Likening the scriptures.

This is something we are encouraged to do: read the scriptures, ponder them, and see their application in our personal lives. This evening I was reading in Alma 43, and this verse jumped out at me.

Alma 43:8 "For behold, his designs were to stir up the Lamanites [historically the bad guys] to anger against the Nephites [historically the good guys]; this he did that he might usurp great power over them, and also that he might gain power over the Nephites by bringing them into bondage."

What popped into my mind next was the current political climate in this country and in many parts of the world. Evil men twisting their scriptures or dogma to incite hatred, whether it be ISIS among the Muslims, alt-right among ostensible Christians, or the worst element on the liberal side of the spectrum. Why do people do this? The desire for power over others. First they enslave their own people. Then they endeavor to use their slaves to conquer the Other.

Opposition is necessary in this life. Without struggle, failure, or heartache we cannot appreciate achievement, success, or joy. We need people who are tender-hearted, those who are tough-minded, people who can solve problems using logic and orderly progression, others who solve problems with compassion and education. Not all pegs are square; not all holes are round. We need inventors who create tools to free up people's time and other resources. We need dreamers who create art and music and literature with the time the inventors have freed up. We need prophets and scriptures and personal inspiration and revelation. We need to see the miraculous in one another. We need to see how our differences fit together like yin and yang to make a more interesting whole.

After the resurrected Savior visited the New World, several generations passed away in righteousness. 4 Nephi 1:17 "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God."

We are all children of the same Heavenly Parents, descendants of Adam and Eve, Noah and his sons, Father Abraham. Even those who do not consider themselves People of the Book are literally our brothers and sisters.

And we need to play nicely with one another, to spite the Devil.

Found objects.

First of all, I found that missing 4" DP. I don't remember if I mentioned it before, and I'm not inclined to go check. It was hanging out inside the ball of yarn that I'd checked three or four times. Best guess is that Beloved or one of the Three Nephites was having a bit of fun at my expense.

I also brought the bag of knitting inside after our Costco run yesterday, and I finished another tentacle (for lack of a better word) on the current project. I got maybe a quarter of the way along the sixth, penultimate one before falling into a book and coming out only to throw dinner together.

The January "Ensign" came yesterday, and I devoured it. I've been looking for the December issue, off and on, since I've been home with cellulitis, and I'd figured out all of the places it wasn't. This morning I found it in a stack by my computer desk. Where I've not been sitting since before Thanksgiving because my CPU was not speaking to its monitors. So I've spent some time reading that today but have not finished.

Right now I'm typing on the laptop at the dining room table while Middlest eats dinner. My toes are freezing. The rest of me is not far behind. I should probably put on a sweater or grab Beloved's sweatshirt and maybe think about putting on socks. It's supposed to be cold all weekend, which suits me fine. Far easier to put on layers than to peel through epidermis and let the wind whistle through my ribs in August.

Ankles are continuing to heal. The color is almost normal, and there's only a hint of swelling in the left one.

Time to stow the leftovers from dinner and set the taps to dripping. I would love to dive into a giant vat of hot chocolate and poach away this chill. Later, gators.

At the urging of my friends...

I went to the night clinic Wednesday night, and as it happened, the doctor who attended me was Beloved's (now mostly retired) PCP. He extended my Rx through Monday.

Both legs are looking better. I've mostly rested, except for the bit where we went to Costco yesterday and hit two Half Price Books on the way home, with a stop for a sit-down lunch. I now have the Shakespearean Star Wars episodes 4, 5, and 6 in hand, and I ordered 2, 3, and 7 from Amazon.

Since I did not need to go to the ER Wednesday night for IV antibiotics, or be admitted to the hospital, I came home and took advantage of the sale at Gudrun Sjödrén. Five new tops and a dress will show up on my doorstep in the next week or so. One of the tops has a loose and slouchy turtleneck, and I think it will be perfect with the necklace that my sister gave me for Christmas.

I cannot get in to see my doctor until Friday, unless she's scheduled to work the night clinic in Arlington before then. I've set a reminder to call her office on Tuesday (closed for New Year's Day, as is only right and proper) to see if they've gotten the schedule. They hadn't when I called late yesterday morning.

I was a good kid and used a handicap scooter while at Costco. The basket looked like something out of Grapes of Wrath by the time we were done buying the things we've been putting off. We still managed to get out of there in half an hour or so.

More progress on the current knitting project, which spent the night in the Tardis after our trip to the clinic, because I didn't want to bundle up and go back out to fetch it. Right now the fabric for the December quilt blocks is soaking or hung to dry in my shower. I'll take however many days are necessary to get it pressed, marked, cut out, and sewn together while honoring the need to rest and elevate my legs.

That's all I've got for you, poppets. I stayed up long enough for a half muffin and a mug of warm milk, and now I'm going to set the alarm for dark-thirty and call it a day.

There's been a lot of progress in the past week.

I was home again today, mostly resting. I've spent some time mucking off the fallow side of the bed, which tends to collect UFO's, books, mail to be read "later" that's more than junk mail but less than urgent. There is a rogue 4" DPN somewhere in my room. Best guess at this point, since I've searched my bag, my projects bags, the floor, and under everything that I've picked up (so far), is that it is lurking somewhere in the bedding, and I will find it (A) when I change the sheets or (B) when I roll over.

The first thank-you note is written.

Christmas was mostly wonderful. Mel and Squishy gave me the Shakespearean-inspired version of the first Star Wars movie (in the same vein as the Shakespearean version of A Christmas Carol, which I bought a few weeks ago and finished reading on Christmas Eve). And chocolate, of course.

My wonderful sister gave me a night light, with her usual impeccable timing, because the one that Middlest has been using in the middle loo has developed a glitch and needs to be replaced. Plus a bar of the most yummy lavender soap, which has pride of place in my loo, as both Middlest and Fourthborn are spectacularly allergic to lavender. And a boho necklace that I'm going to have to be creative in order to wear. It is massively heavy, and it pushes on the sides of my neck. I'm hoping that a loosely-fitted turtleneck top will provide just enough padding to eliminate the pressure without detracting from the lines of the necklace. It has three huge amethyst teardrops and lots of what looks like smoky quarts, and some hematite. It pleases me enormously. And it makes my neck scream that we're all gonna die. And I can't bear to give it away as I did the last necklace.

I cannot believe that I'm the same woman who wore chokers in the early 70's.

Secondborn and tribe gave me a refurbished Kindle, and I couldn't be more pleased with it. I went online last night and got it registered and figured out the basics of how to use it and what not to do. They also gave me some sugar-free chocolate that actually tastes quite good.

LittleBit and 5BDH (that will take some getting used to, as does seeing her new, married name on Facebook) gave me a Winnie the Pooh cookie jar that he found somewhere (the man is a highly creative shopper) and filled with the thinnest, crispest gingersnaps.

I am pretty much in foodie heaven.

I finally connected with the staff of the doctor who attended me at the night clinic. The culture came back negative for infection. Which does not explain the ache in my back and the blood in my urine. I've got two more days of the antibiotic for my cellulitis, and I need to figure out how to get a doctor's note from my doctor (who is on vacation this week) or her partners so that I can go back to work, but I'm not really feeling as if I'm ready, and I can't explain that.

There's minimal discoloration in either ankle, and the swelling has pretty much disappeared. And I'm just. flippin'. tired. Not depressed. Not angry. But wiped out. Definitely something to discuss with my doctor once she's back in the saddle.

I need to go put my feet up, take my evening meds, and wait half an hour for my last dose of antibiotic today. Then rinse and repeat tomorrow. My day revolves around my antibiotics and fitting in sustenance around them.

The morning and the afternoon of the worse leg

This does not look as Technicolor as it did on Facebook. And it's significantly better looking than yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that. Taken about 7:00am.

This was taken about 6:00pm. I've spent most of the day sitting up in bed. One short nap, but mostly I've been up, knitting, reading, or writing a handful of Christmas cards.

I've come up with ideas for the grands' Christmas ornaments. I'm only making them for my side of the family, because I only have an intermittent relationship with the twins and their kids. I haven't figured out anything for Christmas baskets for either side of the family. The heart is willing, but car repairs, three extra visits to the doctor for me plus our normal medical expenses, two visits from the plumber, etc., have wreaked havoc on what I laughingly call my budget. Everybody may just get a jar of honey from my food storage and a hug if they want one.

I'm sick. I'm tired. (But I'm not sick and tired.) And while I am not feeling Bah Humbug, I have minimal energy to invest in giving at my usual level. I'm 99% fine with that, and everybody else is just gonna have to be as well.

We ate the last of the Costco muffins for breakfast this morning. I made a batch of smaller muffins from my Williams-Sonoma muffin cookbook after dinner tonight. I can't taste them until an hour after my next dose of antibiotic: i.e., midnight. I hope to be well and truly asleep by then.

Hoping that I'm well enough to go to work tomorrow, if only to pick up the Amazon delivery that came today and the one that will come tomorrow. Planning to slip a footstool under my desk so I can type with my feet up as much as possible. Wish me luck.

Further adventures, different antibiotic

The kidney has calmed down significantly. And I have cellulitis in both ankles. I called my doctor yesterday morning and was able to get in in the afternoon. I am now taking a variation of a medication that gave me hives after Firstborn was born, but with no hives this time, only gradually receding Technicolor. I'm supposed to keep my legs up as much as possible, so I stayed home again today. I have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow.

This antibiotic is mercifully smaller than the Augmentin, but it needs to be taken every six hours, one hour before eating or two to three hours after eating. This is significantly interfering with my normal graze-all-day habit.

On the plus side, I've caught up the laundry over the past two days, and all four loads are folded and put away. I've properly decommissioned three garments. I've had a couple of brief naps and read today's section for our bishop's "4 Gospels in 40 Days" challenge and a couple of chapters in the Book of Mormon and a chapter in a book about (extra)ordinary women in Church history that my friend Cynthia re-homed to me.

I made better time than expected in driving to Arlington yesterday, so I went to both Half Price Books before my appointment and picked up three books for the Bitties as well as put a hold on a fourth at a store that was barely off the drive home. When I got home, I ordered two more books from Amazon and a Piano Guys CD for me. One package will arrive at the office tomorrow, and the other will be there on Thursday.

I'm feeling significantly better than I did when the adventure began on Friday afternoon. Signing off now in order to put my feet back up.

Another adventure, now with antibiotics!

So, ever since the food poisoning three weeks ago, I've been seeing what I couldn't decide was spotting from time to time. Just the faintest hint of pink, enough to notice and ponder but not enough to make me run screaming to my doctor.

Earlier this week, I began to have the gentlest of aches in my lower right back, roughly the place which inspired physical therapy from late April through early June. I would stretch carefully. It would ease. I would forget about it.

Yesterday started out weird and got weirder. I mislaid the key to my desk at work. Lifted every small stack on my desk, searched around under and through the unlocked drawers, checked my purse and my trash can and the recycling box. No key. Went to the IT person who has custody of the spare keys, found the other copy, and unlocked my desk.

Sometime later, nature called, and I grabbed for my phone and could not find it. Went to the loo, looked where I lean it when I'm washing my hands, no phone. Went back to my desk, emptied my purse, checked all the places I had checked when looking for my key. No phone. Went downstairs to the management office, asked if anyone had turned in my phone. No phone. Went back to my desk and sat down, then remembered where I'd sat while digging through the backup desk keys. Ta-daaa!

Went downstairs to the management office, but the manager was not at her desk. Went back to mine, googled the phone number, and called them. She was back at her desk. Told her I'd found my phone, and where. We both chuckled in relief.

Went back to work. Moved something that I'd already moved five or six times, and there was my original key. Went to give the backup key to our IT person, and she was gone for the day (to go play with her grandchildren). Went back to my desk, put the backup key in a drawer that would be locked when I closed up shop for the day, and rolled my eyes at the way my day was turning out.

About 3:00 nature called again. When I got to the loo, there was quite a bit of bright red blood, but it didn't exactly look or smell like menses. And the bowl of the commode looked like a tequila sunrise. Went back to my desk, much perplexed. Had there been a failure of my D&C three years ago, and I was going to have to go through menopause and possible surgery AGAIN??? Googled "signs of a kidney infection" on the Mayo Clinic's website.

The plan for my evening was to pick up Fourthborn to come spend the night so we could attend a family party this evening, but I texted her to say that (A) I'd discovered that a friend had passed away earlier this week, and the viewing was last night, so (B) I was going to the funeral home first and (C) picking her up if she were willing to go with me to the night clinic. After which (D) I would be taking her back home if I did indeed have a kidney infection (the discomfort was stronger by this time, but nowhere near the level of pain I experienced with gallstones, and conventional wisdom says that kidney stones hurt worse) and (E) cancelling all plans for this weekend.

Went to the funeral home and comforted my friend, who was the sealer who officiated when I was sealed to Mom and Dad and when I was sealed to Mert. Picked up Fourthborn, and we were almost to the turn for the night clinic when a woman in the lane to my left turned in front of me, clipping the Tardis' left front fender. I am not a honker. I think I might have yelled, "Hey! Why are you doing that?" as I followed her into a parking lot, where she pulled up alongside a shiny new black Toyota.

She spoke no English, was young and Hispanic and crying into her cell phone, but the two ladies from the Toyota filled me in. They had been stopped at a light. She had been stopped behind them. Someone rear-ended her and pushed her into them. She was following them into the parking lot when the Tardis got in her way.

The Tardis now has a crease along her left front fender where the other car's side mirror scraped along her. I also have a picture of the license plate, the damage to the other car, and the damage to mine. The other ladies gave me the driver's name and cell phone number and said that she either didn't have insurance, or the proof of it was at home.

We went on to the night clinic, got me signed in, and I quietly but politely insisted that I needed to give them a urine sample NOW because I'd just been in a minor accident and really needed to pee before I could wind down.

We finished up at the clinic, took my Rx to a 24 hour pharmacy because mine was an hour away and would be closing in ten minutes, and went to In N Out for sustenance. I took Fourthborn home, she texted Middlest (whom I'd put in the loop some hours before, but who was freaking out here at home) that I was on the way home and asked Middlest to text back when I got home safely, because of course my phone died pretty on in the course of the evening.

I was supposed to attend a temple wedding this morning, and the reception this afternoon, but instead I've been napping prodigiously, and my daughter-in-love ran to the store for us and brought four cases of bottled water, two half gallons of orange juice, and a pint of ice cream for Middlest. We had a great visit with her for a couple of hours. She and Squishy are just the best people!

I've had two doses of Augmentin and will have to set my alarm for the third one, because I didn't get home until midnight, and I slept through my noon dosage and took it at 2:00. Both ankles are swollen and fire engine red, and my shins are crabby and tender.

I'm not sure if this illness is entirely physiological, or if my subconscious was trying to protect me from some members of the extended family that I thought I had forgiven but maybe not entirely. Middlest says that when looking at my energy signature (with permission), there is a small shard of obsidian lodged squarely in my heart, and that when I think about these people, that shard makes a clean cut that needs time to heal; that it's obvious that I want to forgive them but I'm not quite ready to do so. I have begun making it a matter of prayer during my conscious moments today.

I think a good cry would help, but I can't summon one, and what I really need to do at the moment is pee, so this is all you get for tonight. I've got leading the music covered for church tomorrow, and I was supposed to substitute teach in RS, which I was looking forward to, and I'm already scheduled to be off on Monday for a surgery LittleBit is having, but she texted me yesterday to say it's being reset for next spring sometime.

Later, gators.

Yesterday was brutal, and weird from caffeine. Today was lots better.

After The Forgotten Carols on Monday night, I got home late and couldn't settle down. My legs were restless, on the cusp of breaking into hives. I have no idea why. And my appetite kept spiking. I went to bed at 11:30 and woke twice before 2:00. So I managed to get something like three hours of sleep. I had to resort to spiking my orange juice with Coke in order to stay awake until lunchtime.

Thankfully, I made it home safely and was able to get Fourthborn home to her place and me back here again in safety. I was in bed at 10:30 and slept soundly through the night.

The music on the classical station was delightful today, what I heard of it. Shortly after I awoke there was an arrangement of "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" in the style of Bach or Handel. Not ruffly enough to be Vivaldi. And on the drive home tonight there was a version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir when Gerald Ottley was the director, with each verse in a different style, from Wagner to Tchaikovsky to Handel. It was hilarious. Here. Don't just take my word for it.



Wasn't that a great twelve minutes of your time?

Adventure!

We had our doll Christmas party yesterday, and it was lovely and fun. Fourthborn made a diorama in American Girl scale from cardboard, paper, bamboo barbeque skewers, paint, hot glue, felt, and found materials. It is amazing.

I rose early and did the grocery shopping, primarily for what we would be taking to the ward party later in the day. A dozen cans of cranberry sauce (half of which are back on my shelf), six dozen dinner rolls, a Costco pumpkin pie, and another can of spray whipped cream. Getting those ingredients to the meetinghouse was a comedy of errors.

I hopped in the Tardis with the pie and the rolls, drove around the block, dropped that off, then remembered that I'd forgotten to grab the cream. Back home, back to the church, park in the no-parking zone by the kitchen door with my flashers on, drop off the cream, go home. Pull into the driveway, straighten the seat belt before closing the door, and discover the three bags of cranberry sauce in the rear footwell. Back to the church, parking in the fire lane again, without flashers this time. Come out to the Tardis. Won't start. Nothing. Not even clicking. Go back in the church, get a missionary and a high priest, who push the Tardis into a proper parking spot. Attempt to lock the truck. Nothing. Walk home.

Let the kids know that we will be walking to church and that I will attempt to get us a ride home. Call the mechanic. He says he doesn't know if the wrecker service is operating any more that day, but he will call. Call from Wrecker Dude. We agree that he will come pick up the Tardis this afternoon.

I've run out of time for a proper shower, so I rearrange my bun, wipe down any potentially stinky bits, and exchange my jeans for a skirt. We walk to church, taking a slight detour down the alley behind the house, where we discover that the number sign has fallen off the back fence and two of the numbers have fallen off of the sign. Middlest makes a note to deal with that in the next day or two. We make a course correction and arrive at church shortly after the opening prayer.

While there, I get into the library and make two sticky notes for the side windows of the Tardis so that nobody in the other ward will have a hissy fit to find my truck parked there overnight. I let my bishop know what's up. I arrange a ride home for us and a ride to church for me today. Also a ride tomorrow night to see The Forgotten Carols.

Still on my list: call a coworker who lives about a mile away to ask for a ride to work tomorrow. She normally rides the train in, but tomorrow she's guaranteed a parking spot (mine) if she drives in.

I'm hoping that the mechanical problem is a one-day fix and that it will cost less than the remaining wiggle room in my line of credit. If so, then this little speed bump is only an adventure. As my doctor remarked to me a couple of weeks ago, if something can be fixed with money, it's not really a problem. My tithes and offerings are current, so the Lord is free to bless me however and whenever He chooses.

I miss the days when I had two working vehicles. The Tardis is a 2003 and has been well maintained. Nevertheless, a second vehicle is now one or two notches higher on my honey-do list. I'm feeling peaceful about this situation and curious about how it will play out, but I can honestly say that I'm not worried. I'm just a little footsore and achy this morning.

Another in a string of good days.

I got so much accomplished at work today, largely because SemperFi and TheKid were busy elsewhere. Here at home, the first load is almost ready to come out of the dryer. I think I will wait until tomorrow morning to wash the third load, because I'm almost ready to go to bed.

Dinner tonight was party tacos.

Middlest came out to warn me that a tsunami of a migraine is on the horizon. So if you would spare a prayer for my kid, I'd very much appreciate it.

Tomorrow we have mandatory fun at the office (the last couple of times have been actual fun as well) and then whatever work I can squeeze into the rest of the morning and afternoon, after which I will pick up Fourthborn for Saturday. And I need to do some grocery shopping for our party and the ward party and a food donation at the stake musical event on Sunday.

I'm sleepy, so this is all you're getting tonight. My goal is to stay awake long enough to savor my Book of Mormon reading and not just read for the sake of being obedient. So, no more words from Ms. Ravelled tonight.

And ... it's Tuesday?

On my way home last night, I stopped at the fabric store and picked up some sports-themed fleece to make a blanket as my "big" gift for the coworker whose Secret Santa I am. I looked all over the internet at the official websites and was less than thrilled with the variety and prices of items that were available. So I did what I (usually) do best: I made something. I hope she has as much fun with the finished item as I did while creating it.

I remembered on the drive home tonight that I hadn't done my usual end of month balance sheet entries, but that's done now. I'm trying to figure out what I want to do next, but I think the best thing would be to grab my Bible and read today's section of Luke, then bang out notes to the sisters I visit teach so I can get the envelopes in tomorrow's mail while the handouts would still be useful. We are having our ward Christmas party on Saturday.

I'm missing Knit Night tonight, but I'm not missing the traffic around the two malls we'd pass between Fourthborn's and the Panera where we meet. I'm also missing a nice balanced meal at Panera, and my kid, not necessarily in that order.

Knitting is semi-stalled at the moment. I'm strangely fine with that. Or maybe just finely strange.

Am waiting to hear back from an online vendor who shall currently remain nameless. I wore my new item of clothing to work yesterday, and the abrasion of my shoulder belt while driving to work roughed up the fabric slightly and rubbed off some of the print. I had faint little diagonal racing stripes from my left shoulder over my right boob heading down to my waist. I sent them two pictures. There were more little lines after the drive home. We are not amused.

I figure that I'll give them a week or so to get back to me, as busy as they're likely to be during the holidays, and if I don't hear back I'll post a query on their Facebook page.

I need to go do something useful, even if it's just folding laundry. Later, gators.

Stuff got done. Sortof.

Woke up a few minutes before I needed to be at church to help clean the chapel. Threw on clothes, ate a few bites of cottage cheese, grabbed a quarter of a muffin, and went.

Came home, added the border strips to finish the quilt blocks, and created a new budget-ish spreadsheet, since my other one is locked up on the big computer.

I'm getting used to typing on this laptop. It helps that there is a full-size keyboard and not one of those bitty keyboard-esque nightmares. Middlest has rigged up a mouse and my backup drive, so I can access most of my documents if not all. The laptop has Open Office rather than Microsoft, and everything I'm copying from the backup drive is now a pseudo-document saved on my desktop until 2BDH and I can get the big computer talking to the monitors again. I need to remember to ask him for help, but I keep getting distracted.

We met the other kids at the quilt shop this afternoon, picked up our new blocks, hugged all around, and came home. I took a long nap, waking just before I should take my evening meds, which was an hour and a half ago. Have I taken them? Nope. But I've eaten a PBJ because I couldn't figure out where Middlest had put the skillet during the prednisone-fueled kitchen purge. And I've played too many computer games.

I'm going to read my scriptures and go back to bed. I didn't get much accomplished today, but at least I wasn't sick, so I'm going to be grateful for that and call it a day.

Lincolnshire Posy

What I heard was "Lincoln sherpozie" which of course made me wonder what a sherpozie is, and why Lincoln had one. And then I thought of "Shipoopi" from The Music Man. And, belatedly, shar peis. I don't think Lincoln would have had a shar pei, either. (I have more fun with misheard words and lyrics than anybody has a right to, and I'm fine with that.)

Today is Day One of #lighttheworld. I have been hash-tagging all over Facebook today, and Tan's post reminded me of a widow's-mite opportunity to consider.

If you want to see what others are doing, here's another link. I loved the picture of somebody giving blood, and I wish I could do that, but Hepatitis 1979 put paid to that.

I took my folk art tree to work and put it in TheKid's office. I have one huge tree and a smaller one, plus some miniatures that will (eventually) get redecorated. And I've reclaimed another square foot of floor space in my studio.

I also took a bag of stuff with which to festoon my cubicle. Three framed cross stitch pieces, the ceramic disk I gave Beloved that first Christmas which proclaims "I'll get my elves right on that", the N-O-E-L that I made three(?) years ago to go on the shelf above the queen chair in the living room.

Middlest has pulled a small tabletop tree out of a bin that came from Virginia which is the perfect size for MSDs and American Girl dolls.

I am full of random thoughts tonight. And water, lots of water. And a little mashed potatoes. I'm waiting for my phone to finish charging so that I may finish assembling the quilt squares for tomorrow.

It was a really good day at work. My desk is momentarily under control. That is such an amazing feeling, especially since I've been staying one step ahead of the-sky-is-falling since I had that respiratory ick last month.

No, I didn't die. But I probably could have.

Thanksgiving morning I mixed up the usual batch of black beans, corn, chili, and Ro-Tel, because I was hungry and knew I needed to eat something wholesome and filling before we got to the kids' for Thanksgiving dinner.

Dinner was great. And nobody went home crying, always a plus.

About two hours after we were home, my gut started screaming. I woke out of a sound sleep with that uh-oh feeling, made it to the loo just in time, and as I sat there was hit with a cold wave down my spine, with just enough time to lift up my T-shirt to catch the debris. I would much rather clean up barf than diarrhea. It was an easy decision to make, although strictly speaking it was more instinct than decision.

For the next twelve hours or so I alternated between catnaps and the loo. I looked at my hands at one point, and to my astonishment they were not dehydrated. And both ankles were nearly slim. For years I've used the phrase "throwing up all the way up from my toes" but this was the first time it was literal as well as metaphorical. I remember wondering, where is this pee coming from, because I haven't done more than rinse my mouth out in hours?

Middlest wasn't sick. Fourthborn, trying to sleep out in the living room, wasn't sick. So it had to be my jollop. Sure enough, when I was well enough to step away from the loo for more than fifteen minutes, I wandered out to the kitchen and inspected the cans of Ro-Tel. Most of them appeared to be fine, but two or three of them had lids that were almost imperceptibly rounded.

It's a good thing that Ro-Tel is acidic, because it probably saved me from botulism.

I also killed the garbage disposal. Apparently it doesn't like Ro-Tel any more than my body did. I called the plumber on Saturday afternoon and made an appointment for Monday morning after Middlest's doctor appointment. Several hundred dollars later, we have a gloriously beautiful new disposal and a bit of updated plumbing.

When I got to work on Monday, I discovered that I'd forgotten to ask for the time off, and nobody knew where I was. And I had a trial notebook for TheKid which didn't get finished until an hour and a half after my normal quitting time. There will be a discussion with the office manager once she returns to the office; she's been out at least two days with a killer migraine.

Tuesday I was off (and everybody knew it) for my quarterly diabetes blood work. My doctor was pleased that I'd lost some weight since last time, and we both laughed because I probably lost it the hard way over Thanksgiving weekend.

I am typing this from Beloved's laptop, which I am learning to use because my big beautiful computer has a tummyache of its own. I need to get in touch with 2BDH and see if he can figure out what's wrong with it. The fan is starting to make a racket, and the CPU is no longer talking to the monitors. Middlest has rigged my backup memory and a mouse to the laptop, and I'm slowly learning to navigate. Thankfully this thing has a full-size keyboard.

OK, I'm done for now. I really need to get to bed before midnight, and I don't remember what I ate for dinner, but something, and I need to take my meds, and I want to play at least one game on the AARP website now that Microsoft has updated on this critter and Firefox isn't crashing every time I look longingly at Mahjonng.

Oh, and it's my Saturday to help clean the chapel, but this time I have a bright pink sticky note on my bathroom mirror to remind me.

Another good day: I got so much done!

But not as much as Middlest who, fueled by prednisone, cleaned out the fridge, polished the stove, de-thugged the kitchen counters and cleaned them to a fare-thee-well, and even had enough "spoons" to clean up one of three (literal) silver spoons that had crawled under the microwave when nobody was looking.

Middlest: "When you say you alphabetized your spices (when I was on prednisone last year), are you being literal or metaphorical?"

Me: "Look at the spices."

Middlest: "The ones in the cupboard are all jumbled up."

Me: "Look in the top drawer of the brown chest." (Sounds of drawer opening.)

Middlest: "I didn't know these were in here! I thought you just didn't season your food. I'm sure you told me or showed me when I first moved in, but I was pretty sick back then." No argument.

I came home from work with a ginormous martini glass, the decorative kind. It's about as tall as a Barbie, and I plan on using it for a photoshoot with some of the dolls. I also have an even taller wine glass that will be a prop for another shoot, but it's still on my desk at work.

The kitchen is so clean and uncluttered that it's a little unnerving, but I think I can adjust.

In knitting news, yesterday I finished frogging the scarf/cowl back to the first garter stitch rows, which I knitted on a 3. I'm knitting the body of it on a 2 and am far more pleased with the fabric that is coming off my needles now.

Right now I'm doing laundry. Middlest is off to bed, having more than earned a good night's rest. I'm going to wait until the second load is safely in the dryer.

There's been no repeat of last night's abdominal rumblings, for which I am most thankful. The house is quieting for the evening. I think I've got a decent chance at some effective scripture study if I go sit down in the queen chair and open my books. (I made such good time getting to work this morning that I didn't really have time to listen to my Book of Mormon like I usually do, so it's double duty tonight.)

A really good day, and I'm knackered.

I don't know if it's the Metamucil we sent down night before last to encourage that stuck pill to ease on down the road, or the applesauce with which I took my meds last night, or the apple dipped in hummus I had for a late afternoon snack, but I have had rumblies in my tumblies for about five hours off and on. No pain, but the same sort of abdominal pressure I used to get on the first day of my period when my digestive system and my reproductive system were battling it out like two Wagnerian sopranos.

I had a phenomenally productive day at work, and I am going to dip my nose into the Gospels, take my meds, and go to bed.

Middlest is feeling somewhat better. My kid on prednisone is something of a trip. But productive, which pleases us both.

One more day of work, and then I can sleep in on Thursday.

Amazing, and amusing.

The yarn I bought a couple of weeks ago, a silk/merino blend in light fingering weight, is nearly identical in color(s) to the Silk Garden from which I made my Knit Swirl. Two different yarn companies, three or four years apart.

I'm frogging the scarf/cowl because the gauge is too loosey-goosey. I think I said that yesterday. I've said a lot of things.

Had an episode of dysphagia last night, wherein my Metformin pill got hung up in my esophagus at the base of my throat. (At least, that's where the ache was.) Middlest rubbed my back gently and made me a dilute solution of Metamucil, OJ, and water to kind of grease the slide. Thankfully, I knew not to panic and that it would eventually come unstuck. I put a query out on Facebook and got all sorts of suggestions that may prove helpful the next time this happens. Meanwhile, I'm going to do what my home teacher does and take my meds with a bit of applesauce. I bought a six pack of unsweetened, organic applesauce at Costco tonight, and it's about time to try the experiment.

Work was fairly productive and only a little nerve-wracking today. Hoping for as good a day tomorrow, or maybe even a better one.

Have completed Day 6 of my bishop's reading challenge and am now going to read for pleasure. A friend from church gave me three books yesterday. One of them is John Bytheway's "Pigs, Pearls, and Prodigals," his explorations of the Savior's parables. It makes for a nice parallel with my scripture study.

My Book of Mormon study is going less well. The last time I tried to listen on the way to work, the audio stopped so often, and so regularly, that it sounded as if the narrator had the hiccups. Not exactly conducive to reverent pondering.

That's one, one rehabilitated skirt, bwa ha ha ha ha!

I put the new elastic into the waistband, secured the elastic in a way that will be easy to undo should my weight fluctuate, and restitched the waistband at both side seams. Then I hand-washed the soft rayon tunic I bought a couple of weeks ago, rinsed and spun it out in the washer, and have hung it to dry upside down, hoping that the weight of the yoke and collar will be sufficient to discourage any wrinkles from forming overnight. I'd like to wear them to church tomorrow, but I haven't worn that skirt in at least six years, so one more week really doesn't matter.

I've added another inch or two to the scarf (?cowl?) I'm knitting and have decided that I need to gear down another needle size. The fabric is just a little too loosey-goosey for my taste. I want it to be supple, not limp.

Kept the running-about to a minimum today. Blitzed through Costco, picked up KFC for the elders and dropped it off at the church, bringing home some for Middlest and me. After lunch, I went back out and grabbed more water and saltines. That's about it.

Watched a couple of TED talks while knitting. Read my allotted pages for the bishop's 4 Gospels in 40 Days challenge. That's about it.

Night, y'all.

Grandparents Day, and other fun stuff

Today was the annual event at the Bitties' school, wherein we get to see how brilliant our descendants are, and the school bribes us with excellent baked goods so that we'll include the school in our bequests if we can't make a donation outright at present.

BittyBit (who is in seventh grade!) made me a card in Mandarin(!), and the other grands and I got to participate in a pass-along story from a prompt on the blackboard. BittyBubba (fifth grade!) and I danced a Russian folk dance together. And Bittiest (second grade!) had a presentation on his class iPad about his heritage. Really cute picture of the children's father as a toddler. One of me in my late teens in an outfit I'd mostly made that showed off my Tina Turner legs. I'm not sure if he or Secondborn chose that picture. A great one of 2BDH's mother, who is lovely inside and out; BittyBit takes after her in looks, and once we all survive adolescence may well resemble her on the inside. And a nice one of 2BDH's dad and his wife, who is a quiet, gentle soul.

I got back here in good time to take Middlest to the doctor for diagnosis and treatment of the respiratory ick which I unknowingly shared before my own symptoms appeared. We love the doctor's PA, who is a military vet. He asked Middlest how the headache was, and my kid said that yesterday not only was there migraine, but also sinus headache, and he just wanted to punch a puppy. (Metaphorically speaking; Middlest wants me to make it clear that he doesn't "hurt animals, I eat them, but they're already dead.")

PA started to ask, "Do you want me to get you a --" at which point I cracked up, because my brain inserted "puppy" and Middlest, who can generally read my mind (poor kid) knew exactly what I was thinking, and the PA had to wait for us to stop laughing so we could explain what was so funny. And then we had to wait for him to stop laughing so that he could finish taking Middlest's vitals.

After which we drove up to the pharmacy and came home with nuclear-deterrent antibiotics for Middlest (the next step up from the ones I've just finished for my own ick) and prednisone. I asked Middlest if prednisone brings with it the urge to alphabetize spices and organize everything, and his initial reaction was "no" followed immediately with the caveat "not any more than usual. I'm OCD, and I organize everything."

I brought Middlest home, polished off the pint of Moose Tracks I brought home last night, and endured the annual booby-smashing, which should have happened this spring but did not. Came home, read today's allotment of the Gospels (our bishop has issued a challenge to read the four Gospels in 40 days, finishing on Christmas Eve), and my computer crashed or froze three times, and I took a nap.

I woke up full of ands, as you can see.

Knit has happened. I almost forgot to mention the drive-by hugging of Fourthborn, in which I handed off a bag of Bueno for her lunch and a bag of assorted craft supplies so she can make a Christmas diorama for a dolly party which I am apparently hosting next month, and she gave me two finished quilt blocks and the kits for the next blocks and a spare charging cord for Middlest's phone.

I ordered another top from Gudrun Sjödén last night. This one. (The Yelena in teal.) I almost ordered another skirt and one of the basic striped shirts, but I decided to wait until this piece arrives and see what items in my closet go with it and what gaps I need to fill in. I'm kicking myself for not ordering the moss green broomstick maxi from another website when I saw it a few months ago, because that colorway is no longer available. It would have been perfect.

Back at work today. More or less.

I was pretty close to winded by the time I got dressed and ready to go, and I was half an hour late. And my phone was on the fritz. I could hear the receptionist on the other end of the line, but she couldn't hear me.

The day improved rapidly once I got to work. My compatriot who shares TheKid's docket had thoroughly worked the mail both days I was out. Basically all I had to do was read through the mail folder and sign off on the mail sheet, then delete the folder. I thanked her profusely. Basically, she saved me about a day and a half of work.

SemperFi knew that I was going to be scrambling to catch up, so he pretty much left me alone to get on with it. I was able to close one of his Big Ugly Files. And he settled another case at mediation today. I'll deal with that tomorrow.

Attorney B (his secretary is out all week) only gave me two or three things to do. I'm trying to play catch-up on his mail, which was reviewed but not worked by another secretary in my absence.

I got some of my ToDo's worked and we had a brief secretarial meeting and I volunteered to lead one of the committees I'm on again next year and the office manager has given me a crunch-time assignment that needs to be done by the end of the month and when she was leaving for the day I said, "See you tomorrow?" because she frequently works remotely due to some time-gobbling adjunct duties, and Wednesdays are usually one of those days and she said, "Yes, support staff meeting tomorrow!" and my filter kicked in before I said "oh bleep" out loud. (I'm hoping it didn't show on my face.)

I do not need a two-hour meeting eating my productivity tomorrow. Counting today, I have three days to do six days' worth of work, because Friday is Grandparents Day at the bitties' school, and I'm scheduled to be off. I basically went back to work today because it's easier to do six days of work in three days than in two.

I was pretty sure that I would be knackered by the end of the workday. One of those times when I hate being right. So I came straight home and took my evening antibiotic. I've eaten the delicious bean concoction that Middlest whipped up and followed it with a bowl of granola.

My Zulily shirt finally arrived at the office, four days after the post office said they'd delivered it. I don't know if it went to the wrong suite first, or what. I'm about 95% pleased with the shirt. It fits OK, a little more snug in the bust than I prefer, and the notes are printed crisply, but the piano keys are pixilated and blurry on the edges. It looks fine from a distance. I'll just have to remember not to look down at my right side while I'm wearing it.

I cast on for the scarf (?cowl?) I'm making to go with the new Gudrun Sjödén outfit, thinking size 4 needles would give me a fabric that was supple but not too lacy. Not so. As soon as I post this, I'm heading into my studio to grab my 3's, 2's, and 1's.

Moonlight Sonata

This is what greeted me a minute or two after I woke to take my antibiotic this evening.



It was one of the first pieces I tried to learn when I bought my piano in 1976, because the opening movement is slow and forgiving. I was to the point where grace was beginning to infiltrate that section, when I met and married the children's father, and my piano went into storage for three and a half years. I'd taken a stab at beginning to learn the second movement, but the third and final movement was far beyond my ability, even though I could type over 100 words per minute back then.

I tend to learn physical skills slowly. Witness: killing the engine seventeen times in front of the babysitter's house with her father watching, when I was learning to drive a stick-shift. Or the hours and hours I practiced the one simple line dance I know while washing dishes, and how gleeful I felt when I was finally able to integrate a spin into the stepping-backward part. And then teach others to dance it.

I like to learn physical things when there's no one else around to see me fail. I think this may be the dregs of the shyness I felt as a child, before I discovered how amazing and wonderful people can be. And I think part of it dates back to high school, when the jocks would stand around the trophy case and "rate" the girls as they walked by. (I was never a 10, in case you were wondering, and by my senior year I would go far out of my way to avoid walking past the trophy case, even if it meant walking the length of one hall, outside in my shirtsleeves in freezing weather, and back down the next hall for a class that was 50 yards or less from the class which preceded it.)

But I digress. Notwithstanding my present inability to play it, I love that third movement of the sonata. It's a musical snapshot of what it feels like to be me: the holy fire, the refusal to be silenced, the grit. So many church guys were intimidated or downright terrified. I'm so grateful that Beloved was brave enough to warm his hands at my heart.

I'm sick, and I have no filter.

As evidenced by the fact that last night, just before I stumbled into bed, and just after one last trip to the loo, I remarked to Middlest, "My tush sounds like that sweet potato I nuked in the microwave at work last week." (The one whose singing I captured on video and posted to FB.) And we both cracked up.

I am on a new-to-me antibiotic (Cefdinir) and industrial strength cough medicine (Virtussin AC). A friend on FB warned me that the antibiotic was likely to clean me out. Which should counteract the codeine in the cough medicine rather nicely. Or possibly set off the 1812 Overture in my gut as they fight for bragging rights. I'm taking my probiotics as usual and will supplement with "lots of yogurt".

At any rate, I am going nowhere this weekend. Middlest dished up my breakfast and vitamins, in self-preservation. I am allowed to load and run the dishwasher but not to empty it. Firstborn and Fourthborn will pick up our quilt blocks this morning.

I did manage to wind two balls of yarn yesterday. The first one fell off the new swift onto the floor and required three to four hours to untangle. The second one was significantly more cooperative. I am retiring the swift to sculpture status and will order a different swift from Ed Jenkins' protege after the first of the year.

Breakfast is down the hatch. The dishwasher is running. At some point this morning I will take a nice long shower, but for now I am setting the alarm and going back to bed.

Knackered. And maybe allergic to my Christmas gift.

Finally got calmed down enough last night to get some sleep. It was after midnight before I lay down, and I slept reasonably well. Woke up, turned on my phone, and it froze. I couldn't turn it off, access any app, nada. Thankfully, Middlest is something of a phone whisperer, and while I took a hasty shower, my brilliant middlest child was inspired with an obscure way to do a hard shutdown and restart. I drove to work with the phone plugged in to charge, and I kept it connected for much of the day. It's still in power-saving mode.

Then I was nearly half an hour late to work because of construction and traffic. First item of business was to warm up the herbal neck and shoulder warmer, and it truly helped un-kink both my muscles and my attitude. I repeated about an hour later and was reasonably functional all day. Just before quitting time I nuked the warmer again and popped it into a plastic bag to schlep out to the car so I could relax on the drive home.

I don't know if it was third time not a charm, or the closer quarters of the Tardis, but while I'd been a little sniffly all day my sinuses ramped up for Sneezemageddon. I took off the warmer, put it back in the plastic bag, and dropped it behind my seat. Every time I hopped out for an errand on the way home, my head cleared a little more. But right now I am feeling tender of beak and the slightest bit wheezy.

Of course it could all just be in my head, har de har har.

In foodie news, I've been wanting to try baking some fish with the last of the mango salsa, and tonight I stopped at Sprouts and invested in a halibut steak. I wanted fish, and I specifically did not want fish from China, and I could have bought a skein of Claudia for what I paid, but that's OK. (I remember when halibut was poor people's food. High-quality, but still...) I rustled up a small covered casserole, spritzed the bottom with olive oil, poured in half of the salsa and smooshed it around, then put the fish on top of that and smothered it in the rest of the salsa. It. Was. So. Good. And I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

A few more rows on the heel flap but nowhere near done.

I finally realized why my truck and then my phone have been on the fritz. I agreed to substitute teach in RS on Sunday, and he who shall not be named is trying to rile me up and keep me that way.

To which I say thbppp!

I'm going to take my crazy-tired carcass to bed. Night, y'all.

A tale of three stockings.

The past two days at work have been amazing. I've looked up and said, "Lunchtime? Already?" and later, "How can it be 4:00 o'clock?" So that's going well.

I am cautiously optimistic about the compression socks I bought. I wore them to church on Sunday under my turquoise maxi skirt when I attended the stake conference broadcast. The right leg went on like buttah. The left leg was a matter of bend and grunt and willpower, but I got it on. And for the first ten to fifteen minutes I could feel two distinct pockets of crabbiness in my calf where the lymph was all knotted up. I wore the stockings almost all day, and when I took them off my right ankle looked almost normal, while my left ankle was about 50% reduced in bulk. I had also been able to stand and finish cutting the pieces for Middlest's blocks and get them sewn together, all without pain in my ankles, calves, knees, or back.

I ordered another three pairs, in different colors, after work last night. They should be here in about a week.

On Sunday night, after taking the stockings off I dutifully washed them and hung them to dry, thinking I'd be able to wear them to work yesterday. They were no longer soggy, but they were still distinctly damp, so I left them hanging and wore them to work today, under a pair of slacks.

This is how I learned that there was just enough friction between the socks and my slacks that my slacks rode up like jodhpurs and my stockings crept down my calves. I didn't realize how bad it had gotten until I was stuck in the express lane on my way to pick up Fourthborn for Knit Night, felt my calves just below my knees, and couldn't feel the top of the stockings under my slacks. They had slid down to half-mast, and my left leg was getting painful.

Scooped up Fourthborn, dashed to Cacique to see if I could pick up a second pair of socks to wear tomorrow while this pair dries, and they'd sold out. They did let me run back to a changing booth, pull down my slacks and pull up my socks and pull up my slacks again.

Third sock, you ask? I'm working on the heel flap for the current baby sock.

In other news, when we got into the Tardis after Knit Night, a weird noise came from under the hood. I know what tappets sound like just before a cylinder blows. It wasn't that. It was more like the sound you get when you use a clothespin to attach playing cards to the back frame of your bicycle so that they smack the spokes and your bike becomes a pretend Harley.

So I took Fourthborn home and drove to Firstborn's so 1BDH could take a look under the hood. He was still at ju-jitsu when I got there but arrived a few minutes later. We went out to the Tardis. I popped the hood and fired her up. Nothing, except maybe the suggestion of a leaf blowing out from under the hood. At his direction, I revved the engine a little. Still nothing. So I thanked him and came home, feeling much relieved

My only thought is that maybe Heaven wanted me off the road for half an hour. I'm just glad to be home and safe and not facing a mechanic's bill in the morning. I had Middlest work on my neck for a few minutes, and I'm about ready to call it a day.

I also invented a limerick today, but that's a story for later. Assuming I remember. Night, y'all. The buttermilk and ginger cookies are calling my name.

More DP's, more yarn, and fussy-cutting

I think the real reason that they call it fussy-cutting is because it's fiddly and inspires childbirth words. I have no doubt that the quilt blocks these squares will fit into will be all the prettier because of the time I took to center the floral motifs within a 4.5" square, but my ankles and back are hoping there will be no more of it in the other six quilt blocks. Today I cut enough for twelve blocks, as Middlest is getting everybody's blocks this year, and Firstborn and Fourthborn are working on the other colorway.

I did have a moment of delight when I discovered that I'd already preshrunk the fabric for the last blocks in the quilt club we finished in September. Those fabrics are now pressed and stacked neatly for when the current blocks are done.

Today we went to Costco, and from there to the jewelry store because it was time for my rings' six month checkup and cleaning. After that we went to a yarn store I love but don't get to very often. I needed to buy more 00's in 4" and 6" because the Tardis ate one of my 4" needles last week while I was stopped at a long light. It slipped out of my fingers, did a one and a half gainer, and vanished under the seats. I've gone spelunking with a halogen flashlight, to no avail.

This is why my carbon fiber needles never leave the house.

While at the yarn store I found a skein of yarn that goes with the new clothing which arrived earlier this week. I envision hours of happy knitting once I decide on a design.

But for now I need to go fold all the laundry I did earlier today so I can take my meds and call it a day. I got most of the new blocks cut out before discovering that I'm going to have to Frankenpiece some scraps together in order to get enough 2-7/8" blocks to cut on the diagonal, unless I can find a similar fabric in my stash and Middlest doesn't mind.

Looking forward to the regional? area? broadcast stake conference tomorrow morning.

Able to leap one-storey buildings in a single bound.

Filed two answers, closed another case, got through everybody's mail, worked my ToDo's and fought sleep until lunchtime. Thoroughly surprised my friend who runs the deli by ordering a cheeseburger, with onions, and fries, then squirting half a cup of ketchup into my to-go box.

I did OK for the rest of the workday. Came home and fixed a salmon burger and a batch of mashed potatoes. Updated my financial spreadsheet. Tried to play Sudoku on my computer, but it kept defaulting to the main page. Something must be bent or broken or bruised on the AARP website.

I've started preshrinking the fabric for Middlest's quilt blocks and plan to sew them up tomorrow. Goal is to not leave the house until Sunday morning for the special, regional broadcast stake conference. We had one of those last year as well. It will be interesting to see what's up.

Maybe while I'm sewing tomorrow I can figure out how I want to finish Justice's skirt.

My face still feels (fairly) amazing after Wednesday night's facial. I might remember to do that again some year.

This is probably enough random nonsense for one night.

More stuff comes home with me.

I've been wanting to try a pair of trouser socks, and I needed to double-check my bra size, so I stopped in at Cacique on the way home and found a pair of brown compression stockings that might not squeeze my feet off at my ankles. They weren't as expensive as the pair I bought at the drugstore a few months ago that I couldn't get on past my heel. Also brought home more Ricola and two boxes of saltines for Middlest, a package of hard-boiled eggs and more muffins from Costco. I think that's it. I didn't go nuts in the produce aisle tonight.

I wore the embroidered tunic to work today, and because it was a little more sheer than I'm comfortable with, I tossed on the cream fringed vest and felt like Jenny from Forrest Gump. (Well, minus the drugs and the tragic death.) Calling that a success.

I juggled two and a half lawyers today, and I think everything crucial got done.

My face still feels wonderful from last night's facial. Middlest gave me the science behind that, then laughed because I hadn't actually asked. My kid has a gift for learning all sorts of obscure things and sharing them without coming off as a know-it-all.

I took a video at lunch of my sweet potato shrieking in the microwave. It's posted to FB, but there was no way to link it to the blog, and I didn't think it was YouTube-worthy.

I thought I was ready to go to bed, but my stomach had other ideas. Hey up there! We're not done! Which is why I am downing half a mug of milk and half a muffin at 10:00pm.

Spa night.

I had another good day at work. I'm not quite caught up, but I'm getting there. I picked up two more cases of water on the drive home, a ready-made salad, a big stalk of organic fennel (as opposed to the carved-from-marble kind), and a few other fruits that I hope to eat before they wither from neglect on the counter or in the fridge.

Plucking my eyebrows these days consists of ruthlessly going after the white hairs while trying not to uproot any of their brunette neighbors. Eventually I will have no eyebrows, and I can draw them on to suit the mood of the day.

So: eyebrows have been weed-whacked. I've subjected my poor unsuspecting nose to a Biore strip. I've waxed my lip, cheeks, and chin and plucked the hairs that staged a sit-in. And now I have electric turquoise Dead Sea minerals drying on my face. I'm typing with my glasses off. I can see the little red squiggles under words that the blog thinks I've misspelled or knows that I've run together. When the mud is dry I'm going to take a nice long poach in the shower, and then I'm going to baby my feet. I did slather them with lotion last night before going to bed, and they're feeling a little less like trilobites.

Hey, don't judge. My hips are crabby, and I have a belly that would make Rubens swoon. Ergo, it's almost impossible to get my feet close enough to my eyes and my hands to care for my feet the way that other women take for granted. I have tried to like pedicures, but on principle I don't like having anyone else touch my feet. Plus, the last one I got, about five years ago, revived the athletes foot I had so carefully doctored into submission and required at least two rounds of medicine to banish it permanently. I was significantly more flexible five years ago.

Remember how I said last night that I didn't have enough spoons to press the new clothing? I caught my second wind as I was ready to fall into bed, so I stayed up until a little after midnight and got 'er done. Another error: I said the scarf my sister gave me was Pucci. It's Gucci. And it goes perfectly with the copper shirt and rusty plum skirt.

Face is dry. I'm off to go soak my head, and then my feet. Night, y'all.

The Empress has new clothes.

My first order from Gudrun Sjödén arrived at the office today. The tunic and the blouse need pressing, but the skirt is pretty much ready to wear.

Skipped Halloween in favor of dinner with Fourthborn and hanging out at Panera with our respective projects. She's remaking an old T-shirt into a shirt for the American Girl doll our friend Lisa rescued and rehabbed for her. I added several rounds to the current baby sock.

I want more of the skirts. Lyocell with a bit of spandex, smooth and silky to the touch, and they go all the way down to my ankles. The coppery color of the shirt and the warm burgundy of the skirt remind me of a favorite outfit that I made in the early 70's. A warm gold (verging on pumpkin) sleeveless tunic with a wide stand-up collar, worn over a fire engine red mini skirt, back when I had the legs for it. Both made from a poly-cotton blend that I think we called hopsacking. I've slept since then. I've got a vintage Harvé Benard scarf picked out to wear with it, but the floral Pucci scarf my sister gave me would look great as well. And I have an enameled bangle that Br. Sushi brought me from one of his travels

The tunic is gorgeous as well. Hand-embroidered in India, so it will need some babying if I don't want it to shrink so much that it would fit BittyBit.

I have another tunic on the way, my first purchase from Zulily. It's music-themed.

The rayon plaid tunic that I bought at Cato is already starting to show some wear. Apparently the yarn is very loosely spun, because there is a narrow swathe of tiny pills where the shoulder belt rubs it when I drive.

I go through periods where getting dressed is simply a matter of comfort and coverage, with style being an afterthought. There are other times when I am passionately interested in clothing, and it's easy to find things I like that suit both my body and my spirit. I seem to be easing into one of those.

Night, y'all. If I want to have as good a day back at work tomorrow as I did today, I need to go to bed now.

The "rest" of the story

I was mostly ready for work this morning when I decided to stay home and sleep instead. My sinuses and nose were still a little crabby, although the thunderous sneezes of yesterday were only a memory. Thank goodness! I wasn't sure if the bodily calm would continue or if it were merely the calm before another storm. So I did the sensible thing and honored my body and called into work.

I was back in bed by a quarter to nine and slept for five solid hours!!! It was good quality sleep, too. Happy, peaceful dreams. Since then I've been alternating between scanning documents, playing the occasional AARP game, and eating.

After 5:00, I moseyed out to the car, because Middlest had consumed the last of the meal supplements that have bringing my kid a measure of comfort and nutrition, and I needed to deliver the four cases of water I'd taken to church yesterday for our project to comfort the homeless this winter, but which I'd completely forgotten when my head started exploding. Went to Costco, bought the absolute necessities, tanked the Tardis, and brought everything home by way of the pharmacy, because I had a refill that was ready to pick up. Completely forgetting to cross the street and get us some more OJ and milk.

I did stop ~ briefly ~ at the party store with the intention of picking up some of those little paper parasols that I've loved since I was a kid and bought them for my Barbies. Completely forgetting that this was Halloween Eve until I walked into the store and found the aisles jammed. I made my way up one aisle, down the other, and out the door again. As Middlest would say, I noped right out of that store.

Forgetting seems to be the theme of this day and of this post. Once I'd gotten home and put the groceries away, I hopped back in the Tardis and drove to a different Braums and got what we needed. I need to take the meds that I should have taken an hour ago, check to see if the T-shirt I want to wear to work for Halloween is still presentable or if I should go with Plan B, and hit the sack.

Later, gators. I'm pleased to report that my head seems clear (except for the forgetting part) and my nose and lips are only a little chapped from yesterday's adventures.

Moosey

Behold the moose au natural. He really is the most jolly little fellow. One of the things I did was to sew his eyes on more firmly, using black thread instead of the white thread he came with.

SuperMoosey.

Moosey goes to Hawaii.

And last of all, the first items I finished. Hey, there's a precedent (1 Nephi 13:41-42). Don't judge!

Isn't that the dearest little face?

Hoping to have pictures for you tomorrow.

Not sure where the battery charger is for my camera, or a spare USB cable. I think my phone might be dying. I had it charged to 80%, it took one picture (maybe) and said seeya.

Moosey's hula skirt and lei are done. The superhero cape is done. The leg warmers and scarf are done. I want to take pictures of him in each of them so I can do a little photostory.

I'm going to miss the little rascal when he's gone.

Flow. Flow. Flow. Flow. Zot! Zot! Zot!

It was rather nice to spend an entire day in the office. For the most part, the day just rolled smoothly along, task after task getting crossed off the ToDo list. About 4:00pm all you know what broke loose. A mediation that opposing counsel was trying to reschedule to an earlier date. A client who was scheduled for deposition tomorrow who woke up at dark-thirty this morning feverish and barfing. Another client whose attorney I back up, who thought her deposition had been rescheduled for February ~ it was her trial date ~ and was not available to be deposed tomorrow. I remarked to a friend that if I were still a drinking woman (which I haven't been for 42 years), today would be a day for a nice cold margarita.

Drive home was uneventful. I've spent a good chunk of the evening researching Mississippi River cruises and Alaska cruises and making notes for maybe-after-retirement.

A little more progress on Moosey's stuff. I'm about to hop off the computer and get stitching.

And in other good news, a replacement water reservoir for my CPAP was waiting for me when I got home.

Is anyone here familiar with Quirk Books? An ad popped up on my FB feed for Star Wars VII rewritten in iambic pentameter with woodblock illustrations. William Shakespeare's The Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Seventh. I'm intrigued. And slightly appalled that the Kindle version costs more than the indie-printed hardcover. But since I haven't seen the actual movie, I'm holding off for awhile. I did download his Dickens/Shakespeare "A Christmas Carol" and will get back to you.

But for now, Moosey's stuff is calling my name.

Let me explain...

No, it would take too long. Let me sum up...

Middlest rode into work with me this morning. That part went fine.

When I got to my desk, I logged on with the new password that I created yesterday and started cranking out the work. After about an hour, I forwarded my phone, locked my workstation, and took a comfort break. When I got back to my desk, my computer would not recognize my password. Eventually, of course, I made enough attempts that the system said NOPE. So I called the IT number, worked my way through three security questions and a couple of other hoops, and got a temporary password.

Logged on with the temporary password, finally came up with a password that the system liked: not too long, not too short, not too complicated, but complicated enough. And then I needed to leave my desk again to do something, I forget what. When I came back, guess what? My computer would not recognize my new password, NOPEd me out, and back I went to the IT number. Three different security questions and two alternate hoops gave me another temporary password. Logged on, created yet another password that was decidedly more snarky than any other password I've come up with in the eighteen years I've worked for the corporation, and attempted to get something done before it was time to leave for our dental appointments.

By this time I had lost somewhere between half an hour and forty-five minutes to stupid technical issues and was midway between simmering and seething. This is when I discovered that one of the letters I created yesterday was not yet necessary, because one of my attorneys had granted a discovery extension to opposing counsel and forgotten to tell me about it.

I cleaned up and e-served the other letter (hey, your discovery responses are late, don't make me have to file a motion to compel), only to get a phone call from opposing counsel that my attorney had granted them an extension as well. She'd also emailed me, so I forwarded that to my guy with the comment, This was a surprise to me. And a frowny face. I marched myself to the loo, stood in a stall, and literally tried to shake it off.

Back to my desk.

At which point it was time to shut down my workstation for the day, grab my lunchbox from the fridge, fetch Middlest from the atrium on the plaza level, and go get Fourthborn. I warned Middlest as I walked up, "I've had an extremely frustrating morning, and it's not your fault. I'm going to the loo before we drive away, and I'll try to adjust my attitude while I'm in there."

By the time we got to Fourthborn's I was in a decent if not stellar frame of mind. And by the time we got to our dentist's, I was nearly myself again. I knitted (baby sock, sigh...) while waiting for our hygienist to finish setting up. We were early. I drive faster when I'm crabby. The knitting helped a lot, and while I waited for Middlest and Fourthborn to get their treatments, I worked on the waistband for Moosey's hula skirt.

Middlest was right about the spelling. It's Moose + Y.

I got a bit of financial good news at the dentist's today. Since there were no X-rays this time, the tab was about 40%, each, of what I'd braced myself for, which further improved my mood. We zipped over to Cheesecake Factory for the traditional desecrating of our teeth, and our server sang Happy Birthday to Fourthborn without the usual pandemonium which happens when patrons admit to a birthday in a chain restaurant.

We took Fourthborn's leftover cheesecake back to her place, and I gave her the strawberries that I'd taken to work yesterday, which had stayed in the fridge overnight. Waste not, want not. And then we went to Knit Night and hung out for maybe an hour and a half. I knitted a very little, and I mostly finished the waistband on the hula skirt and started the neck binding on the superhero cape.

And now we are home. Middlest has retreated to one bedroom, and I'm heading shortly to my own. Life is sweet again, and I'm hoping for a good night's sleep and a productive and blessedly uninterrupted day at work tomorrow.

We did a lot of laughing in the car to and from, and in the waiting room at the dentist's office. There was a lovely woman there with her nearly grown autistic son, and because of Middlest's training I knew how to behave in an appropriate and non-scary manner. Middlest recognized the woman from church several years ago and said, "You know Firstborn." The woman said yes, yes she did. Middlest said, "That's her mom over there, and we are her siblings." The woman grinned broadly and said, "OK. That explains a lot about Firstborn." At which point all three of us cracked up.

My endorphin levels are approaching what passes for normal with me. Night, y'all.

PS. Aren't you glad that I only summed up?

Somewhat less wasted day.

For which I am grateful. Reasonably productive day at work. No difficulty staying awake. Minimal purchase at Costco on the drive home. Semi-sensible dinner and dessert. Altogether too much time on Facebook, but time well-spent listening to TED talks. Definite distraction by the Zulily website, when they showed a tunic that had piano keys marching down one side of the front and musical notes all over the other side.

I bit.

And was almost instantly irritated by pop-up ads on a page I had open, and by my receipt coming via Facebook Messenger. Oye with the poodles already.

Depending upon how impressed I am with the tunic, I may be disengaging from Zulily once my order arrives.

Knit happened. The gusset decreases are almost finished.

Middlest is awake, and it's time for me to take my meds and go to bed.

I remembered to use my discount code and order a ticket for The Forgotten Carols.

That's all I've got for you tonight. Oh wait, one more thing. George Will, a political writer I loved and respected even when I was a young Democrat, parted ways with the Republican party after they decided that #45 was the best possible man for the job. My esteem for him (G.W., not D.T.) has only grown.

Night, y'all.

Semi-wasted day.

I did not sleep well last night. Middlest and I think it probably has to do something with the CPAP issue, which should be resolved around the end of the coming week. I had enough energy to stay for all three hours of church (but just barely) and was richly rewarded by the time spent in Sunday School and Relief Society.

Came home, made a big pot of black beans, corn, Ro-Tel, and chili, all portioned out for lunches this week after putting two scoops into a latte cup. Nuked a cup of easy-mac and stirred it in. Filled my tummy and cleared my sinuses in one non-fell swoop.

And then I went back to bed and slept for something like six hours. It will be interesting to see if I get any more sleep tonight, but while my dreams were colorful, they were not anxiety-driven. I'll take that as a win.

I've listened to two TED talks since arising. Dinner was some leftover mashed potatoes with a big glob of Greek yogurt and a generous grating of Tillamook extra sharp. Carbs, protein, and happy fat. I also took two overripe bananas, a whole lot of hulled strawberries, two cups of apple juice, and the last of the buttermilk plus half a bottle of water and created four bottles of smoothies to take to work this week. Now the new bananas can go onto the banana hanger, further reducing the minute amount of clutter on a different counter.

I also emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, which is humming happily in the background. That dishwasher was one of my first adult purchases after becoming a widowhood. Firstborn helped me a little with the research, and I've been pleased with my choice ever since.

We have three different sets of healthcare appointments this week. Dental cleanings for the three of us on Tuesday, and I only remembered this morning how that was going to impact my budget. I am working really hard to whittle down my credit card balance, and I don't want to just put them on plastic. Then an appointment for Fourthborn at a new facility on Thursday, and she would like me to take her. (I probably won't need to the next time she goes, because it is, I think, closer to her apartment than where her GP practices, but I'm happy to help. She is making small, determined, steady strides in dealing with her anxiety, and I am so proud of her efforts.) Middlest has the regular monthly appointment on Friday morning, and then we trek to the pharmacy because the Rx has to be hand-carried. But so worth it for how it helps my kid focus.

Friday night is the monthly doll meet. Saturday I'm feeding the elders since I completely forgot yesterday and going from there to a friend's house for Girls Night Out with soup and rolls and desserts and lots of happy conversation.

There has even been knitting today. I got the baby sock back on its needles and am working the gusset decreases. It's been good to take a break from baby socks and work on things for Moosie, because I've actually enjoyed working on the sock today.

In which your intrepid heroine has a brainf@rt.

I was supposed to feed the missionaries tonight. I even had a reminder on my phone. But since my phone has spent most of the day in the charger, and I forgot to take it with me when I took Middlest to the doctor and the pharmacy, I completely spaced on this. Instead, I went to the 50th wedding anniversary celebration for friends in my ward.

I have since sent a text of apology to the elders, who assured me that all was well, because the missionary couple in our ward fed them.

I went back to bed after breakfast and morning meds, and I slept until an hour before Middlest needed to be at the doctor's. So I haven't needed a nap this afternoon or evening, and I'm ready to go to bed as soon as I post this and take my evening meds.

I finally broke down and bought a shirt/jacket, tunic, and skirt from Gudrun Sjödén's website. I have no idea if they will play nicely with one another, but each will go with something that I already own. I will now be in "the club" and eligible for a good discount on any future purchases.

Knit did not happen (again) today, but I got a good start made on a superhero cape for Moosie.

Night, y'all.

It was a good day, and rather a long week.

I felt productive at work, by the grace of Heaven, and it was very very nice to shut down the popcorn stand at the end of the day and come home by way of JoAnn's. My first thought was to buy half a yard or so of aqua tulle to make a tutu for Moosie, but I found some (non-lunatic) fringe that will do well for a grass skirt, and some flower passementerie. I bought six inches of each and brought home a roll of the passementerie in another color, quite possibly for Justice's unfinished skirt.

I thought I had some fairly wide aqua or turquoise silk ribbon that I could use to cover the header on the fringe and to protect the edges of the braid, but I've come up empty. I do have some turquoise silk broadcloth that I bought roughly 30 years ago to make myself a blouse, and I could cut a small section of that. Or I could take a side trip to Fort Worth tomorrow before my friends' anniversary party and go to The French Knot and see what they have. Or I could broaden my palette and use a different color that I have on hand. I'm not going to do anything tonight, except maybe traipse back into my studio and rummage through the drawer that has my silk embroidery supplies.

Knit did not happen today. At all. But I listened to a TED talk, and I made myself a healthy dinner instead of eating out, and there's still time for knitting before bedtime. I woke nearly an hour before the alarm this morning because my bladder was yodeling. As soon as it was happy, my stomach chimed in, "Hey! You're vertical! You should go out to the kitchen! Like, five minutes ago!"

I think this is going to be a mostly-sleeping weekend, as opposed to a mostly-eating weekend. But I am determined that it will be both restful and restorative.

So, the plan was to keep it simple this evening.

And for the most part, I succeeded: pick up two cases of bottled water on the way home, mend a little spot on the shoulder seam of my red corduroy jacket (turns out there were two small spots, but both are properly mended), and knit on the scarf for Moosie.

The only complication was that when I parked near the store to fetch the water, I had an impulse to go inside Cato, where I've never found much to my liking in the past. But I left with a rayon twill buffalo check shark-hemmed tunic that appears to be reasonably well-made and feels so good to the touch. Of course, it hadn't been properly steamed, so I spent half an hour carefully steam-pressing it on the wool setting with a new pressing cloth between the iron and the tunic.

I'm quite pleased with how it came out after a little attention, and I'm wearing it to work tomorrow.

In knitting news, I'm ready to check Moosie's scarf and figure out how much longer it needs to be. I'm hoping that I have a small button the right color, and then I can just work a buttonhole at the right spot so it will stay on him.

I still don't know what to make to cover his torso, but I suspect inspiration will strike once the scarf is done. Hop to it, Ms. Ravelled!

Kind of a weird day.

In spite of setting my alarm, I napped too long after breakfast and was slightly late to stake conference. Came home, ate a quick bite, and took Fourthborn home.

I've been fighting sleep all day. Notwithstanding that, I've finished knitting the legwarmers and armwarmers for Moosie and am trying to figure out what to do next. I think probably a scarf of some sort.

Last thing I did before hitting the sack last night was to attempt sealing up the CPAP reservoir which I dropped while taking it out of the box. Woke up to Lake Ravelled on my bedroom floor this morning, which only added to the weirdness. I'll call the company and request a new reservoir tomorrow.

I missed very little of stake conference this morning. I definitely heard what I needed to hear, which is that once the temple reopens, I need to attend it regularly (taking my kindred dead along, naturally). Not sure that I've ever been chided so gently but unmistakably.

I'm giving up on staying awake. Time for meds and sleep. Later, gators.

Valor, standing for the right

We'll get his arms all tricked out another time. Took forever to get him dressed like this, and nobody here has enough energy to wrestle with partially restringing his arms, plus I need to make thin skin-colored sleeves for his upper arms, because the black elastic on the whatsits made dark smudges on him, which Middlest removed, and we don't want a repeat.

Clear as mud, right?

Can't go to bed without saying how great the Saturday evening adult session of stake conference was. I felt the Spirit so sweetly, particularly during one of the hymns. Looking forward to tomorrow's general session. And if I don't get to bed soon, tomorrow will be here and I won't be sufficiently rested to enjoy the meeting.

Pleased to report that I did not over-schedule myself today. Three activities only, although there were other things that need to be done. I helped clean the chapel in the morning. Drove Middlest and Fourthborn to a party at our friend Lisa's house that was billed as a pre-Halloween celebration that Fourthborn gets to eat real food again. (Which we celebrated with junk food and pizza.) Lisa had found and rehabilitated an American Girl doll for Fourthborn, which we knew was happening but Fourthborn did not. Third activity was stake conference, unless you count the catnap I took between the party and the meeting

Night, y'all.

I've spent the evening surfing "lagenlook" and "dark mori"

Until my brain is "mori"bund. I just want to go stash-diving and whip up some wonderfully eccentric clothes. I found a pattern line I liked while having some downtime at work, and tonight I stumbled onto a review that savages the patterns as being inadequately and confusingly drafted. Given that the printed patterns are $20-plus, I don't want to throw my money away.

Might be time to dust off Mehitabel (the dress form that Secondborn found for me, which I have yet to use except as a display for my bellydancing scarves and veils) and see what kind of mischief I can draft using the brainpower that Heaven gave me.

But for now I'm just going to brush my teeth and go to bed.

New phrase, thanks to Pinterest: mori girl

You know how on Pinterest they suggest boards you might be interested in? And you click on them and find another part of yourself? This is one that popped up recently. And here is a how-to. So apparently I am standing at the crossroads of Mori and Boho. I want more color in my life than Mori provides. But I love the juxtaposition of layers and textures that both looks offer.

And now if you will excuse me, I think I have just enough oomph left to patch my turquoise crinkle skirt that I accidentally ran over and shredded with my rolling chair. If featherweight interfacing does not fix it, I bet I can come up with a boho solution.

Night, y'all.

Weird day at work, with a side order of good news.

You would think that a day with the courts closed and no mail service would mean playing catch-up on my workflow, and you would be right. My desk was looking almost civilized when I left the office today.

I'm hoping for more progress tomorrow, between bouts of checking EMS for tracking information on Valor, who is shipping out from Korea. I have a tracking number, but it's not active yet.

After work I went to Trader Joe's for a few things, Costco for a few more, Braum's for orange juice, and Kroger for the rest of the items on my list. Home around eight. Tardis unloaded forthwith. Bean burrito inhaled with much gratitude and washed down with a mug of buttermilk.

I have a handful of items on my honey do list, and I doubt that they are happening tonight. (Knit did not happen, either.) I think I'm just going to brush my teeth, take my meds, and call it a day.

Too much doing yesterday = nothing doing today.

I went to bed feeling pretty pleased about how the day had gone. Lots and lots and lots of running, loved ones seen, barest of necessities purchased, and the Tardis tanked for the Sabbath. Had a good night's sleep, got to church on time, frogged the sock heel flap before sacrament meeting started. No difficulty getting up to conduct the music, or to sit down again.

Today was fast and testimony Sunday. The testimonies borne were sweet and tender, and they barely registered because I couldn't find a comfortable position for my legs, which were in nearly constant motion. No pain whatsover, just "get us out of here" restlessness. I have no explanation.

So I made my excuses and left after sacrament meeting. Ate leftovers from yesterday's birthday celebration and other remnants in the fridge, played two or three games, and went to bed.

Since waking, I've prepared my spreadsheets for next year and the year after that. I do a two-year budget bundle; this will be the fourth one since marrying Beloved. I was able to eliminate a couple of columns that no longer apply, and all of the sheets which have dates on them (paydays, mortgage installment days) have had those cells populated. I've picked out color-coding for the next two years.

I do this because I've been too cheap to buy Quicken and keep it updated. That may change for next year. I'll have to think about that.

I haven't knitted, other than the frogging of the baby sock, nor have I sewn anything for Moosie. I think I'll go listen to a Conference address and whip up something quick on my needles, just to feel that this day has been a waste that neither fed me spiritually nor blessed anyone or anything but this quirky body. I'd like to have something to show for it when I go back to bed in a couple of hours.

Knit happened; however...

There was a mistake that I might not be able to finesse, which would require frogging the entire heel flap and re-knitting the four stitches which precede it.

We picked up our quilt blocks, and the family party for Willow and Lark was wildly joyful. We took Fourthborn home, as she was on the way from the restaurant, then brought Middlest home and drove back to the quilt shop, because I'd forgotten to grab Justice's skirt to find coordinating fabrics so I may finish it to my satisfaction. I came home with three half-yard pieces. Home by way of JoAnn so I could pick up packages of single-fold bias tape in two plausible colors, then off again to buy two cases of bottled water and take myself to see Victoria and Abdul, which I thought was well worth my time and money.

I'm now an hour and a half late to take my meds, but the bottled water is stacked neatly beneath the last few bottles from the previous batch. I've had an ice cream cone. My eyes are heavy, and I think I should be able to sleep well tonight.

Over and out!

This, from Middlest.

"His vacation is the Metamucil that makes your workflow go smoothly." I was laughing so hard inside that it was hard to walk down the hall to wake up my computer and get this written down.

Work was beyond frustrating today. It was not due to my attorneys. Both were out of the office. It was not due to my coworkers. They are great people. We had technology issues. Which is like saying that Titanic hit an iceberg. A task that would normally have taken two or three minutes took the better part of half an hour. Maybe longer. I was too busy twitching.

I did get in a bit of knitting between the increments of progress on several tasks. About half of a heel flap, to be exact, and by the time I sat down to dinner said heel flap was ready for the magical, mystical turning of the heel. Still gets me, every time.

After work I was knackered and in need of self care. Left a voicemail on Middlest's phone and an IM on Facebook, telling my kid that I was going to get a haircut and dinner and maybe catch a movie. Thank you, Supercuts and Panera! My hair feels and smells wonderful. (I wish Beloved were here to appreciate it.) My tummy is a happy camper: clam chowder and Caesar salad each did their part.

I decided to skip the movie for tonight, hit Braum's for milk and buttermilk and OJ and apple juice, then come home and hop into my jammies.

I want to see the new Judi Dench movie about Queen Victoria (12th cousin, twice removed). And it doesn't need to happen tonight. I have the slightest bit of a headache and am going to drink a little buttermilk, eat a handful of ginger cookies, take my meds, maybe read for a few minutes, and call it a day.

Night, y'all. Have fun storming the castle.