Friday, Friday

It's the last day of August! 2007 is passing by very quickly. It also is Labor Day weekend, the end of summer. School starts around here on Tuesday. I have Tuesday off as a vacation day. I'm heading North to A to visit the family and P is gone backpacking on Isle Royale. Did you know Isle Royle is America's least visited National Park?

I went out with co-workers tonight and had a blast. Margaritas - yeah! THe weather was outstanding and we spent time hanging out at an outdoor bar. AA was mobbed with people because tons of students were moving in for the start of U next week. I felt young and collegial again. My co-worker bought her new Chihuahua puppy which was just a doll and I held it for a bit. Holding a puppy is one of life's little joys.

fun game

I have been addicted to this fun game since someone told me about it:

http://www.shockwave.com/content/shuffle/sis/shuffle.swf

It's called shuffle.

http://www.shockwave.com/content/shuffle/sis/shuffle.swf

Crazy Weather

It looked like I had an earlier post called 'crummy weather' and now crazy weather. It has rained [poured heavily most days] every day since last SUnday. Things are very green and lush here for August. Funnily enough the rest of the state hasn't got much rain at all and things are very dry. There are also floods south of us in Ohio.

I have been through around eight very bad storms in my lifetime. By 'very bad' I mean the type of storm that you are forced to take cover in the basement or windowless hallway. Usually the sky turns dark, then colors like yellow & gray or green and then the winds burst through followed by hail and rain. Friday night (last night) we had one such storm. The sky went completely black at around 6:30 and I was home (not at the gym - stomach problems again) and it got darker and darker and then the rain - buckets of heavy, heavy rain and then hail. I thought I better turn on the TV (P is in SC for work) and they were warning everyone to take cover. I went to the basement and got out the lighters and candles because I was sure the power was going to go out.

I was nervous because we have one of those wrought iron gazebos on our deck with the canvas top and it was rocking back and forth - actually lifting off the ground. There was nothing I could do. After 30 or so minutes I didn't hear any more rain and there was a lot more light so I came upstairs.

A bunch of areas got hit by tornados. It was Friday rush our and parts of the freeway were closed for 3.5 hours. Thank goodness I was home safe and sound. The gazebo was okay too.

"Cause you had a bad day.....

Yes. Just like the song. There wasn't anything specifically bad, just the fact that my teeth throbbed constantly all day long and I was basically unable to chew. The worst part is that my tongue is so tender and sore. When anything foreign is in the mouth (like my spacers) it just wants to go and touch and touch it. I woke up every two hours in pain all night long. Frankly I had serious doubts about the entire course of dental action. I kept wondering what I had gotten myself into and wondering if I could just drop out of the entire process. I found this message board that deals with adults and braces/jaw surgeries. I read it and it helped a lot. It calmed me down. I think I am better off than many people because I have had braces and I do know what to expect for the most part. My mouth is already sore and I have been getting mouth ulcers and sores since I have the anemia and malabsorption which is in full swing right now. I think that is due to a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Whine whine whine. This sucks. And I feel sorry for myself and am having my own pity party.

Hi

I didn't do a whole lot today physically - I still felt pretty awful from last night.

The weather was really nice and cool. I regret I didn't walk, althought I was outside for a fair bit today.

P's friend N is spending the night. When there is at least three of us we like to play board games. We are big gamers. I am not so hot on games like Diplomacy, Risk, or with a lot of strategy where I really shine at trivia and word games. Our favorite game is called "Settlers of Catan". It is a board game that originated in Germany and won many awards there. It looks difficult but it is not. I highly recommend it. I think children as young at 9 years old would have no problem playing. You aren't going to find it at places like Wal-mart or Target, but will have to order online or buy from a Hobby shop.

Happy Friday

I can't believe it is halfway through August.

I am feeling so ill tonight. We went out to eat (really haven't been out in a month) and I stressed to the waiter that I cannot eat wheat. He checked on the soup and such, and I ordered the whitefish. Well halfway through eating it I realized it was dredged in flour. I came home and promptly have the worse "D" you can imagine. Maybe connected, maybe not. Not pleasant nonetheless.

I got my new Edge last night. It is really great. I feel pretty spoiled, but P says I deserve it. There are loads of them around here, so it is far from unique. I drove it to work today and didn't tell anyone - people can be really funny about stuff like that.

Monday I get the spacers put in for my braces and then I get braces on Sept 11th. I am very excited and also nervous about starting this part of my journey to dental normalcy.

Sunday Night

I am sitting here waiting for my two loaves of Zucchini bread to cook - one GF and one regular low sugar/low oil. Guess which looks better? I also started the washer, dishwasher, cleaned up and made my lunch and breakfast for tomorrow. On the TV a HGTV show called "Design Star" in which designers have to design this basically plain room with a set amount of $$ and time for shopping. Each designed (about 7) got $399 in $1's to spend at the 99 cent store and and 99 minutes to shop there. So far I am really enjoying it. P is gone tonight - out camping with some not frequently seen HS friends. I had a decent day today after having a stomach setback yesterday. I had a great gym workout and then met an old work colleague for lunch and then did a little shopping, came home, sat around, etc.

The funniest thing happened today. I came downstairs and opened the blinds on the patio door looking at the deck and this .......... was staring back at me with its nose pressed again the glass!







He stared at me like he wanted in for a good three minutes, then calmly trotted off the deck and under the fence, then under the deck of the next door neighbors (new - and not all at friendly). It's a woodchuck aka a groundhog. I wasn't aware that they were one and same. It was cute. Too bad it eats only plants, or I would start leaving little treats for it. So far in our urban sub we have seen skunks, racoons, groundhogs, tons of rabbits, and all the usual like squirrels.

I have a new friend. Jealous, aren't you?

Update

Everyone has asked me how I have been doing since going Wheat-free. Overall - I have been doing very well and I see a substantial improvement.

What is different?
the constant nausea is almost gone
only one episode of the big "D"
skin on my legs is not so dry and itchy
my constant stomach growling has been reduced by 80%
not hungry very much
lost 5 pounds of bloat
getting very frequent headaches

P has been very supportive - my work colleagues have not. They have tried to get me to eat "pizza - just a bite", cake, cookies, bread, chinese food, egg rolls, dumpling soup. But I love them anyway. P made me homemade french fries and he relgiously reads every label.

So everyone asks what are you eating??
Well -
Today I had:
Breakfast - 1/2 c egg beaters & 1 small piece rice flour bread (not so great)
Lunch - leftover lean grilled pork with green/yellow beans, 1/3 low sugar yogurt with GF granola and mixed berries.
Dinner - probably chicken salad, carrots and cucumbers.

I am glad I am feeling better. I'll give it another 2 months.

Crummy weather

Ugh - it is so so so humid here. Been this way since Sunday. Tons of rain too. It is 75% humidity. I miss walking at lunch and being outside.

It's crummy.