Monday, February 26, 2018

20 hour workshop

I didn't have time to blog yesterday because I was in a workshop from Friday at 6pm until Sunday at 4 pm.

I'm exhausted, but I learned SO much....

If you're curious, look up Journey Through Egypt part 1.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Short weekend is short

Not too much to report on today.

Last week sucked at work, and I had a lot of negative emotions around that, but I have dealt with them.

I'm thinking that my reaction to work was amplified by events in the world, and my own inner and outer frustrations.

This first week of my chemo month has brought back small mouth sores.  They're nothing like they were with the zyrtec, though.  I can still eat and talk without always having pain from them.

I'm trying a new mouth rinse, which seems to be helping since I got it on Friday.

Got the chores and a couple of errands done yesterday, and today, I have more cooking to do, dance rehearsal at the studio, and dinner with friends.

Today will be so busy that it will go by way too fast, and I will find myself back at work before I am ready. 

Here's hoping that next week is not as bad as last.


Sunday, February 11, 2018

Luxuries

I had my first manicure in 10 years last weekend. 

It was a nice little $15 luxury, and I met our friend Lindsey there.

Since I am no longer allowed to go to the chiropractor, I finally started allowing myself to get a massage once a month.  That was yesterday.

I am going to the girl I heard about from a former co worker a few years ago, since I tried to get trades going with a couple of different people, and they didn't seem interested.

One of the major figures in the Grateful Dead family died last week.  That was a sad day, but he had been ill for a long time, so it wasn't exactly a surprise.

He was one of the lyricists to work with the band.  SO many songs that he wrote the words to mean so much to me!

Had my monthly injection on Thursday, which was also Dave's 59th birthday.  I am back to only seeing the doc every other month, at least just now. 

I will see him in March, and then I am up for a scan in April, so that will put me back to back, but, at least I got to skip February.

After my appointment, we met Lindsay again, since her birthday was the day before Dave's, and her husband is deployed overseas.

I tend to glaze over Dave's birthday, sadly.  It always sneaks up on me, and I am also very rarely anywhere WITHOUT him, so it's difficult for me to pick out a card.

So, this year, I tried to make up for it by secretly putting out a call to our wide internet community for people to do MORE than just post birthday wishes on Facebook.

He needs to know that people love him!

It worked out really well!  He got a BUNCH of cards in the mail over the week!!

For the moment, that's all I've got.  Have a good Sunday, and an easy week! 







Wednesday, February 7, 2018

John Perry Barlow died today

Principles of Adult Behavior by John Perry Barlow
1. Be patient. No matter what.
2. Don’t badmouth: Assign responsibility, not blame. Say nothing of another you wouldn’t say to him in the same language and tone of voice.
3. Never assume the motives of others are, to them, less noble than yours are to you.
4. Expand your sense of the possible.
5. Don’t trouble yourself with matters you truly cannot change.
6. Expect no more of anyone than you can deliver yourself.
7. Tolerate ambiguity.
8. Laugh at yourself frequently.
9. Concern yourself with what is right rather than who is right.
10. Never forget that, no matter how certain, you might be wrong.
11. Give up blood sports.
12. Remember that your life belongs to others as well. Don’t risk it frivolously.
13. Never lie to anyone for any reason. (Lies of omission are sometimes exempt.)
14. Learn the needs of those around you and respect them.
15. Avoid the pursuit of happiness. Seek to define your mission and pursue that.
16. Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.
17. Praise at least as often as you disparage.
18. Admit your errors freely and soon.
19. Become less suspicious of joy.
20. Understand humility.
21. Remember that love forgives everything.
22. Foster dignity.
23. Live memorably.
24. Love yourself.
25. Endure.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

The Nutcracker

I received a wooden soldier Nutcracker doll as a gift when I was a child.

We aren't sure, but we think it came from Germany, and it was probably given to me by my God parents.

It came out every year as part of the holiday decorations at Christmas time. 

It's been in my family home for over 50 years, so its white rabbit fur hair is yellow, and stinks like an ash tray.

How do I know this?  My brother shipped it to me for Christmas!!

But here's the back story:

He shipped it, as a surprise for me, far enough before the holiday that it was to be delivered to our house on Yule (Dec. 21st) while we were off work.

Nothing was delivered to our house that day.  We were home almost all day.

My brother had mentioned that something was coming, but he didn't say what, or when it was expected. 

He waited a few days after it was supposed to come, and then he called me.

His tracking information said it was delivered, so we surmised that it had been stolen off of our porch.  Those things happen a lot around here, so it was entirely possible.  This is why we always have anything that we order delivered to us at work.

We supposed that a "porch pirate" had taken it, found it to be a worthless old piece of junk, and threw it into a dumpster somewhere.

Cole opened an investigation with UPS, and I called in a misdemeanor police report. 

Surprisingly, we found one just like it on ebay, and posted a picture on Facebook, just in case any of our local friends would come across it in a thrift store or something.

We waited, and nothing seemed to come of any of it, pretty much just as we expected.

Until last week. 

I got a call from the local UPS office, asking if the package had ever arrived.  I told them no.  They apologized.  They asked where I had ordered the item from.

I paused, and said "it was a childhood treasure of mine, shipped by my brother."

It seemed odd that she didn't know that already.

Anyway, then she confirmed that their tracking information showed that the package was delivered on Dec. 21 to 2533.

I said "My address is 2532." 

She said "I beg your pardon?"   Yes, the package was addressed to 2533. 

Across the street.  (The house where the man had once screamed and swore at me for parking in the street in front of his house, because we had workmen in our driveway with their truck and tools. GREAT!)

The rep from UPS suggested that I tell my brother my correct address for future reference, and we hung up.

REALLY??????  Jeez!

I had to leave for dance class, the guy wasn't home across the street, so I messaged my brother with the news. 

The next evening, Dave went to the house across the street, and Terry, the neighbor, had the box! 

He seemed very nice, which was a HUGE surprise, given our only other encounter with him from five or six years ago.

Dave came back across the street with a big box, and I burst into tears!

Sure enough, the label said 2533!  My brother went back to his UPS office in Illinois, and got a refund for their mistake!

Happy ending!!

Oh, and that one we posted on Facebook?  My brother bought it.  He was going to send it to me.  Now there is a Nutcracker in the house, just like there always has been.