Happy Howl-o-e'en

Yup, it's Halloween again, and guess what I am doing tonight? Not a dang thing!!

For the first year in a while, I'm not going to any parties, not dressing up, not even checking out the freak parade down on 6th Street. Normally I make it a point not to be at home but I think tonight I'll just retreat into my bedroom with a few good movies and books (and my knitting, of course) and hermitize --- unless, of course, I get a better offer. :D

Making yummies

The fun part about eating healthier is that you get to splurge on things that you might otherwise pass up due to the cost. Okay, due to being cheap.

For dinner, I made fresh green beans and paired it with fresh mozzerella and grape tomatoes, with just a hint of salt and pepper. I'd show pics of the food pr0n, but I ate it already. Yum! And there are green beans left over for tomorrow's dinner.

Ooh, speaking of tomorrow, PT starts again. Really, I'd do just about anything to get rid of the pinch to my sciatic nerve, and I sincerely hope that it will be worth it. On the other hand, I've already lost about 14 pounds through sheer force of will these last few weeks - mainly from the effort it has taken to walk normally I think, but I'll take it. I think 30 to 60 minutes of PT three times a week for the next four weeks will definitely keep that trend going.

Fun with time changes

Not that I mind an extra hour of sleep, but time changes are a pain in the derriere. I woke up this morning, glanced at my watch and noted that although I had woken up early, it wasn't too early to go ahead and get up, get ready for church. After getting up, I checked the clock that I had set back last night and saw that I was even earlier than I had noted before. Argh. Ah well, a little bit of computer time before I head out.

Oh, and don't watch Nova in the morning - educational, yes, but they also manage to scare the peawadding out of you in a "by the way, this WILL happen" way. I realize that although the natural effects they discuss will either not happen in my lifetime or not affect me directly, it's still some potentially scary stuff.

Thursday Night Lights

No, not the football lights - the movie lights. Thursday night has apparently become movie night here at Casa de Injury. Heh.

First up: Nacho Libre. Really not as funny as I had hoped. Actually, it is kind of sad, and in some ways kind of offensive. Well, at any ratem not worth sitting through the whole thing, in my opinion.

Next up: Prairie Home Companion. This one at least has a lot of cameos and is reprising an historical show so it ought to be interesting, at a minimum. More later.

Coffee? REALLY??

So I'm reading a copy of FIRST magazine... What? Why do I have a copy of that? Um...no idea, really. Apparently once upon a time - or at least sometime this past year - something in it caught my eye as I was waiting in line at the grocery store.

Getting back to the story...

There is an article on the health benefits of coffee. One of the "little known facts" about coffee, according to this, is that it stimulates brain function. Okay, I knew that - not so little known, as it turns out, since college students have been chugging pots of coffee while cramming for exams for years. The article goes on to suggest that adult ADD can be toned down by drinking 3 cups of coffee a day.

No offense to the hardcore drinkers out there, but I usually limit my caffiene intake to a soda or two if that much, which might amount to one cup of coffee total. Three cups and I'd be talking like Jordan from Real Genius, and I really don't think anyone wants that.

Granted, if I drank three cups of coffee, there'd be so much sugar and cream in there that the coffee would be hard-pressed to hit me. Hm, that must be why the same article says that three cups of coffee a day can also help you lose weight.

Not in my world.

Weak

I admit it, I'm sometimes a little weak. Darn those specialty stores and their holiday sales fliers...

At any rate, I decided to wander down to the mall to get a little walking in this morning - in a place where I could easily sit down when needed. Oh...and there was the little matter of a particular shirt that I decided I really needed. And besides, I had a coupon. Baaaad me. Still, it looks damn good on me - I fill out the bust better than the dummy. :D

Another product review

Those Kraft EasyMac Cups? Total shite. The authentic fake mac 'n' cheese in the blue box - the kind you actually have to cook with milk and butter - that's the good stuff. This "just add water and toss in the microwave" version tastes horrible. Just as well - an actual serving size has too many calories anyway. Good thing I have apples for dessert.

Note to self

Yet another in the long list of NTSs:

Even if you are on your deathbed, try not to leave dishes unwashed in the sink, even if they've been rinsed off.
- By the time you get to them, there will still be something crusty in there. On the other hand, now we know that Dawn Power Dissolver does a reputable job of living up to its advertising. For the most part, anyway.

Things that make me happy

• Cereal for dinner
• Seeing that I've continued the weight loss - down 11 1/2 lbs!!
• Feeling a noticeable decrease in the sciatic pain level even off most the meds
• Being able to reach my feet without laying on my back first
• Cool weather that let me wear a sweater I made (even though S & M mentioned it first :)
• Friends that care about all of the above

Woot! :D

LeMEMEmminging

Wow, now that's a peanut-butter-stuck-to-your-palate word mush-up. At any rate, I saw this meme hanging around and thought I'd jump in.

1. FIRST NAME? Cynthia

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? friend of my mother's

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Yesterday, or the day before. I've been on lots of steroids lately and it has totally messed me up.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, when I take the time to write neatly. Lately it's more of a scribble because I'm in too much of a hurry.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Turkey.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Sure!

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? You're reading it, babe.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? As far as I know.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Depends - how much alcohol did I have first?

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope. Most of them don't have ties but even the ones that do I only untie when I need to tighten the laces.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Blue Bell Caramel Pecan Fudge

14. SHOE SIZE? 7 1/2 or 8 D.

15. RED OR PINK? almost all shades of both

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? poor self-confidence

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Please don't - I dislike email chain letters.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Bad question to ask me late at night before I go to bed.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? mmm, I think a sandwich.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? For some reason, movie updates in Spanish on SalsaTV

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? hot pink

23. FAVORITE SMELL? floral scents in general, currently plumeria specifically

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Diane or Emmy

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? eyes, I think.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? heh, yes. :D

27. FAVORITE DRINK? white russian

28. FAVORITE SPORT? figure skating and football

29. EYE COLOR? Hazel

30. HAT SIZE? 22

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings - I like comedies and chick flicks

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? spring

36. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? chocolate

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? no idea

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? see above

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Phoenix Guards by Stephen Brust

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? I don't have one.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I think I just played Wild Arms: Alter Code F until I got tired enoguh to go to bed.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? music

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Stones

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Not sure which is technically furthest, but I think it would be Germany.

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? I am very musical, although I like to think I have lots of talents. :D

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Deep in the heart of Texas

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? snagged it from another blog, boogaj I think

Daily Dose of Vitamin C

Heh. Since I was at home anyway, I figured I'd drop in one of the DVDs I haven't gotten around to watching yet. Today's selection: The Wild. In all fairness, it isn't one of the best movies released recently, but it certainly has its moments. The creative team for this one made it totally worth the view.

...in crafting news, anyone out there make Clapotis with the originally requested two skeins of Lorna's Laces? I'm thinking of it, with a different yarn, but I just noticed the pattern correction to 4 hanks today - wondering if I have enoungh now.

Retail therapy?

Hm. I need to get out of a funk. I need to do it without adding calories. I need to do it without breaking the bank. I also don't need to add more stuff to my apartment.

Maybe a trip to half price books is in order -- limit 2. Eh, I have to go to the grocery store anyway. drumming fingers Sigh. Grocery store first, see whether or not I am tired, and then maybe HPB for 15 minutes max. And tomorrow I work on putting the majority of my VHS collection into a box or two for redistribution to goodwill. I just can't move the box once I fill it until I get a doctor's note. This is so frustrating, but I'll be good.


EDITED LATER TO ADD: Stupid blogger - only actually publishes half the time, but at least it saved the text of my earlier post. I didn't go to HPB after all - decided that I spent enough at the grocery store even though I only purchased less than ten items. Probably slightly more than ten pounds, too, but it would be close. I actually went back to the dairy aisle (needed milk anyway) to heft a gallon of milk to compare weights, since a gallon is supposed to be about ten pounds.

Home again again

Got back into town this morning -- and proceeded to go home and take a nap. Driving is fatiguing, but thank the Lord for cruise control. Heh - I've never been able to drive for long distances without needed a nap, though. Two hours worth is about my limit.

The nap was nice, and I will miss them when I go back to work on Thursday. This evening and tomorrow the focus is on getting a bit of cleaning done around here - that was originally the plan for the rest of my vacation anyway, but now I won't be able to sneak in a trip to the storage unit. Perhaps my neuro will clear me next week for carrying heavier loads. Ten pounds is a very limiting amount.

Well, off to get some work done.

Family Times

Life of late has been a mixture of small bursts of activity interspersed with long bouts of sitting around and talking. All day Saturday I sat around in my pajamas, and made a pair of slippers for my cold feet.

Sunday we went out for breakfast, then a small driving tour of the missions in San Antonio for Killian and Sheryl's benefits. We did walk -slowly- around part of the perimeter of Mission San Jose, but all the rest we pretty much got out, looked at the ruins, then got back into the car and drove to the next one. It was so humid that we called the day off early (a good thing for me, too - I was getting tired) and went back home for lunch and a good nap.

Today looks like mostly a repeat of Saturday; I did my baby exercises this morning, talked with a friend, and now am trying to figure out how to occupy myself for the rest of the day. Probably more knitting. Woo.

As much as I hate just sitting around, we've been doing a lot of talking about past family history, so I've been getting some of the stories I always wondered about but never knew. It's been pretty cool.

In other news, I almost can't wait for my neuro appointment next week. I'm hoping he clears me for at least gentle yoga, if not for lifting anything. Despite the massive amounts of steroids I've been on to repair my back issues, I've managed to lose about 10 pounds over the past few weeks, and I really want to regain core strength so I can do more to get more weight off. (And to assure some friends that I really am trying to care better for myself. :) We shall see. Hey, I haven't had any fast food in over a week. That's certainly a record for me.

RIP memory card #2

Yesterday we took my sister and her housemate to Central Market, to Yarn Barn, and then downtown to see the Riverwalk and the Alamo. Before everyone jumps on my case for doing too much, I used an electronic cart at the market, and we took the river taxi tour of the river, then I sat on a bench while they all walked around the Alamo. I also took a lot of pictures when I could, but unfortunately my memory card blew up. That makes two 1 GB xD cards that I've had problems with, after years of not having problems with any of my xD cards. I'm beginning to wonder if the 1GB cards have an inherent problem.


I have of course gotten a little bit of knitting done, since I'm sitting around a lot. Peggy was wonderful enough to bring me a selection of yarn and needles while I was in the hospital, so I started a random basketweave scarf. Well, at least I think it is basketweave - I don't have my knitting stitch pattern book to double-check that stitch. :D The actual color of the yarn is a bit less dusty purple than you see here.

Turns out that my sister does a lot of crafts and her roomie knits and spins; hence the trip to Yarn Barn. I picked up a couple balls of Regia Bamboo, which I had not seen before, and some Rowan Tapestry for a scarf. We'll see how much I get done this weekend.

Another day in paradise

Well, not paradise, but still...vacation time is a good thing - knowing that you can go back to sleep and not have to go into work. Ahhhh.

Daily update: I wish it were easier to tell whether the healing process is really working - I do feel a bit better this morning than yesterday, but I'm still dealing with the slightly pinched sciatic nerve (which has just gotten downright annoying in the last few weeks). I suppose time will tell.

Last night we went out for a nice birthday dinner at Golden Wok (normally a place we'd go for Mom, not me, but I haven't had it in quite a while - it was rather yummy) and I got to watch my sister S go through some really old pics back at Mom's. There's a lot of family history I was not aware of, and it's been fascinating to sit and talk with her and Mom - not to mention S's housemate K who is just a lot of fun to have in the conversation.

A little song

Happy Birthday to me,
How maudlin should I be?
Well, at least I'm on vacation
So - Happy Birthdaaaaaay tooooooooo meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Heh. I thank God for another year and that I'm relatively healthy. I am thankful for all the wonderful friends I have who care about me very much, and for the fabulous neuro who gave me an option that meant I would not be in a hospital for my birthday. I've had a good life so far and I look forward to many more good years to come. Peace, y'all.

Because I promised...

...just an update on how I am.

So far the cortisone seems to have helped - my back for the most part is quiet, and the pinched nerve is pretty quiet as long as I don't stand too much. I do now understand why they warn you that the first day or two after the shot that your pain may increase. They didn't lie - but even the increase doesn't make it as bad as Sunday, so I think I can handle it. :D

I did manage to drive just fine today to work - stayed seated for the most part while making sure to get up and move every half-hour or so. My co-workers took me out for a nice birthday lunch, too, so all in all it was a pretty good day. I got just about everything taken care of that couldn't wait until I got back in the office, so now I don't even have to feel guilty about not being there earlier this week.

My vacation time officially starts tomorrow, but I'll be sure to post a quick note when I can just to let everyone know I'm still alive. Cheers!

Home again

Well, life of late has been fun.

I first really want to thank all of my friends who called to check up on me, and even more so those who carted me around and ran errands and visited. I love each and every one of you very much.

An extreme increase in my back and hip pain this past weekend sent me to the ER (well, mainly spasms that would not stop at all) - I thought it would just be to get perhaps an MRI and more pain meds, but apparently I've herniated a disc in my back. The ER doctor admitted me to the hospital and it took almsot a full day just to get a neurosurgeon to be able to see me. We discussed options and he got me into see a pain management doctor today to get a cortisone shot to help heal that without surgery. We'll see, but I do know that I've had to back off a lot on my plans for the future weeks if I plan to heal at all.

Before any of my friends or family hop into the comments with a "or we'll tie you down" scolding, you have to know that this is killing me. I'm missing out on my birthday plans, on a concert that could mean a whole lot to my singing career, and to a recital that I want to do more than anything. Thankfully I already had some vacation time scheduled, so I'll go down to mom's and take it easy for a few days.

On the positive side, I'll get to see one of my sisters - one I haven't seen in years - on my birthday. This will also force me to do more to get in better shape, and the amount of time at home will force me to actually get a little cleaning done (although not in the next two weeks - do you have any idea how little 10 pounds is when you're not allowed to pick up more than that?).

Wow - and you really shouldn't try to be your normal optimistic self if Everybody Loves Raymond is on television while you're typing a blog entry. Darn pessimist. Heh.

Question...

...why will Texas never fall into the Gulf of Mexico?

--Because OU SUCKS!!! Heh. Congratulations to the Texas Longhorns (ok, technically there is just about a minute left to go, but Texas is definitely going to win... :) and let's keep it rolling all season long!!!

Red River Rivalry

In just under two hours, the University of Texas Longhorns take on the University of Oklahoma Sooners. Who'll win? Yeah...go 'Horns!! :D

Well, heck

My physical therapist has officially given up on me. What this means is that after several PT sessions, I have had no measurable improvement in the amount of pain I am experiencing in my hip and leg. Now I have to go back to my GP, probably for an MRI and hope that it shows what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is going on down there and that it is something that is reparablw without surgery or other major undertaking. Argh, sigh and OW, goshdarnit.

Okay, I admit it, my vocabulary has sincerely taken a turn for the worse since this started giving me problems. Is it a bad thing when the first words out of your mouth every morning are a mantra of ow and the f-word?

Sign sightings

Vintage Sign,
originally uploaded by Cyndiva.

Now I just need to figure out where the boys are. Oh, stupid me - they are there, too. Heh.

This is one of the many fun things seen at the 6th Street Old Pecan Street Festival. I didn't get a lot of good photos, but you can follow the link to the left there to my photostream and see a few more.