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

No relief in sight

I have an appointment tomorrow with the rheumatologist and I'm one step away from asking for something other than tramadol, even if it's not as effective, so I can go back on anti-depressants.  I'm becoming more and more immobilized by the depression, getting nothing done, feeling absolutely worthless (but NOT suicidal...let's get that out there now) and feeling like I can't accomplish anything.  On the other hand, my pain gets my attention out of a deep sleep and I know that tylenol or ibuprofen doesn't cut it.

What a dilemma.  Choosing pain-free or sadness-free.

My gp has offered me both if I'll be supervised by a psychiatrist but who can afford another doctor (in Fond du Lac, no less) and how does being supervised by a doctor help me if the interaction between the two meds is fatal?

I'll probably muddle on like I have and hope the sun shines soon.  What I really need is some time alone...a mini-vacation of sorts.  I don't want to go anywhere.  I just want a day or two when I don't have to be responsible for laundry, bills, dishes, and meals.  And cleaning.  Not that a lot of that has been going on lately.

None of my alone time is actually alone time.  It's me running errands by myself.  What would happen if I took the rest of the week off, didn't do any dishes or meals or whatever needs to be done.  The bills are taken care of already so that's not a problem.  But I do need to eat and really don't want Tom to do any cooking.  Seriously, he's great with anything breakfast, but any other meal...nuh uh.  Zach's cooking exists of Hamburger Helper or spaghetti.  So you see my dilemma again?

I got all my crafting supplies out except for some wire but it's still all over my table and I haven't organized it or put it in plastic bins or anything yet.  I just don't care today.  I've been knitting on a sock all day and have made little to no progress.  Well, two nights of little sleep due to a dog who thinks he needs outdoors every other hour and won't stop barking (although it's his inside voice) until I get up to let him out.  I've gotten a few hours sleep each of the past few nights.  I swear it's worse than having a newborn who needs feeding every few hours.  I finally got back to sleep this morning and the phone rang with Tracfone wanting Tom to come back (we canceled his phone due to lack of need.)  I hate them now.

I'm baking a chicken tonight for supper.  Lots of seasoning on it but Tom hates baked chicken.  Too bad.  I don't like to cut chicken up.  It hurts my hands from the cold and the bones.  Nothing wrong with it like this and I can cook it in the toaster oven.

I did manage to get two loads of laundry done today.  Well, the second load is in the dryer waiting for me to go get it, fold it and put it all away.  Zach is outside shoveling the driveway (we got about 5 inches of snow) so I can get to Fond du Lac tomorrow.  What I really want is to go to bed and stay there for a week.

Yes, I'm being pouty today so I'd better shut up and go to bed until the chicken is almost done.  Maybe chicken broth rice to go with it since Zach can cook that.  All I know is I'm so tired of this fatigue, depression and pain.  I want a day off from it.

Yet another blue day

Another blue day for me.  I can't predict these and can't take anything for them.  It doesn't help that it's been snowing all day and there is a driveway to clear before Tom gets home tonight or he won't be able to get up it.  sigh

I never made it out of my pajamas today, which are actually sweats but with a housecoat.  If I had just put a jacket on, it would have been my day clothes.  We did the shopping last night so Tom could take the car to work.  The truck is crap on snow and since Tom drives a long way and at night, he really needs to take it.  Especially with gas over $3 a gallon now.  He got a taste of how groceries had gone up as we only bought foodstuffs except for the salt for the water softener and it was over $100. 

I am hoping the weather doesn't go nuts again this week as I have to drive up to Fond du Lac on Wednesday.  As it is, I'm taking 151 up instead of the country highways because they're not the best way to go in snowy weather.  Or after a snow.  Especially driving through the small towns.  It's more mileage but about the same amount of time.  I can swing by the library on my way home and pick up the dvds that are (and will be) in and leave the books I'm done with.

I've been working on a project all day that has turned out crap so I'll have to start over with another pattern.  I hate the wasted time.  I need to sort out my beads and beading equipment and get all my crafting stuff better organized before I start doing anything.  It will take most of the day to just get everything together because it's all over the house in various cupboards, closets and drawers.

I finished up the first of the Australian murder mysteries.  I liked it pretty well.  The writing is excellent but I figured out who the murderer was in the first chapter. I'm at the 9th chapter in the third book (library didn't have the second one) and still don't know who it is, so either that was a lucky guess or he's improved in his writing.  Still...excellent books.  They're by Garry Disher.  The first one was The Dragon Man.

I watched The Road to Perdition today.  Really good movie but not one I ever intended to watch.  It just happened that I couldn't change channels right away and got caught up in it.  Another movie I watched last week was Flame and Citron, a Danish movie (subtitled) about two heroes of the WWII Resistance.  Amazing acting.  I may have already mentioned this in another entry but who can remember anything these days?

Actually I prefer subtitles to dubbing.  I had dvr'd The Mariachi but it was dubbed and even though most of the actors did their own dubbing, it was still not as good as the original version.  I can't knit or crochet to movies like that but that's okay.  I'd rather see the original.  The dubbing detracts from the acting, in my not so humble opinion.

Well, I can smell the macaroni and cheese in the oven so I need to get a veg cooked to go along with it.  I'm really ready for winter to be over.  I hate to say it because I was ready for summer to be over before August, but I'm tired of the snow.  It would beautiful if I didn't have to shovel it or drive in it.

Then again, I'm in an absolutely crappy mood today so that could be it, too.

TTFN

The monumental trek from my bed to the kitchen on a day of no energy

What a wasted day!  I hadn't had an insomniac night in a while but I watched the sun rise before I got to sleep only to get up with Professor a half hour later to let him out.  In the end, I slept until nearly noon but I've been dragging ever since.  I need to do some laundry but that can wait until tomorrow.  I put the dishes in the dishwasher as they can wait until tomorrow, too.  Baked ziti tonight with green beans.  Nothing exciting.

I need to darn some socks and maybe put some wildly colored socks together.  I finally finished the other blue (and black) sock so I wore them today.  I knitted them a bit smaller as all my other socks seem to grow when I put them on and I nearly walk out of them because they get so big.  These feel great.  Even if they aren't the same color blue.  Which I totally didn't notice until I put them on. 

Still working on the Navajo coat.  It's a bit longer than it's supposed to be but I'm using a bigger hook because it's for a small person and I'm not a small person.  Although I would like to be again.  Or smaller, anyway.  So tonight will be sock darning, Navajo coat and the Tree of Life afghan, which I have been neglecting badly.  And a lot of dvr stuff.  And maybe more Farscape.  I haven't watched that in a week or so and I'm nearly done with season 2 so I'd like to finish it up.

I tried to reschedule my appointment with the rheumatologist so I can drive up there in better weather but she doesn't have a single opening until May and my meds won't hold out that long so I'll keep my appointment and hope for good weather.  Darn it!

I've got the oven on so Professor is heading for Zach's room.  Ages ago the oven set off the smoke alarm I had on the basement steps and ever since then when Professor finds out the oven is on, he hides in Zach's room.  He used to head out the door and stand as far from the house as his leash would let him.  At least he stays indoors now.  The problem wasn't that something was burning in the oven, it was the smoke alarm was too close to the oven and would set off any time I cooked.

We're supposed to get 2 more inches of snow tonight and snow the next two days but not heavy accumulation.  I hope not.  I haven't refilled the bird feeder all week and haven't seen any of my birds but I'm assuming they're not starving as there is plenty spilled on the ground to last them a day or two.  My guess is they're off visiting someone else.

I'm heading to bed as soon as I'm done with supper to take a tramadol and a hot water bottle.  I'm having foot problems today with some toes on my right foot bothering me.  No idea why but a hot water bottle should solve the problem.  Not to mention warm me up.  I'll be glad when it warms up outside.  Normally I love winter but I'm tired of being cold and I'm tired of not being able to walk on the sidewalks because of melted and re-frozen snow.  I'm going to get my step out and work on that for now since I can't get out to walk without driving somewhere else.  I've thought about going to the mall but that's way too early for me. 

Off to get supper out of the oven and munch down.  I'm reading an Australian murder mystery right now that is really good.  I've got other non-fiction to read as well but my brain isn't cooperating with that right now.  Hopefully I'll get it read before I have to take it back to the library.  And I've got a book on Viking knitting patterns and how to figure out cables and such from designs on art and weaponry.  It's interesting.

Off I go.

TTFN

They don't make it easy

I had a book in at the library so I went ahead and did the shopping, too.  Tom wanted me to get Zach out of the house because of his depression.  He questioned the diagnosis, assuming Zach had diagnosed himself, but I pointed out that his psychiatrist had diagnosed it and put him on a regimen of anti-depressants that left him zombified.  He remembered that and is on board with helping Zach out.  Zach is better now that he's been out and about but initially he was nearly in tears and feeling like a failure. 

I'm going to set up my room with a mini-studio in it so I can work on jewelry and art.  I don't have a place to do that as the dining table is always covered in junk no matter how often I clean it off.  And yes, I am a bit testy today.  I scrubbed the bathroom down yesterday, got a compliment from it today and also need to scrub it back down again.  I have no idea why a shower can get the bathtub so dirty but apparently it does.

I have a card table in the basement I'm going to set up in my bedroom after I take out some other furniture so I've got a place for the beads, art supplies and such.  I also plan on doing knitted jewelry as well.  Not sure about crocheted.  I like knitted better for some reason.

So Zach is going to fix supper tonight while I work on my room so tomorrow I'll start setting aside some time for "business" and will use it only for that purpose.  I will need to research small business law for Wisconsin.  I thought all you needed was to set up an Etsy shop but apparently you need a business license, federal and state tax numbers and the ability to apply sales tax in your state and any reciprocal states.  This is the part that overwhelms me and makes me not want to do this.

I'm making progress on the socks.  I ran out of the blue but it's in the foot of the second sock so it won't show unless I take my shoes off and I don't normally do that in the store or library.  I'm of the opinion that socks need not match anyway.  Same with earrings.  I have an odd pair I wear all the time.  One mini-hoop and one post.  And then a set of larger hoops.  So far either no one has noticed or no one cares.

I'm also making progress on the coat.  It's a Navajo coat from an old Annie's Attic magazine.  Or is it Crochet Home?   Can't remember. 

It is snowing again.  Tiny flakes but they are accumulating.  Supposedly only an inch or so but it's supposed to snow tomorrow, too, so I'm not sure how much we'll get.  The roads were okay on the way home, but at intersections they were a bit slick.  Nearly everyone was taking their time.  You do get the oddball who thinks he can take corners as fast as usual and drive at speed limits or over.

Tomorrow is for the checkbook and bills, and the living room.  And anything else I can get done.  But at least those three things.  Tonight is for my bedroom and hopefully an early night.  I need to get my sleep patterns more normal and wake up at a decent time.  I'm sleeping until nearly noon lately...just to get 6 hours or so.  It's the getting and staying asleep that is a a problem.

Off to get some things done and then crawl into my jammies and bed for the night.

TTFN

I must find better ways to celebrate

To celebrate my lifting of depression, I am scrubbing down the bathroom.  I have a perverse sense of the celebratory.  I admit I am taking frequent breaks, though, as I am so terribly out of shape that I just can't clean it in one fell swoop.  That should be my next task...getting in shape.

I have a dr appointment in Fond du Lac with the rheumatologist but I think I'm going to reschedule.  Driving up there in this weather is dicey at best considering the back country highways and I'm not out of medication yet so I'm going to postpone it until March.  I'll call tomorrow to do that.

Zach had to shovel the sidewalks today since we got a couple of inches of snow yesterday.  And more is predicted this week, but I'm not sure how much accumulation.  It looks like we're building back up again.  Oh, well...at least we had a brief respite from it all.

As soon as I'm done with the bathroom, I need to start supper and then my favorite time of day...when I can crawl into my jammies and under the covers to watch tv and knit or crochet.  I do need to organize my days better though as I'm back online far too much again.  Odd how it entices and ensnares you.  I'm back to getting nothing done again.

Off to finish up my work so I can rest for the night.

TTFN

Better today

My head and heart are clearer today although the snow isn't making me jump for joy.  It is brightening up the drab brown landscape a bit.  Until you get to StuffMart's parking lot and see the nasty gray slush in the road.  Still, feeling better is good no matter what.

Zach is a bit perkier, too, which is also good.  Having two people in the house who suffer from clinical depression is difficult at best.

I found some beading needles today although they were in a beading kit.  I bought them anyway as there are instructions and patterns that will help bring me up to speed.  I haven't made jewelry in a while so some instructions will help.  I am still struggling to get past these overwhelming fears of failure that have plagued me my whole life and have kept me from realizing my potential.

I frogged the crocheted afghan because it just was too much work.  Not that I mind something challenging but it was designed for Tunisian crochet that could also be made with single crochet but as Tunisian crochet is worked from one direction all the time (each row has two passes on it) the design wasn't working out as I was working back and forth.  I was losing my brain cells trying to count each row figuring out where I needed to be when I started the pattern, so I decided it wasn't fun and quit.  While looking through my old crochet magazines, I found a coat I had wanted to make years ago and since I had nearly all the colors I needed (I picked up some off-white today) I started it last night.  It looks fun and will take quite a while to finish, thereby giving me hours of project fulfillment.

But I really do need to get busy on the house.  There is a mountain of laundry that I must get started on tonight.  We're back to using the bucket under the faucet during showers as our water bill went up $10 when we stopped doing that.  Between the laundry, the dishes and mopping floors, I can use the water without any wasting.

I'm also back to washing dishes by hand.  The key is keeping up and doing them throughout the day instead of waiting until supper is over and catching up.  I also use up less water that way.

Time to start supper and laundry so I can crawl into bed and finish up my pair of socks from leftover Woolease.  I've got one sock completely done so I know there is plenty for the second sock.  I need some mindless knitting tonight to go with the complicated crocheted coat pattern.

TTFN

Almost as low as it gets

Although the depression is more bearable now, that doesn't mean it doesn't drop-kick me occasionally and leave me completely paralyzed by it.  Worse still is when Zach is down with it, too.  Today is one of those days.  I am barely able to function today, fighting back tears and feelings of complete despair.  It's a monumental struggle but I think I'll overcome it...eventually.  Maybe by tomorrow.  I can't take anti-depressants because of the interaction with my pain pills...a potentially abrupt fatal one.  No symptoms to let me know it is heading that way.  I could give up the pain pills, but I guarantee the depression would be that much worse as I suffered from untreated chronic pain for 11 years before a doctor finally gave me something for it instead of a pat on the head and a suggestion that I just not dwell on the pain.

I'll take the pain pills thank you.  As it is, I still have nights when I'm curled up in a ball on the bed waiting for the pills to take effect.  I'd hate to have that happen without assurance that they will eventually kick in and I'll be pain free.

I got Zach some SAMe to see if that will help.  He's tried St. John's Wort but there are side effects that make it not a viable option for him and as he can't afford to have depression on his medical records (not to mention he has no insurance due to his Tourette's and OCD) he's waiting until he can get insurance through a place of employment. If he can't find a job soon, I'll try again to get him insurance.  Tom won't put him back on ours because he's so sure it's going to be overturned either in the courts or in Congress.

I still have to cook supper because Tom expects it when he comes in at night after working all day.  Not that he shouldn't.  I'm home, after all, and his 10+ hour days make it difficult for him to cook at 1 a.m.  But there are times when I wonder how he would cope if I wasn't here.  Probably just fine.

I'm going to go crawl into bed after throwing a hamburger in the skillet and a potato in the toaster oven.  He can fix a salad and call it a meal.  I'm doing all I can today, believe me.

TTFN

Needing to keep myself on track

I still haven't gotten a lot done in the house, but I am knitting again as well as crocheting so I must be feeling better, right?  And I've managed to keep up with the kitchen as well.  I'll take my little victories as I find them.

I found some Wool Ease in blue that might be enough to knit a pair of socks with.  I've spent the winter darning socks so far and just threw another pair into the laundry that will need darning before they get worn again.  I think some of my socks are 30% mended places.  Definitely tossing them out after the winter is over.  I'm going to go with wool after this.  The only pair of 100% wool socks I've got, I've had for 3 years and only now need a bit of darning.

I'm making progress on my crocheted afghan as well after a few false starts due to miscounting the pattern.  I need to get back to the Tree of Life afghan and my gansey scarf, but I'm burned out on mittens.  I've got my great niece's scarf and a headband plus my uncle's fingerless mitts that I will mail out next week some time.  I can walk to the post office if it's warm enough.  Not so much if it's in the teens, though.  We have nasty winds here most of the winter and that would make it much too cold.

I finished up the Cirque du Freak book that I had only to find out that all they have left are graphic novels and I'm not a fan of them.  So I went to wikipedia to get the synopsis on the remaining 8 books and I'm so glad I didn't bother.  The ending was simply atrocious, plus the storyline from here on is just stupid.  I realize these books are for 5-8th graders but I don't believe they deserve an ending like that.  I'll just settle for the movie and enjoy it...it was by far better than the books.

Now I have time to read the other books I have from the library, including The Triumph of the Moon by my intellectual crush, Professor Ronald Hutton.  I love hearing his talks because he knows how to keep you intrigued by the content and injects enough dry humor into it to make it an enjoyable experience.  I hope his books are equally enjoyable.

I also have several knitting books from the library because I love to look at patterns.  I spend way too much time online just looking at patterns and saving them into my favorite places.  Not that I will knit a tenth of them, but I really like looking at them.

And a book on drawing because I have to get off my tush and get back to that.  I lose progress because I don't keep up with it and the process of starting over again is so boring.  If I would just maintain, I would actually improve.

Same with piano.  I pulled out my music and played around a bit but I've lost ground there, too. 

I need a minder to keep me on track.  LOL

Off to crawl beneath the covers and knit on my socks and afghans.  I have a lot of movies on dvr as I've already caught up on documentaries.  It will fill up again this weekend though so I need to get some stuff out of the way.

TTFN

Getting it over with

Tom needed some cash for a poker party at his brother's house tomorrow so I ended up going to the store.  I just went ahead and bought the groceries for the upcoming week because it seemed pointless when it's all on the same paycheck.

As per the course, it started snowing on my way there.  Not much accumulation but at times there were near white-out conditions and people are driving without their headlights on.  I know...they can see so they don't think they need their lights on.  Trouble is, we can't see them.

Once at the store I was driving through the parking lot when a car whipped in front of me from the opposite direction aisle heading toward a handicap spot.  Another car came in from the wrong direction and took it so this person took a regular spot.  As I was walking to the store this guy gets out of his car and it's obvious there is nothing wrong with him.  He was walking faster than me; much, much younger than me, too. I'm thinking that he's driving a car with handicap plates but is not himself handicapped.  I swear if he had taken that spot away from the elderly woman who got it first, I would have called the police on him.  I'm just in that kind of mood today.

I must admit that my mother frequently parks in handicap spots because my dad has the plates for it.  But as she's nearly 80, I dare anyone to turn her in.

I rarely ever park near the front entrance, preferring the back of the lot where I don't have to get into micturating contests with the idiots who think those extra few feet of walking will kill them.  Not to mention the congestion of people driving versus people walking across the crosswalk area.  I can forgive someone who just can't walk fast, but those who think it's a place to visit with their friends as they walk at snail speed...well, I wouldn't run them over, but I sure do make nasty comments about them.

I thought I was going to make it all winter without falling but alas!  I was getting stuff out of the back seat and backed up and fell over a low snow bank that remained from the previous snows.  It was rock solid ice and just ankle height.  I ended up on my side in a cushion of snow that that is the third time this week I've done something to my lower back.  Wednesday night I was backing up in the theater and tripped over the area where the aisle starts ramping down.  I wrenched my hip trying to avoid a fall and this morning I nearly tripped over the kitchen stool and wrenched the same hip trying to avoid another fall.  I guess it was just a good idea to fall and get it over with.

Not hurting too badly now but I am taking a hot water bottle to bed here in a little bit to see if I can forestall pain later.  Zach is fixing supper since he didn't go shopping with me. 

But as it took my afternoon to get this done, I won't get the living room cleaned up.  Not the end of the world.  That happens in 2012 apparently so I have plenty of time to get it cleaned.

I started crocheting a blanket out of the black and red yarn I got for the hat I was working on.  I went back to the Vanna's Choice for it as Red Heart just didn't lend itself well to that pattern.  Which I need to check for errata as the pattern doesn't work out with the graph.  Too many or too little stitches for the pattern to repeat itself exactly.  No problem.  I've got many more patterns to work on in the meantime.

Well, Professor keeps bugging me to come to bed so I'm off to crawl into my jammies and knit while cuddling my hot water bottle against my lower back.  And catch up on the dvr stuff I've got saved.

Zach got the bathroom scrubbed while I was gone so I'll count that against bringing the house up to speed.

TTFN

Clean kitchen, warm heart

I got the kitchen scrubbed enough to know that it will take many more attempts before it's really clean.  But this effort will have to do for now as I have more rooms to go.  I'm not going to push too much today because I don't want to end up down for three days in order to have one good day.  I'll settle for satisfactory days and continuity rather than that one burst of energy.  In the meantime, the kitchen looks good.  No one need ever know how dirty it still is. Um...no one except you guys.

I listened to podcasts while working, which made the time breeze by.  I still want to clean my room up including vacuuming but that won't be exhausting as I generally keep up with it.  Okay aside from the cobwebs and the dust elephants.  On the surface I keep it tidy.

Baked macaroni and cheese tonight for supper.  I'm making a bigger amount so we have some for lunch tomorrow.  Right.  Like anyone will leave anything.  It's one of their favorites.  Mine, too, actually.  I'm planning on baby limas and cornbread tomorrow night.  Working on stretching the meat supply.  Beans are cheap.  Meat not so much.

I called my parents today because Tom's cell phone expires tomorrow and we're not going to renew it.  I'm not on the road anymore so we don't need three cell phones.  If I need to go anywhere, like the doctor's office in Fond du Lac, I can take Zach's phone with me.  It's not a huge amount of money per month but as we have to pay it once a year, it usually catches us at a time we don't have the money.  We're good for several months now.

I refilled the bird feeder today but one of them was barely touched.  The suet, on the other hand, was almost gone.  I sprinkled the remnant on the ground for the crows or the bunnies and put more squares in the cages.  It's pretty cold out there so I imagine they need the extra fat.

I didn't do much knitting last night, especially as I didn't crawl into bed until nearly 11 p.m.  I was going to start another pair of mitts but didn't.  It's a good thing since my mother said my dad wouldn't wear them anyway.  I'm thinking of starting another crocheted afghan.  I like to keep a crochet project going, too.  I do have plenty to do if I run out of the cheap yarn I use for afghans though.  Well, the Tree of Life isn't using cheap yarn.  I'm using Annie's Choice.  Not top of the line but really good mid range acrylic.

I don't plan on going back to the store until Monday.  It will take some creativity but I do have enough to get by until then.  I get itchy feet staying in the house this long but that, too, must become habit rather than going to town three to five times a week.  I'll get more housework and crafting done, too.  If I get to antsy I'll run to Mayville and pick up a beading needle and maybe some more beads.  It's an investment rather than a whim anyway.

Off to finish up supper.

TTFN

Going to the movie

Home, at last!

We went to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader tonight.  Loved it!!  Loved it!!  Can't wait for it to come out on dvd.  So different from the books but a vast improvement, if you ask me.  There was no real plot to VODT and so it's hard to make a movie out of it.  I had read they mined stuff from The Silver Chair but it's been so long since I read it, I don't remember much about it.  Have to dig it out and read it again.

Of course it started snowing this afternoon so we took the car instead of the truck.  The truck is lousy on snow but Tom knows its quirks and I don't. I didn't want to drive it on snowy roads I don't know really well, especially at night.  I took my time, drove slowly even though the snow was just a dusting.  The lines in the road were completely covered up so it was hit or miss trying to stay on the road.

Went to Beaver Dam afterwards to get more books from the library that are in.  Why do they all come in at once?  Still, got it out of the way so I don't have to go out again. Tom has a poker party this weekend so I got some cash at Stuffmart and picked up a few things on sale.  I didn't get any snacks for myself.  I'm such a good girl.

Walked in the door at around 10 p.m. and I'm beat but I still have sheets in the dryer and beds to make.  Hannibal threw up in my bed last night so they had to be washed.  I did Zach's as well so I would have a full load.  I really want to just crawl into bed but as it's not made right now, that's not happening for a half hour at least.  The dryer is still taking forever to dry stuff but I was 6 loads of clothes behind.  The last two loads I might hang on racks.

Tomorrow I tackle the house and the checkbook.  I sure hope I've got the energy for that.  I've got an appointment with the rheumatologist this month...my semi-annual visit.  I dread the drive up there, but if I want my pain pills, I have to do it.

I didn't knit much last night.  I was so tired I just laid in bed and watched television.  I saw a really good documentary about some Crystal Caves in Mexico.  Simply amazing.  They looked like something out of a sci fi movie.  And the heat.  It was 113F in there with 90% humidity.  No human could last more than 30 minutes in there.  They would literally poach to death.

Tonight I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for but I suspect not much knitting tonight either.  After I get the bed made and straighten my room back up, I'll be ready to just crash.

But I am looking forward to being productive tomorrow.  I have to keep hoping that will happen.  Otherwise, what's the point?

TTFN

Tiny little post today

Aside from the six loads of laundry I'm working on, I've gotten very little done today.  I did do a spit and polish on the kitchen but that's about it.  And some knitting.  And I cooked supper and cleaned up afterward.

On paper it looks good anyway.

Zach and I are going to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader tomorrow.  It's already out of the local theater so we're going to our favorite in Hartford.  Better parking, better viewing.  It's just a longer trip.  As long as the weather is nice I don't mind since we'll be driving back in the dark.

I couldn't find any beading needles at StuffMart.  I might try the craft store in Mayville, if I ever go that way.

I've got some more things in at the library but I'm not going back until Thursday.  I was just there yesterday.

Well, I'm halfway through the laundry so I'm going to go knit and watch some more docs before the next load in the dryer is done.  It's taking forever for the loads to get done so from now on, I'll have to dry them on hangars and racks.  And keep up.  I got behind over the holidays.

TTFN

Back on calendar

It's really Monday!  After a false start, I finally got here and yet got next to nothing done.  I had to do some errands as I had a book in at the library and my medication was ready at StuffMart pharmacy so I decided to do it all so I don't have to go out again this week.  Except to see Prince Caspian on Wednesday.

It was cold but not bitterly so and we haven't gotten the predicted snow (yay!).  I refilled the bird feeders today and got about a foot from a gorgeous little finch who didn't seem afraid of me at all.  My beautiful cardinal was ground feeding today.  He's so bright against all the gray and brown birds.

I need to get some laundry started though.  I'll have to use the dryer because I'm so far behind due to the cold I have had.  If the house was a bit bigger and a bit warmer, I could use the racks but with them up you can't walk through the house at all without moving them.

I was surprised that I slept so much last night in light of all the naps I took yesterday.  I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and slept pretty much through.  I woke up once when Hannibal chased Professor into the bedroom but went back to sleep right away.  Professor has been scolding Hannibal all day; I wonder if it's over the chase last night.

I feel a bit better but I'm still very tired.  And still coughing.  It takes time to get over these things, I suppose.

I didn't knit yesterday, which goes to show how bad I was feeling.  I'm not feeling particularly crafty today but I will try to get some knitting done.  I'd like to knit some on the Tree of Life afghan.  I haven't done anything with it for over a week.  I did manage to finish up the second mitt this morning though.

I hope tomorrow is more productive.  I have so much that needs to be done.

TTFN

Lost and confused

I was completely lost yesterday.  It wasn't Sunday after all which means today isn't Monday.  Which is good as I spent the day in bed coughing and snoozing.  I was feeling better for a few minutes but I'm back to tired and coughing again.  Tom fixed supper tonight...omelets, his specialty.  I'm going back to bed in a few but I hadn't been online at all today so I wanted to catch up with the news and blogs first.

I felt so crummy today I didn't pick up my knitting  needles until about an hour ago, and put them down after a few rows.  I just have no energy.  Hopefully all this rest will benefit me tomorrow when I try to get some much needed work done on the house.

It's bitterly cold outdoors.  So much so Professor isn't wasting time looking for the one right spot in the yard to do his business.  He gets down, wee's and then is back at the door wondering why it isn't opened yet.  It's the wind.  We get a lot of wind in these parts.

If I hadn't been so puny today I might have tried to put a few loads of clothes out on the line because the wind would have dried them before they froze.  We'll see how it goes tomorrow, but if I can't get them out, they go on the racks.  Tightwad lockdown from now on.

I have to go to the library tomorrow but other than that no trips to town until Thursday or Friday.  Hopefully Friday.

I also plan to cook more from scratch.  The problem has been lack of energy and stamina.  I'll just have to work around that. I hope to reclaim my health this year.  Losing weight would help but diets set me up for failure so I'll have to figure something else out.

I'm off to crawl into bed again.  I think I'll just make an early night of it as I keep napping anyway.  I'm not even going to try to knit anymore tonight. I'm just too tired.  Here's hoping tomorrow is energy filled and productive.

TTFN

Happy New Year!

I shouldn't have gone shopping today.  I was just feeling a bit of cabin fever and needed to get out a bit.  With a stop off at Wendy's for a $2 meal of double cheeseburger, sour cream and chive baked potato and a free (senior discount) value sized diet coke, I was a cheap date even if I was the one taking me out.  But I was still a bit weak and had to stop and sit a couple of times while shopping.  Then I got out to the car and remembered that I had forgotten to get anything on the list.  In fact, I forgot I had a list.  So back into the store for the forgotten items.

I got home ready to collapse but as I hadn't gone online at all today, decided to get that done before I crawled back into my pajamas and under the covers.

It was very cold today.  Especially in light of the balmy days we've had all weekend.  Almost all of the snow is gone, which is great, but we had wind chills of about 3 degrees F.  Very brisk winds.  I was walking into StuffMart and two women were ahead of me in light jackets with hoods that they weren't wearing and bitching the whole time about how cold their heads were.  I have been known to keep my mouth shut on occasion so I didn't point out to them that they had hoods on their jackets.

Tom will be driving the car from now on as gas is over $3 a gallon.  To be honest, I wish he had done that from the start since it takes more money to drive the truck, but he smokes in the truck so he prefers to take it.  I have to go to the library tomorrow but I'm not going anywhere else and then home to start tearing into the house and doing some cleaning.

I also need to get outside when it's not so windy and start pruning the apple tree.  We've never been able to use the apples since we moved in here 12 years ago because they are the size of grapes.  I bought pruning shears this past summer so I could change that.  We also didn't get any pears either, but I suspect it has more to do with the tree being diseased than needing shearing.  January and February seem to be the optimum times to prune up here.  Or so I've been told.

Well, off to bed to sneeze, cough and knit.

TTFN