went ahead and did the shopping.  I've paid for the deductible on my prescriptions now so the rest of the year will be normal co-pays.  I'm choking at the deductible though.

I'm absolutely staying home the rest of the week though.  I need to do laundry and cleaning.  And crafting.  None of which is getting done.

I managed to sleep last night.  Good, uninterrupted sleep.  I didn't even hear Tom come home and if Professor wanted out, he didn't bother to ask me.  I never feel rested but this is as close to it as I get so I'm grateful.  I'm going to try some herbal tea tonight and see if that gives me two nights in a row.

Zach's tics are back with a vengeance.  His Tourette's has been largely manageable but last night was so bad he was in pain from the tics and was a bit frightened about the disruption to his breathing.  Plus he's swinging his arm out and he's afraid to go out in public in case he hits another old lady (he did once, many years ago.)  I made him go out with me but never mentioned it and he didn't have any problems but I felt he needed to get out and get among people.  He still tic'd but didn't harm anyone else and didn't draw attention to himself, which is one of his greatest fears.  He doesn't want to go back on medication though because the meds made him a zombie.  He just couldn't function.  Plus he doesn't have insurance and we can't afford a neurologist.

I'm going to give him some herbal tea tonight, too.  I offered some suggestions that did help: some relaxation techniques that we developed when he was younger, hot drinks and a hot water bottle on his stomach.  These didn't do away with the tics but they lessened them enough he could get to sleep.  He didn't have eye-blinking last night, which was good.  His eye-blinking has gotten so bad at times that he can't read or watch tv or computer and his forehead and eyes were so muscle sore that he was in tears.

I just hope this is just an interim thing and not the full return of the tics.

The OCD, however, is with us always.

I didn't knit much last night.  I managed a little reading and knit for about 15 minutes while watching some Graham Norton, but then turned the lights off and went to bed.  Sleep followed quickly after.  I'll have to watch that episode again later.  I've got one more Midsomer Murder to finish but I renewed it so there's no rush.  I have more on order from the library so I'm going to wait until I've finished the lot of them before starting Earth: Final Conflict.  The library still doesn't have their copy catalogued yet.

I won't be listening to the State of the Union address.  I never do.  Can't stand them no matter who is President.  Good thing I've got cable and dvds and dvr.  I'm not sure how much knitting I'll get done tonight because I hope to get to bed early and get a full night of sleep again.  I do function much better when I've had more than 3 hours a night.  Odd how that works.

Off to fix supper:  spaghetti and meatballs and a veg.  No, I didn't make my own meatballs.  They were frozen and on sale.  I can get several meals out of this bag.  Then into my pajamas and into bed.  I am getting dressed in the mornings now and that's helping the depression a bit.  Plus it makes changing into my jammies something to look forward to at the end of the day.

TTFN

Trying to escape this pattern

Lack of uninterrupted sleep is getting to me and making me incredibly grouchy, not to mention tired and depressed.  Not the deep depression that is so hard to crawl out of but the kind that pisses you off when you think this is how it's always going to be.  And it's not just Professor waking me up.  Last night was pain that wasn't a terribly long bout thanks to the tramadol, was particularly intense.  And of course, he needed out this morning for his wee and no one else was up so I had to get up to take care of it.  Once up like that, I can't get back to sleep.  And anyway it was after 10 a.m.

I had to go to the library today but just the library so the trip didn't last all day.  Long enough because I browsed there, but still I got home before dark.  And I'm achy so I'm going to bed and let Zach cook supper.  Tomorrow I have bills to pay and drop off in town and laundry to do so hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight.  I've tried over-the-counter sleeping pills but they put me in a coma the next day.  I haven't tried cutting them in half.  I might do that.  Of course getting to sleep is only half the problem.  Staying asleep is the hardest part.  I've been ignoring Professor in the night because I don't think he needs to go out every 2 hours and anyway he's got his puppy pads.  Maybe he'll get trained not to try anymore...at least until daylight.

I was going to start on some projects today but with the library, cleaning up after the weekend and feeling like I've been stretched so thin I'm transparent, nothing got done.  Maybe later I'll get something done but nothing on the projects I have planned.  I need my brain for those and it's not working right now.

I got the third Hal Challis mystery by Garry Disher.  It's starting out even better than the last two and after three chapters, I don't have a clue so the first book must have been either an aberration or just a lucky guess.  But again he spends time discussing the last case and its resolution so if you read them, take them in order unless you don't mind knowing how they end.  He's a really good writer so I've got his book on writing on order at the library.

I discovered several Midsomer Murders I haven't seen yet so they are on order as well.  I watched two of them yesterday but didn't get the third one done so I renewed it.  It's not due today but I don't want to go back tomorrow.  When I'm done with them, I'll be watching Earth: Final Conflict.  I went online to StuffMart's website to see if they had the other 4 seasons but they only have the first one...and the price was $40.  I got it for $10.  I wonder if it was mispriced or if they're just selling below value for some reason.  It makes my donation to the library seem better though.

I probably won't be getting any more seasons of E:FC for a while.  I keep saying we're in frugal lockdown but this time I really mean it.  Taxes are due this week and the house payment next week.  I want to run away from home.

My Navajo coat is coming along nicely and I finished up a second pair of socks from bits and bobs of leftover woolease.  These are red and white, but not exactly identical.  If I make another pair they won't look anything alike but since I'm not locked into the idea of matching socks (or earrings) it's not big deal.  I've got a few older pairs that won't take another darning so when they wear out will go the way of the Happy Hunting Grounds.  Or the landfill.

I worked a bit on the gansey scarf.  I'm surprised I remembered the pattern, but the yarn is fingering weight so it takes a while to see real progress.  I need to get back to work on the Tree of Life afghan but with my lack of sleep, concentration is difficult.  It's the equivalent of adult onset ADD and debilitating.  Not to mention frustrating.  Patterns that require little concentration or difficulty are on the agenda these days.

Well, off to slip into my sweats and lie about watching the multitude of documentaries I've got on dvr before it fills up.  I'm on a science kick right now, particularly astronomy.  With a bit of WWII thrown in.  I just finished Schindler's List again so I've been watching some of the Hitler-all-the-time-channel...aka the History Channel.  I might be able to knit or crochet tonight but I'm really tired so I'm not going to force it.

TTFN

Have we almost crossed the peak of winter?

It was a much more productive day today in spite of still getting little sleep.  We got the living room cleaned and the kitchen back up to speed again and I'm cooking supper right now.  In the scheme of things it doesn't seem like a lot but you didn't see the living room.  I still have much more to do this weekend so by Monday I can decide on some kind of schedule so I can get to work on my projects and start producing something I can sell this summer.  Hopefully I can figure out the flea market thing by then.

It's still mighty cold out there.  In the minus numbers without the wind chill (and even lower with it.)  I had to get up with Professor to let him out to wee twice last night and the inside door was covered in frost.  We have it covered with curtains at night to keep the cold air out (and the warm air in) but the panels and door knob and lock were iced over.  Glad I have the curtains there.

I moved Professor's steps because he's afraid to use them at night.  I couldn't figure out why until Zach pointed out that the top is a black ottoman, that is covered in a white towel, but from Professor's perspective on the floor, completely black to him because he's looking up.  Plus the nightlight has the whole thing backlit.  He used it just fine last night so I'll keep it where I've got it even though it takes up room on my infinitesimal bedroom floor.  Better to have little room than no sleep.

Now if I could just get him to hold it all night so I don't have to get up and let him out. 

I didn't go anywhere today, which was a nice change.  But I didn't even check the bird feeder either.  I'll get that done tomorrow when it's up in the teens again.  The birds were at the feeder today so it looks like I still have some food in there.  I really need to prune the apple and pear tree but it's so blasted cold and I'm not sure putting the ladder up in the snow will be that good an idea.  The apple tree hasn't been pruned since we moved in and by the looks of it, maybe never.  The apples are the size of walnuts so I can't use them.  I'd like to have apples this summer.

I'm almost ready to plan the garden.  I suspect Tom wants me to grow tobacco again.  His crop upstairs looks really good so I'm okay with planting more.  Only I need a bigger garden so I have more than a salad garden this year.  I want green beans, peas, corn in addition to some salad veg.  Definitely romaine lettuce, green onions, radishes and whatever else I can fit in there.  Oh, and sunflowers that don't rot.  I have never had my sunflowers rot like that before.  I had grown black sunflower seeds but I don't think that was the problem.  Not sure what was though.

I'll need more space so we'll need to stake it out soon so I can start dumping compost on it to get it ready.  I have plenty now to start a garden.  Probably after Imbolc though.  It's too soon now.

I'll probably watch my dvr inventory tonight as it's getting full and then watch Midsomer Murders all weekend.  That and finish up Farscape, season 2.  Then I'm watching Earth: Final Conflict.  Tom was pleased I got it since he's a fan of it as well.  He's not big on sci fi but that one, he liked.

Well, off to finish up supper and settle in for the night.  I have some spring cleaning planned for next week, I hope.

TTFN

Okay, I'm officially tired of winter

Brrrrr!  Lots of wind chills going on here today.  It was 8F on my way home from yet another trip to town to pick up some books that came in after I picked up the dvd that came in yesterday.  So I got it all over with and then picked up some things for Tom at the store.  And just did the rest of the shopping as well so I don't have to go out at all this weekend.  It started snowing on the way out of StuffMart.  Icy bits that hurt when they blast your face.  I see it's still going on except there is more snow falling down.  I didn't expect it, didn't see it in any forecasts.  And the sky was barely cloudy.  Mother Nature is such a tease.

So once again I got nothing done here at home.  I'll work on my bedroom when I rest up a bit and that's all I plan on doing.  Zach can fix supper tonight.  Hamburger Helper is our friend.

My shoulder is doing better.  Not as warm as yesterday but I went ahead and bought another tube of the arthritis cream so Tom can have some in his lunch box.  He, being an old man, has various aches and pains but doesn't like to take anything for it.  He will, however, use topical creams, which gives him more relief than ibuprofen, which gives him terrible eczema, or naproxen sodium, which puts him into a deep, deep depression.  That leaves aspirin or tylenol and he won't take tylenol because of the possible damage to the liver.  So he takes aspirin.  The arthritis cream solves the problem.  But it also solves my problem so we need two tubes of it.

I finished up the second Garry Disher mystery.  It was excellent!  I couldn't figure out who the murderer was until nearly the last chapter.  And I was wrong!  I love it when that happens.  Unfortunately, the library doesn't have the third book so I ordered it.  I hope it comes in soon, because I have the fourth and fifth book sitting on my nightstand waiting to be read.  I'm pretty much a stickler for reading things in order but in this case he refers to previous cases in such a way as reveals the outcome so I will wait.  I love finding new authors.  Well, he's not new, but he's new to me.

I've got three more Midsomer Murders to watch...episodes I've never seen so that is good for me.  I'm still muddling through on the Navajo coat and another pair of socks from bits and bobs of leftover Woolease.  This one is red and mostly white and I think I'll actually get a matching pair out of this bit.  Then I'm pretty much left with socks that will have similar colors but won't exactly match.  Doesn't matter much.  Although my mother got tons of compliments when she was in the hospital for the socks I knitted her.  She bragged on me, for once.  I need to pick up some more sock yarn this summer and knit on some of the thinner stuff.  I haven't done that in over a year.  Imagine!

Getting out has really helped my mood.  I need to do more of that even if only around the block or so.  Problem is the icy sidewalks and the bitter sub-zero winds.  I'll figure it out.

I've managed to lose Zach's dragon material.  I thought it was in one of my drawers but I can't seem to find it.  I looked in the closet with my yarn stash and it's not there either.  It's in the house, I know that.  I just don't know where in the house.  In fact...last time I saw it, it was in my room.  He's cleaning his room and wants it to drape on his cabinet that looks so cruddy. 

Well, off to look some more and then to work on my own room.

TTFN

Got it over with

The appointment is behind me, thankfully and it will be summer before I need to go back up there.  Hopefully.  The freeway was clear of snow and I got there about 15 minutes faster than if I had taken the back country highways.  Which means I'm not taking them anymore.

I really like my rheumatologist.  She's so easy to talk to and is funny and understanding about pain.  She gives me more than I need because she knows that having just enough makes people hoard their pills instead off managing their pain.  She told me I'm sensible about my limitations and my pain...meaning, she said, that I don't give in but I don't ignore it either.  That was good to hear.

As it turned out, it was good I kept my appointment and didn't reschedule.  I went to bed very early last night because this insomnia is wearing me down.  I shut the lights off at 7:45 p.m. and was asleep before 8 only to wake up at 8:20 with pain in my right shoulder.  I have arthritis there but it hasn't bothered me in a long time.  Until last night.  I took a tramadol and it didn't help.  After a while I took some ibuprofen and still no help.  Finally Tom got home and had his arthritis cream I had gotten him from the store so I rubbed that on my shoulder and it did the trick.  From now on, I'll skip the tramadol and ibuprofen and go straight to the arthritis cream.

So the dr checked my shoulder and it was pretty hot to the touch but my mobility was great so she said to just keep using the cream as needed and lay off hauling heavy buckets of water down to the basement for a while.  Let the manly men in the house do it for a while.

I didn't do any knitting or crocheting last night.  Just hit the bed and tried to sleep.  While I was waiting to get sleepy again, I watched Inglorious Basterds.  I'm a huge fan of Quentin Tarentino but the movie just hadn't appealed to me before.  Figuring that I would probably fall asleep during it, I started watching it but I was riveted to it and watched it to the end.  Fabulous movie.  Absolutely fabulous.  But I still wasn't sleep at the end of it.  By 3 a.m. I finally fell asleep only to wake up at 6:30 a.m. to let Professor out.  And again at 8:50 a.m.  I had my alarm set for 11 a.m. so I could get up and dressed for my appointment but at 10:40 he started whuffing at me.  Tom was up by this time and he wouldn't go to him.  No, he wanted me up.  He wouldn't allow Tom to let him out but hopped back on the bed when Tom tried and lay down on my chest with his nose almost touching mine and just looked at me.  Finally I got up and let him out.  I'm taking herbal tea tonight because the lack of sleep and depression are linked at the hip and I'm tired of feeling like this.

I found Earth: Final Conflict, season one, at Stuffmart today for $10 so I got it.  In fact, I got two and donated one copy to the library.  We have the most amazing library system that is better (and cheaper) than Netflix so once in a while, when I can, I donate a dvd.  I haven't done it in a couple of years so I was glad to do that.  I know money is really tight but how could I pass up something that won't be available next week.  I missed out on Babylon 5 because I was trying to be economical.  They haven't had it in the store ever since.

I should start supper now.  I'm so frigging tired that I don't care if anyone eats, frankly, but Tom will be hungry when he gets home and as I've mentioned before, 1 a.m. isn't a good time to cook a meal.  Then I'm going to bed.  But I won't try to sleep until at least 10 or so.  Apparently trying to sleep to early makes it much worse.

And my shoulder is feeling better albeit a bit sore so I'm going to use the cream on it before I sit down to knit or crochet or anything.  Tomorrow I'm organizing my craft stuff so my room doesn't look so cluttered.  Then I'll tackle the rest of the house as I'm able.  I don't sleep well in a cluttered room and sleeping well is a priority, according to the dr.

Off to cut up some leftover chicken and make some store brand chicken rice-a-roni with a veg.

TTFN