#2596 a chance to do better

 I was so glad to see July end. It was long, hot, and full of sad stuff for me. 

Here’s hoping August is a little friendlier. Here’s to also hoping I can get myself more organized so I write on the days I plan to write: even-numbered days in this even-numbered month.  I was just brushing my teeth to get ready for bed when I remembered that today is the second. I almost blew off writing here, but that would be a terrible way to start, wouldn’t it? 

Let’s go!

#2429 the 'ber months are here

 

One of the women at work posted "Happy 'ber months!" on our Teams page this morning. I was like, "Whaaat?" but then I thought about it and these last four months of the year all end in "ber", hence, the 'ber months. 

Today the weather here was perfectly wonderful. It was actually a little chilly this morning. I had to wear sweats when I took Mac out for her walk this morning. I also wore socks in my house because my tootsies were a bit cold. This evening's walk was delightful. I'll take another 60 days or so just like this please. I think the high temperature was in the mid 70's, so it felt great after the blistering hot and dry weather we have had. The temperatures are supposed to climb back to the mid-90s by the weekend, so we are not completely finished with the summer weather, but a change is in the air. 

There's a full moon out tonight. Go look at it.

I'm sad tonight because my beloved Jazz have been knocked out of the playoffs. It wasn't supposed to be like this. The Jazz were up three games to one in a best of seven series. The upside is that now my evenings will be free again. Jazz basketball is must-watch TV for me, and now that they are out, I may or may not check out basketball games. Maybe during the Finals; it will depend on who is playing, I guess.

Happy September. Stay safe. Be kind. 

#2421 obsessed about breath

Before I get into my topic, a quick follow-up to the last post about Mac's escape. MT put a barrier up where I thought Mac crawled under the fence. I think the barrier will work. I saw Mac looking at it and trying to move it, but she couldn't do it. Heck, I couldn't even really move it with one hand.  It is some heavy pieces of Trex that we got for the deck but haven't used. I'll keep you posted on how effective it is.

Today I was listening to a local radio program, Radio West, on NPR. Today the guest was James Nestor and he has written a book called Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. After listening, I became a little obsessed with how I am breathing. Nestor says most of us are breathing too much; that if we slow our breathing, our whole body becomes more efficient leading to a host of good things happening in the body. 

The number one biggest take-away from the show was to never ever breathe through the mouth. I do not consider myself to be a mouth-breather generally speaking, but today I caught myself doing it a few times. WHAT? 

I think I will be adding Mr. Nestor's book to my reading pile.

If you click the Radio West link above, it should link you to the interview with James Nestor. It's an interesting 50 minute listen. I caught myself saying "Wow" at least half a dozen times. 

Happy weekend!

#2237 miscellaneous Monday: another sign

I wake up around 6AM  on weekdays. Today when I woke up, it was still kind of dark instead of the cheery summer sunshine that we've had for months. I thought maybe it was cloudy and that's why it was dark, but the sky was clear. The sun just hadn't come up yet. Another sign that the seasons are going to change.

Also, the high was only in the 80s today. Tomorrow and for the rest of the week temperatures will be back in the 90s, but today was a nice change.

Soon...football season and baseball playoffs!

#2230 miscellaneous Monday

• When I left work this afternoon, the thermometer in my car told me it was 104 degrees. That's freaking hot!! I did go to they gym this evening. It was nice and cool in there and even though I got sweaty during my workout, it was still cooler than being outside.

• The wellness program through my work started a fitness challenge today and I am determined to succeed. My goal is to get in 20 workouts during the challenge period which is July 29 through August something. I'm pretty sure I can do it; I will probably have to push myself on occasion. One workout down, 19 to go!

• This week I don't have any concerts at Red Butte. I was supposed to have one on July 30, John Prine, but he had to cancel/postpone the show for health reasons. I'm bummed out about it because I thought it would be cool to hear this icon. Hopefully he will feel better and be able to reschedule the date sometime this summer. I did pick up another show to make up for the lost hours, so that's cool. Next week I have three shows: Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Actually the Sunday and Wednesday shows were both bonus pick-ups for me. Only the Friday show was on my original schedule. More on those shows next week!

• Want to hear what I've got planned for this week? Okay! Tomorrow is open although I am planning to go out in the evening for a walk. Hopefully MT will come with me. Wednesday I am going to take a Zumba class and maybe the yoga class that happens right after. I've been wanting to take some yoga classes. Thursday is book club night. We are reading Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home  by Nora Krug and it is one of the most beautiful and unusual books we have ever read with this club. Click here to read a review of the book from the NY Times. I'll be interested to hear what the other readers make of it. After book club, I'm thinking about trying out a new class at the gym called BollyX. I think it could be really fun! On Friday MT and I are going to a party at Red Butte Garden. I'll tell you more about it afterwards. It will be good for us to get out and do something different. I'm looking forward to all of it!

• I don't remember if I mentioned it on Saturday, but Scooby has gone home. He was mostly fun to have around and I was also glad for him to go back with his people. 

• That's all I've got for now! Talk to you on Wednesday!

#2216 miscellaneous Monday: we have snakes

123RF.com

I'm writing earlier in the evening than normal. I'm hopeful that by doing so I can get to bed a little earlier. I'm bad about waiting until the very last minute to write here, and then I always take longer than I mean to take. What can I say? I like words.

Here is my miscellaneous story for the day:

Late last week, I think it was Thursday, I noticed a little dead snake in my driveway. It was a garden snake, and it was dead, but it's still a snake. It was definitely dead; ants were crawling around it. It was very warm that day and when I got home, the poor little dead snake was all dried up and crinkled. MT then drove over it with his truck and broke it. Now there is a little snake head and part of a crinkled body left in the driveway. I'm probably the only one who sees it. I know I ought to get a broom and sweep it away, but I haven't.

This morning I got a text from MT that said he almost stepped on a snake in the backyard AND he saw another slightly larger snake slither under the storage box. EW!! Guess I won't be going out to water the grass and trees anymore. I can't abide snakes in the grass. Good thing we have a sprinkler system. MT just needs to upgrade it a little since we planted the trees.

We knew there was a garden snake living in our backyard. I haven't seen it, but I have seen the skin it has shed. When I told my friend Kelsie this story, she very helpfully pointed out that we probably have a nest of snakes. Thank you for that image, Kelsie.

This evening I let Osi out in the backyard with her favorite treat, dried chicken from Trader Joe's, and she flopped on the grass, ate the chicken and proceeded to look very intently at the grass. NOOOOO!

MT just got home and we were chatting about the snakes. He agrees with Kelsie's assessment of the nest. He informed me that he will make a snake catcher, just like the one he had when he was a kid. He will catch the snakes, put them in a bag and take them to a field by the lake where riparian birds can feast on them, thus completing the circle of life. I'll let you know how that all works out.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have bad dreams tonight.

~~~~~

YO! I updated my book list. Check out the books I've read this year by clicking on the 2019 Reading List  tab at the top of the screen.

~~~~~

#2213 miscellaneous Monday

Originally I had planned to have a four day staycation while Lizzie was here, but then she asked if I wanted to go to Las Vegas with her over the weekend. How could I refuse? I don't love Las Vegas (been there, done that, A LOT) but I thought about how I wouldn't like to be there alone and I couldn't resist the idea of a few more days with my lil sister! We drove down on Friday, had a poetry reading on Friday night and another on Saturday afternoon. The two events could not have been more different from each other and also very different from the reading she did in Provo on Thursday night. Poetry comes in many forms and in many voices. That's what I learned.

I got back home on Sunday afternoon. I've got a busy week of Red Butte Garden volunteering coming up which includes two concerts and two weddings along with my usual bloom recording and docent gig. The concerts are back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday and the weddings are back to back on Friday and Saturday. On top of that Osi will go to the groomer, I will have a book club session (I have to finish my pages!), MT will go to Idaho for the family reunion and oh yeah...we closed on a house today. Whew.

I'll talk more about the house in the future. I haven't even seen it, although I know exactly where it is - right next door to one of our other properties! MT is planning to flip the house. He and Bruce (our realtor) believe we can make a bit of money on it. Here's hoping :D


As a peaceful end note to a busy day, here is a photo of a plant I repotted last week. Isn't she pretty?

#2209 misc Monday: a conversation

What you are about to read is a true and real conversation I had with a co-worker that I don't know well. I'm not sure how the conversation got to this point, but this is what I remember.

HIM: Yeah, it's like when you order some food and you don't get what you want.

(The other three people in the room nod)

HIM: Like when I order a cheeseburger and tell them to hold the cheese. They never do! And I can't pull the cheese off because it's all melty. I like cheese, but not on my burger.

(I'm pretty sure I had my head tilted to the side like a dog hearing something intriguing.)

ME: Huh.

HIM: It pisses me off.

ME: Why don't you just order a hamburger?

HIM: Huh?

ME: A hamburger. You know, it's a burger without cheese.

HIM: Huh.



THE END

#2203 miscellaneous Monday

Have you ever had one of those days when you are just angry? I almost wrote "...angry for no apparent reason?" but I do have reasons and I have been trying hard all day to get over it but I haven't been successful. I don't think I want to get into the reasons here today right now, but I'm just venting that I am upset and mean and awful today and I don't like it.

By the way, I'm back at my house now. I left California yesterday. That is part of my irritation...I don't sleep as well at home as I do at my mom's house. My dog is getting old and she's chubby and can't jump up on my bed sometimes, so she comes over to my side of the bed and sort of grumbles at me. It almost sounds like she's growling, but without the malice. My husband snores. My son is a vampire and is up at night. He's very quiet, like a ninja, but between the two souls that make noise, I am somewhat awake and aware of the stealthy vampire ninja that is moving around.

I am an emotional eater, so when I'm sad or angry or happy, I want to eat and I don't mean salad or other healthy foods. So far today I have done pretty well with harnessing my need to stuff my face full of junk food. When I went to the grocery store I did stand in the bakery section for longer than was necessary and I picked up a couple of different things, but I put them all down and left the store without so much as a bag of chips, a jar of Nutella or a box of cookies. I'd say that's a win, even though I'm angry that I DON'T have any of those things.

Instead I am drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper which sort of tastes like dessert in a bottle. I got a couple of movies from Redbox, so I'm about ready to go downstairs to watch them. I might get some take-out Mexican food for dinner.

MT has gone with his brother to Idaho. The brother flew in from Missouri today and MT is taking him back home. T is here. He's out mowing the lawn. There was a lot of rain here last week and the grass is tall and lush. I've been doing chores and fuming all day, so I really just need to relax and chill the f out, you know what I mean?

Here's to a happier tomorrow.

#1694 not what I was planning to write about

Today I was planning to write a little memory of our trip to Hawaii. We were there this time last year. I was going to find a couple of photos and reminisce, but there's no time for that now! With my self-imposed 10PM bedtime, there's not time for much of anything when you get home at 9PM.

Where was I? Recording blooms at Red Butte Garden, then taking a quick stroll around the place. I saw some wildlife this evening. There was a squirrel in a tree in the Children's Garden totally getting after some berries. I walk really quietly there, so the squirrel didn't notice me until I spotted him. We both looked at each other for a second, then he abandoned the berry bush and went away. Pity. The other wildlife I saw tonight was a snake. It was just a small garden snake. It was on the path - thankfully not the one I was walking on, but just to my left. I thought it was a stick at first, but then I realized it was a serpent. I quickly left the area. I also saw the usual birds and bees. It was a beautiful evening up there.

After that I had to stop at Target to pick up a few items including a fan for my bedroom. With "The Change" coming on, I get a little warm at night, so I like to have a fan gently blowing a breeze on me. MT likes it too. T took over the fan we used to have in the room, so I just bought a new one. Sadly, it requires a little bit of assembly involving a screwdriver. I wonder if I can convince MT to come up and put it together. He's really good at that kind of thing, but he's watching a movie so I don't know how receptive he would be to the idea. I'll ask anyway. The worst he can say is no and then I'll have to do it and probably miss my bedtime. ((SIGH))

#1559 the post about nothing

Tonight I don't have much to say. I'll do better tomorrow.

#1275 my day in 5 parts plus movie talk

Today Part 1: the weigh-in
  I went to WW. You know that goal I talked about a few weeks ago? The goal about losing 1.5 lbs a week every week through Christmas? Yeah, that's not happening. Today I gained .2 lb. It's not a big gain, but it's not a loss either. I'm not giving up, but I am preparing myself for an alternate outcome.

Part 2: the vet appointment
  Osi had to go to the vet today for her shots, a general check-up and to have her blood tested since she is on the anti-seizure medication. The thing about the medication, though, is that the seizures aren't stopping. She's been having a seizure at least once a week, and I know they happen when I'm not at home because I find evidence of the event, usually some pee-pee or occasionally, a poo-poo. It's bugging me that she is still seizing even with the meds, and I told the doctor about my frustration. He gave me another medicine to give to her; that will be three pills twice a day. Damn. I hope this third pill works and doesn't completely screw up her liver. Other than the seizures she is healthy and happy. She does have a really dry nose, though. The vet suggested bag balm or Neosporin. I put a bit of coconut oil on it the other day and the nose looked good and Osi thought the oil was pretty delicious, too.

Part 3: the haircut
  I just got a little trim on the ends and Lanna, my hairdresser or many many years, taught me how to do cute waves on my hair with a curling iron. I will have to practice, but I like the way it looks. My hair is down past my shoulders now. I'm feeling pretty happy with it but not loving all the white that is coming in. Some people at work ask me if I've had my hair lightened and I just tell them it's the grey hair and they laugh. I prefer my hair to be a little darker. I'm giving myself the gift of low-lights for Christmas at my next hair appointment in January.

Part 4: the furniture
  HOORAY! The furniture we bought on Labor Day was delivered this afternoon. We bought five pieces: a couch, a recliner, a coffee table, an end table and a lamp. (And the TV of course, but that was delivered a couple of weeks ago.) We are very happy with the couch, the coffee table and the lamp. The end table was just way too big for our smallish room and the chair...man, I searched the store over for the perfect chair. The size was right, the fabric was wonderful, it reclines, but it did NOT work in the room at all. I tried just about everything to make it work, but it just didn't look right no matter what I did. So we loaded up the table and the chair in the back of the truck and took it back to the store. The good news is that we found stuff to replace it: a micro-fiber upholstered love seat, a much smaller end table and a new rug for the room. The rug we have in there is too small for the room now with the smaller furniture, so we bought a beautiful big rug to replace it. Those three items will be delivered next Saturday. MT is convinced that our family room needs about four extra feet and he knows just how he would add it on. I'm much more willing to make do with what we have. I don't want to have the wall knocked down just as we are heading into winter.

Part 5: football!

The Utes are playing against UCLA tonight. Game time is 8:30 here. I hope I can watch the game on my new couch with the big TV, but T and MT might be watching a movie. I honestly don't have much hope of a Utah victory, but that won't stop me from watching. I'll be flipping back and forth with baseball, though. (Ha! There's my sports talk for the day!)






 Speaking of movies - we went to see Gone Girl last night. Whew. It was crazy. It was kind of awkward sitting beside my 16 year old son during the sex scenes (there were several) but those scenes didn't seem to phase him as much as a particular scene with Amy and Desi. Yikes. The movie was pretty much exactly like the book - the author, Gillian Flynn, wrote the screenplay, too. I left feeling yucky, just like I did when I finished reading the book. I thought Ben Affleck was good and Rosamund Pike was terrifyingly lovely and crazy.

That's all for today! Happy Saturday!

#1187 glad there's another free day tomorrow

We're back in SLC after quick trip to Idaho. We got home around 5 and I haven't done a thing except lay (lie?) on my bed. I read and I watched the basketball game. I'm happy that I don't have to go to work tomorrow because all of the chores I usually do on Sunday will have to be done tomorrow.

Because today was so uneventful, I don't have anything to say. I'm actually kind of grouchy tonight. My stomach has been upset most of the day because of my poor eating yesterday and I haven't had nearly enough water today so I feel dehydrated. I did take a cool shower just a few minutes ago and that made my skin feel better. I think I will eat a couple of Tums and guzzle some more ice water and read a little more then try to get some sleep.

I'll try to be more cheery tomorrow.

#1120 the difference between platinum and bronze

With the passing of the Affordable Healthcare Act (aka Obamacare), there are different levels of insurance coverage ranging from platinum (the best) to bronze (good). The company I work for decided that their baseline insurance program, offered at no cost to the employee, would be a bronze level program. For years, in fact, I think all of the 17 years I have worked for the company, I have had what is now considered the platinum level insurance. Unfortunately, the platinum insurance became extremely expensive and I was no longer able to afford it. I made the switch to bronze coverage. This week I learned the difference between platinum and bronze.

In the past, I have always had my mammograms done at a beautiful, state-of-the-art hospital. This is a photo of Intermountain Medical Center in Murray where I have been having mammograms for about eight years.

This year, I had my mammogram in an RV.

I really did have my mammogram in this vehicle. It didn't come to me, though, I went to it, but they will come to your business so everyone can have a mammogram.

Full disclosure: the mobile mammogram RV was nice. I was the only person in there with the technician. It was nice and warm in there and very clean. The equipment was just like the machine in the hospital and the technician was very pleasant and professional and friendly. The room was private and secure. There really wasn't anything wrong with it.

It just felt strange to be having my mammogram in an RV.

In the past, I have had mammograms come back with a "spot" that the radiologists thought should be checked again. When that has happened, I've gone to the Women's Center at the hospital for more tests and that was covered under the insurance at 100%.

With my bronze coverage, the mammogram is covered 100% by the insurance. But what if I have to have more tests? Will that be covered? I hope I don't have to find out.

Just thought you would enjoy this visual presentation of platinum vs bronze insurance coverage.

#1081 unravelling

At the end of last year - you know, a few days ago? - my sister sent me an email saying that she was going to do this and thought I might like to do it too.  I looked through the 25 page download and was sort of overwhelmed. I wrote back to Lizzie that the thoughts/questions looked too hard to answer. Then I looked at it again and I was sort of intrigued. It still looked hard, but more like a challenge. I usually spend a few hours thinking about the year that has passed and the year that is coming. I think about what was good and what was bad and what I'd like to do differently. The Unravelling project seemed like a good way to formalize that process and maybe, just maybe, I'd get a little something that I wasn't expecting out of the exercise.

I picked tonight to do it because MT isn't home (he's in Poky visiting with his brother Kevin). T is engaged in binge-watching a TV show that he chose (Community, although I think he's already seen all shows, all seasons), so he's not going to mess with me. I went up to my room, grabbed a Diet Coke, a bunch of pretty colored pens and the cute little blank journal that Lizzie gave me for Christmas and I started thinking and writing.

I've been at it for about two and a half hours and I just finished the Looking Back at 2013 part. Sheesh! I had issues! When I took the (quiet) time to think about the questions and let myself go, I had a lot on my mind. Some of it I knew would come out, but some of it has been a little surprising.

Since I'm doing the exercise old-school style by hand with pens and real paper instead of on my computer, I have a little writer's cramp. :) Needed to take a little break before I tackle the next part.

OK. I'm going back to it. Wish me luck. 

#1063 Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving has become known as Black Friday. I think the name comes from the fact that all the stores operate "in the black" on this day because of the sales they offer, so the stores make a lot of money.

Many stores open early in the morning, and crowds will line up to get into the stores to try to get the bargains before anyone else. A lot of times, stores will have only a limited quantity of an item available, and that's when it gets crazy. For example, my friend LA and her son went to Wal-Mart this morning so Caz could get a crazy cheap iPhone 5S. There were only five iPhones available, and they were twelfth in line. Through a series of fortunate events and about four and a half hours worth of patience, Caz did in fact end up with the fifth iPhone. He's always been a lucky bloke.

(I've been reading a book by a British author, hence the bloke comment.)

My mother-in-law used to get up super early and go Black Friday shopping with my sister-in-law. She doesn't do the early morning thing anymore. Today she did go to Office Max because I advised her to buy an external hard drive for her computer. She got a screamin' deal on it, too.

I did go to the store today, but I just bought some saline solution, some lotion and a rawhide bone for Osi. I'm not exactly the consumer the retailers are looking for.

My approach to Christmas shopping is pretty methodical. I figure out how much money I have to spend. I make a list of all the people I would like to give a gift. I decide how much to spend on each person and come up with a couple of ideas in the price range. I go to the store and buy those things. I try very hard to stay in my budget and to get my loved ones things I think they will use and enjoy. I do not much care to browse and look at every store. I just like to purchase and get out.

Last year I took a day off work and let T take a day off school and he and I went Christmas shopping.  It was a fun day for both of us. I'd love to do that again. I don't know if T will be happy to take a day off school, though. His class schedule is pretty loaded and he does a LOT of homework. We'll see, though.

#1056 no surgery date...yet

I was thinking about writing about the JFK assassination, but I don't really have much to say about it. I did Google some images, and they were pretty disturbing, so now I'm just kind of grossed out. :(

We went to a movie tonight, and I do want to write about it, but it's pretty late and I don't think I have the energy to do it justice.

So I'll stay close to home and tell you that I do not have a date for surgery. My doctor is booked out through February. BUT...there is a possibility that they will be able to get me in on Dec. 16. I'll find out if that's a go by Tuesday.

If I can't have the surgery this year, I probably won't be able to have it for a couple of years because it will take some time to save up the money for the deductible. :( In that case, I'll have to go in for cortisone shots at times.

I don't really know how to feel about all this. I was a little worried about the whole thing, but then when I found out the doctor was booked, I was disappointed and kind of relieved. But now that I've had some time to think about it, I'm more bummed out. It would be good to have it done.

Man, I'm too tired to keep up with my thoughts, so I'm going to bed now.