Month: February 2014

Beautiful Sunrise

As I sit here at the laptop and look at the window, the sun reflects off the fence and is absolutely radiant.

Fortunately I am inside: it is bitter cold outside, and Jim is on his way to work.It’s 9 degrees out,with an alleged high of 23 here in the city today.Undisclosed Deux is leading the pack with a blistering 14 degrees and an alleged 28 degree high.

I am lovingly waiting for a break in the weather where the girls and I can walk a little further and we all can get out in the fresh air.As Jim just mentioned when he left, he hopes the car starts in this cold.The few birds out are singing: how they are managing to do that is God’s wonder.

Someone remind me of this post when we have 25 days of 90 degree plus weather, ok?

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Hello my old friend.

The weather has brought an old buddy back into my life: sinusitis.

The pressure in my head is overwhelming, so between last night’s sporadic( at best) sleep and the 25 pounds in my forehead, I am going to make this brief and then off to bed.

Jim and I went over to see his Mom tonight, something we should be doing more often as she’s 95 years old. We enjoyed her company and also hanging with his sister Kathy.

Now we are back, and off to bed!

Good night!

I’ll admit it..

I was beat.

I fell asleep on half of the season premiere of Amish Mafia.

I woke up and my union had negotiated(tentatively)an 8 year contract with my employer.

Say WHAT?

Now I am awake and it is working on the wee small hours and if you think I can fall asleep now, well, think again.

My future is dependent on this contract and do you think for one stinking minute I can find anything about the retiree portion on-line? Nope? Google, union web site, local news station, local print media? Zip.

It’s going to be a long night. I guess it would help to put my glasses on to see the laptop better.I will wait…and search…..

**sigh**

Blue skies for some

Today was the dermatologist visit.

Never mind the fact that they kept me waiting forty-five minutes,knowing that my nerves were shot from worrying about the result.Then, as I sit in the examining room,I hear the resident and the nursing assistant and the doctor conversing about my biopsy results. Two seemed to concur that they couldn’t be found-oh, what a comforting feeling..NOT.The resident was then told by the dermatologist that my biopsy results were sent to a neighboring university hospital that rhymes with Men.It seems that if you are a HMO patient, that’s where your samples are allegedly sent.Uh, ok.sure…

The stitches came out and then the resident brought the dermatologist in.Well, I figured I’d ask the million dollar question: what were my biopsy results.The dermatologist? ” Cancer all gone.”

What am I? TWO?

Suffice it to say I will not be taking him at his word but will be writing to request a copy of the biopsy results be sent to yours truly.Once I can read it, only THEN I’ll believe it.

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The saga continues…

I think the fall( #2) of last week has really caught up with me.A trip to the doctor is definitely in order, because the pain is kind of gripping.

We have come back up for another week of trying to cross things off our list: it’s amazing the things that pile up when you are working toward moving.The physicality of boxes- moving, opening, trashing is becoming an art in itself.

The donation pile was worthwhile, and there will be more to follow what was given this weekend. You never realize how long it takes until you actually have to deal with it.It would help if we actually had some furniture to put some of the stuff in: the amount of boxes would be down even more.

What a job! When we are done, I’ll party!

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Can’t shake it…

I don’t know if it’s unpacking boxes and bags, or getting back to work on Monday but I sit here with a case of the February blahs.

I know I shouldn’t: today is my Zushs’ twelfth birthday, weather was decent, I am out of the city and yet, I don’t know.Maybe I am reading too many sad stores on line.Maybe my mind just keeps racing onto so many topics.Maybe I just need a swift kick in the butt.**Joking**.

We have little furniture in here as of yet,and maybe I am just tired of hacking away on a laptop while sitting bent over a counter. Visions of the old house and my big,roomy desk come dancing through my head.Add onto that the falls from last week, and I think I just need to unwind from the crap I am subjecting my body to.

We’ll see.

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Tired beyond words

Boxes have been moved into the Undisclosed Location II and boy are we busy.

It’s not like we are in there immediately: far from it.The little things add up and it makes for a long day. Add onto the long day a sore leg and it just intensifies it by a thousand fold. When you need a good comfortable chair, well, fat chance: the furniture comes in another eight weeks.
So for now, it’s just good night,and it’s off to a shower and bed.

Tomorrow is another day!

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It’s quiet.

It’s 1:17am and I am the only one awake in our home.

Amazing what trying to rebound from slipping and falling will do to you.

I crashed and burned about 9:30pm and Kept my aching body under the covers. I had a scare when walking the girls last night that the ligament behind the right knee was not feeling too supportive and I have not felt that in a long, long time.It’s hard to believe that it’s going to be three years since the knees were replaced.Jim and I both agree that we have to shake off this temporary abode malaise and start getting our act together. I personally am looking forward to having a fully working kitchen again and flatlands to exercise myself and the pups in.

Bring it on!

Below? An almost three year old picture of the knees while in rehab…lovely, right?
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Ouch!….

I went to my Flip fitness class tonight and it was rough.

Sure, you take an anti-inflammatory after you fall once or twice on the ice, but then going to the class tonight was almost like insult to injury.We laugh a lot in the class, and sometimes I get a little goofy to cover the fact that I am physically hurting.Tonight was no exception, especially when we did the slow stretching.It was as though all the muscles that tightened from yesterday’s falls were really letting me know they weren’t too happy.

I’ll keep plugging along, with hopes that spring being just around the corner.

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Falling….

…I’ll give you a hint: it isn’t in love.

We had an inch of snow flow an hour this morning and when I was walking down for the bus, I fell one time and it was very funny.There was so much snow and ice packed down, it was as if I dropped my butt on a chair made of snow.

After laughing about that and walking a little further down, my next fall wasn’t so funny.With two knee replacements I got a little scared because it felt like a ligament was hurt.Needless to say,I finally got up,waited for a bus that never came, and then had to walk up 4 long city blocks to a different bus’ stop.

**sigh**

Is it April yet?

Back to life as we know it.

It was kind of nice having five whole days in a row not checking in at the office.

It’s over.

I would like to make it in to work tomorrow,and it will truly be challenging, as they are calling for an inch an hour snowfall between 3 a.m. and 11 a.m……uh-huh..AGAIN! In honor of this forecast, I am calling it a night in order to get a good night’s sleep.By the way, throw in a dental appointment tomorrow ,too!

Catch you in the morning.

Olympic Games

I am over fifty and, while watching the Olympics, am very glad about the fact.

Regardless if it’s the snowboarding, bobsledding or downhill skiing, I have to give these
athletes a ton of credit.To do what they do, besides having a lot of years of training, is being fearless.I watch them going down the hills or tracks and watching them go in the air or do anything with speed,it is amazing.I can just imagine being at the beginning of what they are doing and being paralyzed with fear.

God bless these young athletes, and, better them than me**lol**.

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Out in the boonies…

I get really frustrated with the internet and the blog.

I know WordPress is normally a pretty reliable blogging platform, but when you are lout here on a mountain, well, you have to hope the gods of the internet are on your side, I guess. I tried to blog last night and there was no way in hell the internet was letting me on this site.

Oh well.

We are having a wonderful time with our friends and enjoying their hospitality.Our girls get along pretty eel with their girls and life is good.

Enjoy your Sunday!

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Long Weekends

The best part about long weekends is when they are unexpected.

The office has been closed for two days and it is President’s weekend. It is really crazy, because,for me, it is like gold falling from the sky.

We are hanging out with our buddies, catching up after almost a year of not catching up in person-much too long! It has the promise of being an awesome weekend!

If you have the gift of a three-day weekend, enjoy it.Just a regular two-day? Enjoy that too! Relax…life is too short.

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Happy St. Valentine’s Day!

The loves of my life, aka my family, and I are heading out to see our buddies in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

We were going to leave a little earlier, but I should know better:whenever we go somewhere it is like packing a trailer.The girls know a road trip is the offing, because they have seen me pack. Now all that is left is Mom and Dad to shut off the computers and get moving.

Be safe this weekend and have a wonderful St.Valentine’s Day. A special shout out to my buddy, Duch,who has a birthday today…

I’ll check in with you, hopefully, through the weekend.

Stay warm!

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And with a pause in the action…

Today was a free day off,thanks to Mother Nature.

It has gotten a little warmer,but snow is allegedly coming back tonight.This is really a pain in the butt, because we are due up to see our friends Juls and Tim up at their mountain.It is easier not to worry about travel with Mother Nature sticking her two cents in.

Tomorrow also happens to be St.Valentine’s Day.

Have a wonderful day will those you love: spouse, significant other, parent, sibling…because they aren’t always going to be there and you’ll have wished you did.

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Free day depression

Talk about getting a free pass.

My employer has given everyone the day off due to weather.

**sigh**

In the meanwhile I am worrying about Jim making it out to work in the snow and sleet, have been channeling Saint Anthony for something important I seem to hopefully misplaced**God forbid,fear lost** and am just feeling pretty bad.

We are still waiting for the certificate of occupancy for Undisclosed Deux;the stress is still hanging over the two of us like a guillotine.I am looking out at the Blessed Mother statue in my Mom’s yard and the snow is up to her hands.**sigh**

If I didn’t have the fur girls, you can rest assured I would be back in bed…

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Exercise Modified

The nicest thing about doing my flip fitness class is that it is adaptable.

There is no drill sergeant maligning you step in line in unison, and things go that nature. In fact, Jackie, my instructor, is one of the most pleasant women I know.Since I had my cancer cut out last week, I had to be really careful with the right side of my neck.The stitches are in and I couldn’t have anything loosen up. Flip fitness allows me to modify my movement and baby the bad part, while exercising the rest of me.I am glad that I have the ability to attend this class: the friendships I have formed and the laughter is almost as full of exercise as the exercise itself. Sometimes in class I have never laughed so hard.

Jackie had said to me that while going through the medical trial that I am now, it is good to come to class because it lets your mind unwind.

My body doesn’t mind it either!

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Curling

God bless curling.

You see my Jim watches CNBC.It is his only channel of choice. So now, the Olympics are on, and guess what-no stock market! It’s a pleasure to see him enjoy the women’s curling especially.His mind is under so many things right now that hopefully this will provide a little respite for him.

Me? I go in and watch it, and come back out to the kitchen.I have always been a ski jump person, and of course, ice skating and dancing.

This is pretty good timing, as we are so shot that anything to get our mind off of things is awesome.

Moyer, Stairs in Comcast Booth in 2014

Comcast SportsNet will announce Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs have joined its Phillies broadcast team as early as tomorrow.

Sources said today contracts are nearly finalized. Sources told MLB.com last week the network had begun negotiations with the pair as replacements for Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews, whom the network declined to bring back as part of its recently negotiated 25-year contract with the Phillies.

Moyer, who has worked with ESPN, interviewed three weeks ago. Stairs, who has worked with NESN, interviewed two weeks ago. Comcast originally intended to hire just one broadcaster, but both impressed during auditions.

Both are members of the Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship team.

It is unclear how the Moyer-Stairs combination will work alongside play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy. They could share time in the booth like Wheeler and Matthews (Wheeler broadcast six innings, while Matthews broadcast three), they could split games, or they could both be in the booth at the same time with McCarthy.

Comcast also had Mitch Williams, Mickey Morandini and Kevin Stocker among its finalists.

Comcast broadcasts its first Grapefruit League game from Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., on Feb. 26.

The Zo Zone

Moyer, Dobbs Become Free Agents; Unlikely to Return Comcast SportsNet will announce Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs have joined its Phillies broadcast team as early as tomorrow.

Sources said today contracts are nearly finalized. Sources told MLB.com last week the network had begun negotiations with the pair as replacements for Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews, whom the network declined to bring back as part of its recently negotiated 25-year contract with the Phillies.

Moyer, who has worked with ESPN, interviewed three weeks ago. Stairs, who has worked with NESN, interviewed two weeks ago. Comcast originally intended to hire just one broadcaster, but both impressed during auditions.

Both are members of the Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship team.

It is unclear how the Moyer-Stairs combination will work alongside play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy. They could share time in the booth like Wheeler and Matthews (Wheeler broadcast six innings, while Matthews broadcast three), they could split games, or they…

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Any one left liking snow?

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My Kasia is the only one I know, right now that is still in love with snow.

Every time we get out and there is fresh snow**which seems to be quite frequent of late**, she runs around and goes crazy and then makes doggie snow angels in the snow. Jim and I can only laugh, because it really is as if she is having the time of her life.

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My Zosia, on the other hand, shows that she is a seasoned veteran of snow. Her forte’ is fresh white snow to eat for as long as she wishes.I guess it’s her equivalent of vodka on the rocks. To us in seems always incredible, in that Zush turns almost puppy like in the snow.

I come home from work, my body tense from fear of falling and hurting my knees,tight from walking on what crunchy snow there is, and just waiting to hit the front door.

My snow bunnies greet me.
It rocks!

Olympics

Being over fifty, I go back over a lot of Olympic games. I basically would watch the summer games for the swimming and the winter for more, but especially the ice skating.

I just was watching the team Ice Skating, which was a first time sport in the 2014 Winter games.
Gone are the days of Dorothy Hamill,Peggy Flemming,Brian Boitano, Brian Orser, and I could go on and on.Watching these games, I have really felt out of it.I guess you really have to stay following sports to know who is who. I am ashamed to say the only names I recognized were behind the microphone.

There is one thing that has never changed though, and that is the beauty of the ice skaters. Male or female, dancing or pairs,you have got to admire them for their ability to take to the ice and perform like they do.

Go team USA!

PS.Poland won their first winter games gold medal since 1972..this Polish American girl is really proud of them.

So now what?

The band-aid came off tonight.

There is the difference of dealing with sutures twenty years ago and today. Some things, though, do not change.Keep the site clean? No problem.Wash with soap and water? No problem.I just get this little itch right at the top of the incision that is making me nuts, and I know I can’t touch it.Once I clean it, I can put Vaseline on it, I am assuming, to keep the stitches from drying out too tightly, and keep my neck from looking too bad.

What is it about a site that automatically makes you want to go for it to touch it, scratch it,..you know what I mean.When you are a kid, you would hear your Mom say” Don’t touch it.”
Now I catch myself going for it, and go “Uh-oh.” I don’t touch it,but it must be like a magnetic force field in it, or like a flame that draws moths to it. **Chuckle**

Enjoy your Sunday!

After the fact.

Through the ups and downs of the week, there has been one saving grace: the thought of being here, together as a family, just to relax.

We went out to dinner tonight and came back early to relax and rest. Jim will get the fur girls out for one last walk of the night.I get to hang out on-line for a little while I am doing wash.It would be nice to be out watching Olympics on television: I guess I can maybe try to find something streaming on-line.

We are just going to exhale and enjoy our weekend: hope you get to do the same.

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Exercising 6 of my 9 lives

The reason I had a rough time concentrating at class last night was I was told I had skin cancer last night. I was glad that I had it to be at it, because it made me focus on something else.

I managed to get an appointment today to find out I had Bowman’s carcinoma in situ, meaning that it was caught early.Not early enough that it could be frozen off, but it was cut out.I was glad, because my theory on cancer is to get it out of me, period!

There is a hideous looking bandage on my face I’ll have to wear for 3 days to make sure I don’t bleed through, and keep the stitches in line. After Sunday, I get to clean the site with soap and water and dress it with vaseline, because the stitches are there. They are due to come out toward the end of the month.

I don’t like skin cancer, of all the cancers I have had***ala Groucho Marx”and I’ve had a few”***, because skin is close to blood vessels, lymph nodes, glands, and it can spread like fire.I feel a little better that it is out, but the final swoosh of relief will be in two weeks when the last stitches come out.

Rough to Exercise

I had my flip fitness exercise class tonite.

Even though the weather kept some gals away, there were enough of us to keep moving for a while.
It felt good to be able to do so, even though I was a little more pensive than I normally would have been. I found that the physical activity lets your mind work on a few things too!I walked into the class with the world on my shoulders, but when I left, the world wasn’t quite as heavy.

Hold a good thought for yours truly .I could use them right now.

Thanks.

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Sitting and Waiting.

My laptop sits on a little table off in a corner of a room, where I can actually look out a
window to see what’s going on in the yard and street.

It has been my window on the weather world of late.

I have beautiful views of a winter wonderland and at twilight it’s even more magical.

The threat of more upcoming storms has me here sitting and waiting and thinking. It’s become like a mantra in my head: snow, ice and rain. Ugh!It has gotten to the point where the front must be getting closer because the pressure in my sinuses is flaring up.As I sit here thinking of ice, I am lamenting the fact that my yak tracks (ice shoes) are in the storage locker.If it is indeed icy tomorrow, one bus route will probably be rerouted.When will I find out? Uh, when I am waiting at a corner for a bus that will never come.

April,anybody?

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Damn..no eggs, bread or milk…

As we were down Undisclosed Deux this weekend, we were trying to unload the storage locker and get stuff out. Food shopping didn’t make the cut.

Last night, as Jim and I lay in bed, we listened to the rain…which became snow and up in the northwestern part of the city was around 6 inches deep.We managed to scrounge stuff for dinner, but I am definitely going to have to bring something home tomorrow for dinner.

Of course snow was melting today and will freeze back up again tonight.

Did I mention there’s an ice storm forecasted for Wednesday?

**sigh**

The problem with the Broncos?

The best thing I saw so far on Facebook so far was from my girlfriends husband.

The problem with the Broncos is that they are high on pot….

LOL

I am sorry I rooted for Peyton because I am the reason he lost. When I root for a team lately, it’s as though the other side always winds. I am a champion for older players, such as Jamie Moyer when he was with the Phillies and poor Peyton Manning.

Congrats Seahawks…you ran over Denver,

Dysfunctional Weather

I wish, sometimes, weather would stay somewhat consistent for a bit.

We came down last week, and even, on this past Friday, the bay really resembled a polar icecap. You literally could see the chunks of ice floating in the bay. I should say, that’s’ if they floated: it was so cold that it looked more like a white boulder field at times.

When the girls and I went out this morning, we knew it snowed down here during the week and they both loved it.I enjoy to see how much Zush still thinks she is a young Eskimo sled dog in the snow, and Kasia has decided that doggie snow angels are her strong suit.

The story changed by mid-day, when the weather warmed up it time for us to start emptying the storage locker. Snow gave way to mud puddles, and there were a ton of them. Jim and I were carrying boxes and trying not to give anything a mud bath in the process.

We had gone out for dinner with our friend and sitting now, Jim had come back in with the girls and was soaking wet from rain.

Did I mention they were calling for snow here on Tuesday?

**sigh**

Happy Groundhogs’ Day!