12/30/14. The post where I share happy news.

12/30/14: left the resort yesterday morning for the two-hour drive to visit my parents-by-love.  We spent the afternoon having a late Christmas celebration, watching football, and doing some shopping.  They have citrus trees on their property, so we also spent some time peeling and juicing oranges.  We are drying the peels for one of our kitchen science experiments, and the juice?  For mimosas, of course.  (Vitamin C has been shown to help prevent flare ups and the spread of CRPS after injuries, so I take supplements every day.)  A few mimosas are just what the doctor ordered.  Well, maybe not exactly what the doctor ordered, but close enough.

I am very fortunate when it comes to my patient, long-suffering husband's parents.  They are kind, loving people who accepted me immediately, and we have lots of fun every time we are together.  This visit is going to be even more special, because my parents are flying in this morning to meet us!  This will be their first "real" trip since Mom's diagnosis back in March.  We have some fun activities planned for the next few days, but mostly we will just enjoy spending time together in a place that doesn't involve doctors, needles, or jello.  

My foot feels pretty good, but I still have the stimulator set to warp level 7. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G-cOsbIv2iA

I don't have time for any issues right now.  Too much life to be lived.  

12/29/14. The post where I am not very smart.

12/29/14: one more day at the resort before leaving tomorrow to visit family.  My patient, long-suffering husband started the morning with a massage.  I'm still not quite mentally ready to try a massage.  Besides the fact that the masseuse would have to work around the stimulator, it seems to me that I would either need to turn it off (not a pleasant thought) or risk getting "zingers" periodically (not a pleasant thought for me or the masseuse).  So instead, I went to the fitness center and rode an exercise bike.

Next, we got our geek on at a university-run facility that simulates different habitats and climates.  Such as a rain forest.  Which is extremely humid, by the way.  I really enjoyed the tour, but about halfway through it I started to feel some serious pain.  When we got back to the car, I turned the stimulator up even higher, which helped, but it is now back up to "panic mode" again.  I hope not to have any additional issues, because I am running out of maneuvering room.

We stopped for a late lunch on the way to our next destination.  We had spent the last few days reading up on the best places to get local cuisine, but we never managed to make any of them work.  Everything seemed to be on the wrong side of town or closed for the holidays.  So we tried a different approach instead, stopping by a random place that was on our route and happened to be open.  As it turns out, that was a pretty good approach.  It was a small, family-run restaurant - nothing fancy, but the food was delicious.  I ordered one of the local specialties and enjoyed it thoroughly.  I didn't even mind when, about half-way through, I discovered it contained pork.  As some of you are aware, I eat a generally vegetarian diet, supplemented with fish periodically.  This is for health reasons, not moral or religious reasons, and it's a good thing, or it would have been a much worse discovery.  While I probably should have asked more questions before ordering, I'm glad I didn't, because I would have missed out on a really good meal if I had.  I skipped dinner to make up for it, which was no big loss, because I was stuffed the rest of the day.

Our final destination for the day was a scenic tram ride through a canyon and forest.  The weather had been beautiful all day, so we chose seats on the uncovered car.  Knowing that the weather was likely to be cold on this trip, I packed three coats, four pairs of gloves, three ear warmers, and more scarves than I can currently recall.  And I bought two more pairs of gloves and another ear warmer on our shopping excursion yesterday.  (I can't resist a good sale.)  Guess how many of those things I brought on the tram?  If you guessed "zero", get yourself a cookie.  And of course, about the time the tram started, the sun went behind the clouds and the wind picked up.  By the time we returned to the car, I was an icicle.

After a long, hot bath, I managed to warm up again.  I did plenty of dumb things today, but still had an excellent time.  I'll try to be a little smarter tomorrow, but I'm not making any promises.  

12/28/14. The post where it's a dry cold.

12/28/14: went to bed early Friday night, so I got a good night's sleep, even though I woke up too early on Saturday.  We both woke up refreshed and ready to see the sights, so we got an early start.  First we did a little shopping for an item my patient, long-suffering husband forgot to pack, then we were off to a botanical garden/zoo/outdoor museum.  Along with every other person in the tri-county area.  I think this was the day everyone woke up and said, "My family is still visiting - what am I going to do with them???"  

While it was very cold, it was a beautiful, sunny day with almost no humidity. Perfect for our outing.  I was a little concerned about how my foot was going to react to being out all day in the cold, but it did pretty well.  I was smart enough to leave the stimulator setting high this time. You know how people say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" when talking about discomfort?  (At least, they say that in the humid area where I live.)  I'm beginning to think with my foot, "It's not the cold, it's the humidity."

Our afternoon would have been perfect, had it not been for the crowds. And for one family in particular.  The family of a kid I'll call "Logan".  Because apparently that is his name.  I know because of the number of times I heard his dad say it.  Logan's favorite activity was to run ahead of his dad, who was behind us, pushing me violently out of his way as he did so.  Then when his dad called his name, he would run back, pushing me again, only to start the activity over again.  After about three circles, I began looking Logan in the eye and saying, "Excuse me!" in my most authoritative adult voice and then turning around to look pointedly at his dad.  His dad, however, could not be bothered to respond or take charge of Logan because he was busy talking on his walkie-talkie to ask Logan's mom for her "10-20" like they were extras from the movie "Convoy".  I was beginning to envision a scenario where a video of me shrieking at Logan and his family goes viral and I become an Internet pariah, so we decided to duck out and join a different throng of people.

I spend a lot of time around well-behaved kids.  And that is because I spend a lot of time around well-behaved adults who teach their children by word and example to behave in a similar fashion.  It's rare for me to be in situations where I encounter people like Logan's family, and it makes me appreciate my family and friends with kids even more.  Keep up the good work, y'all.

We enjoyed a quiet evening back at the resort and I collapsed into bed early for another good night's sleep.  I think I am back in the sleeping groove again.  More tourist destinations and walking today.  I just hope Logan's family has different plans.  But if you see a YouTube video of me ranting like a deranged lunatic, just remember that Logan started it.  

12/26/14. The post where we reach our destination.

12/26/14: I woke up way too early again this morning, even earlier than usual because we had moved to a different time zone.  My patient, long-suffering husband didn't have any better luck sleeping, so we got up and made an early getaway.  And as a result, we got to see snow.  Snow is not a usual sight for us, nor was it expected where we were, so it felt like a special treat.  Fortunately, it was not cold enough for the freeway to ice over, so we were on our way with no trouble.  Within an hour, we were out of the snow and it was a beautiful, although cold, day.  

Since we were making such good time, we decided to make an unscheduled stop at a tourist site on the way to our destination.  Boy, was it interesting, and not necessarily in a good way.  It was the site of an American historical event, but it had been turned into more of a theme park, and not a classy, Disney-type theme park.  As my patient, long-suffering husband commented, the work force appeared to be made up of carnies and convicts.  And the tourists were only slightly more savory.  After looking around a bit and buying tickets for a really schlocky reenactment of the event, we spent an hour looking for a restaurant with empty seats and then another hour waiting for our food to arrive.  On the bright side, it gave us an opportunity for some excellent people-watching.

We got back on the road and made it to our destination by late afternoon, a resort which was much less crowded and more serene than our unscheduled detour.  We spent the rest of the day enjoying the quiet and then had a nice meal at the resort before retiring for an early bedtime.  We are determined to catch up on sleep before the trip is over.  

I had the brilliant idea to turn down the amplitude on my stimulator this morning since my foot was feeling better.  By mid-afternoon, I turned it back up again.  Perhaps I'd been a little hasty.  But in comparison to the last year, or even the last month, I'd say I'm getting along pretty well.  

12/25/14. The Christmas post.

12/25/14: whew!  We made it.  Three Christmas services, with choir, handbells, and a brass and timpani band.  Since I was wearing a choir robe over my fancy Christmas duds, I wanted to wear special shoes.  Here's what I picked:

In retrospect, sneakers would have been a better choice, given all the running around I did.  But I enjoyed wearing them, nevertheless.  The services were beautiful (thanks to my patient, long-suffering husband) and, like I do every year, I cried when we lit the candles and sang "Silent Night".  I'm so predictable.

I have a story to tell, but it won't make sense without a flashback to this time last year.  It was prior to my diagnosis and my doctors were still casting around in the dark trying to find a solution.  (Get it? "Casting"?  I crack myself up.)  I got my cast off on December 23, only to find my foot wasn't any better after six weeks of total immobilization so I had to go back into a boot (a medical boot, not a fun boot) and the dreaded knee walker.  For this and several other reasons, we had to cancel our yearly post-Christmas getaway.  It was not a happy time.  We decided we should at least have a nice Christmas Eve dinner and made reservations at a local Italian restaurant, one of the few places,that was open Christmas Eve.  

Big mistake.  It was a comedy of errors.  More like a tragedy of errors, actually.  They called just as I was going into rehearsal for the first service to ask us to move up our reservation time because they had decided to close early. We moved it up as early as we could and still ensure we could get there n time after the last service.  Despite racing to get there, the doors were locked when we arrived.  We finally got someone to let us in, but as it turned out, it would have been better if we hadn't.  They were out of the special dish they had advertised, which is what had enticed us to go in the first place.  The waiter completely abandoned us and the busboy apologetically took over (and was the one bright spot in the evening).  As we left the restaurant, we witnessed our waiter and the bartender having a screaming, cursing argument over how to split the tips from the evening.  Merry Christmas.

Fast forward to yesterday.  After last year's experience, we had decided to abandon the idea of eating out, but then we learned one of our favorite places was going to be open Christmas Eve. We were skeptical, but decided to give it a shot and made reservations.  The experience could not have been any more different than the previous year's.  The restaurant had their A-team on staff and they all seemed genuinely glad to be there.  After all the work we'd done, we were in no mood to make decisions, so we asked the waiter to just bring out some of his favorite foods.  And fortunately for us, he had excellent taste.  The sommelier, with whom we've developed a relationship over the last two years, picked a special wine for us that was a real treat. They also brought us several complimentary treats, of both the solid and liquid variety.  The evening ended with hugs all around and it felt like home.  If home were full of good chefs and had an impressive wine selection.  Which, now that I think about it, is actually not a bad description of home.  What a great way to end a really long day.  As the spouse of someone who has to work on Christmas Eve, I wish no one had to, but I sure appreciated the great attitudes of the professionals who did work.  I hope they all got some well-deserved rest today.

I woke up really early again this morning, which is not surprising, given that I had not packed anything for our trip and we had an eight-hour drive ahead of us.  I've gone into exhaustive detail about my packing issues previously, so I won't repeat them.  Just know that eventually we got out the door and I'm fairly certain I have at least the essentials.  We got to the hotel in time for dinner and a drink before collapsing.  In contrast with our experience last night, the B-team was on duty today at the hotel and restaurant, but they were certainly earnest.  And talkative.  We really got to know everyone - one of the perks of staying in a deserted hotel over a major holiday.

Another five hour drive tomorrow and then we'll stay put for a few days.  I had a couple of unpleasant moments with my foot yesterday, but today was much better.  I guess sitting in a car for eight hours in comfortable sneakers didn't hurt.  Hoping my luck holds out tomorrow.

12/24/14. The early morning post.

12/24/14: the last few days were a whirlwind.  Scratch that - my life is always a whirlwind.  The last few days have been more like an F5 tornado.  I finished up my work year with a bang, including two unpleasant tasks that made me feel like a real grinch, but it was better than saving them for the new year.  I have definitely earned my holiday break.  

The rest of the time has been filled with rehearsals, Christmas and trip preparations, regular household chores, and a seemingly endless stream of parties and get-togethers.  And when I'm lucky, a little sleep.  I was really looking forward to this morning, when I could finally sleep in a little.  Except I didn't.  I woke up a full 30 minutes before my alarm usually goes off and after 45 minutes of tossing and turning, I finally gave up on sleep.  Thus the early morning post.

My foot has behaved pretty well through it all.  I have the amplitude on the stimulator turned up to "panic mode" and for the most part, it is working.  By the end of the day, my foot is generally red, swollen, and unhappy, but I barely notice it during the day.  Today will be a physically demanding day, but after today I will have some rest time and I hope to be able to turn the stimulator back down.  You know that feeling when you sit with your legs crossed for a long time and cut off the circulation, then you stand up to walk and all the blood rushes back down?  Now imagine having that feeling 24/7. That is what it feels like with the stimulator turned up to this level.  Annoying, for sure, but definitely preferable to the alternative.  

One last thought before I get up to face the day.  For those of you who are church-going people, while you are in services this evening or tomorrow, please take a minute to think about all the work that goes on behind the scenes.  The Christmas season is not a fun time to be a staff member of a church.  (Or the family of a staff member of a church, frankly.) It is three or four of the hardest work weeks of the year, culminating in a few days of absolute frenzy.  My patient, long-suffering husband hasn't had a full day off work in several weeks and any time spent with family and friends has to come at the expense of sleep. Church staff members make these sacrifices willingly because they feel called to do so, but it takes a physical and mental toll on them and their families.  Which is why we go off the grid for awhile after Christmas each year.  

I wish each of you a wonderful Christmas filled with love, laughter, and joy.  And I wish myself luck getting through tonight.  I will have lots of time tomorrow to post, so I will let you know how it went.  

12/21/14. The post where I start to think maybe my health monitor isn't so smart.

12/21/14:  finally got a good night's sleep and woke up feeling refreshed.  It was a good thing, because it was a crazy day, much more crazy than I expected.  I spent the morning doing chores around the house until it was time for church.  After that, the day was a blur.  Choir practice, church, attending a concert, administrative work at church for the music series, then a holiday get-together with neighbors.  By the time I finally got home, my foot was a red, swollen mess.  

With the cool, humid weather this week, I've been riding my bike on the trainer most mornings.  My health monitor is not impressed.  It thinks I am not burning calorie and constantly admonishes me about my lack of activity.  Of course, it also thinks I am sleeping any time I pay close attention to something for any length of time - be it a concert, a sermon, a movie, a teacher.  I'm starting to figure out that my health monitor mighty not be as smart as it thinks it is.  After a week of cycling, my clothes are fitting a little better and my weight is starting to drop again.  I think maybe I'll stick with the cycling for the next few days, regardless of what my health monitor thinks.  

The next few days will be filled with activity.  (I know, you're thinking, "What else is new?")  Another day and a half of work, some rehearsals for Christmas Eve services, and parties.  Lots of parties.  I'm hoping my foot will hold out for a few more days, because starting Thursday, I'll get a break for awhile. I'll check in when I can, but more importantly, I'll keep cycling.

12/20/14. The post where I finally get into the holiday spirit.

12/20/14: it was cold this morning, but the rain was gone, so my foot felt a little better.  I had planned to sleep in this morning and try to catch up a little, but my body was having none of it.  I am a creature of habit, so I was up early even without the alarm.  I stayed in bed, hoping I'd fall back asleep.  Instead, I tried to recall lines from the acting scene I recently started rehearsing, made a mental to-do list for the time between now and Christmas, and did some other mental exercises.  When I finally gave up and got out of bed, I wasn't physically refreshed, but I sure felt organized.

My patient, long-suffering husband had a rehearsal this morning, so I ran some errands while I waited.  As you've probably figured out, I don't like to be out in crowds at any time, but most of all I don't like to  shop around Christmas time.  I needed to buy wrapping paper, cards, and stamps, so I was prepared for the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised.  I was able to get everything but the stamps at a drug store right by the post office.  And when I walked into the post office, it was like a ghost town.  There were only about three other patrons in the office, and they were all friendly and in good spirits.  I felt like I was in a scene from a '40s Christmas movie.

After my patient, long-suffering husband got home from his rehearsal, we picked up our friends and took off for a (partial) day trip to nearby wine country.  We had some wine club shipments to pick up and our friend just had a birthday, so we decided to make a day of it.  And we had a lovely time.  The weather was crisp and dry and we found a couple of new gems in addition to our old favorites.  We followed it up with a nice dinner and started the drive back home.  As we passed through a small town on our way back, I was pleasantly surprised again. The town housed the electric company that serves the area, and the company property had an amazing light display.  As my patient, long-suffering husband observed, when you get a bunch of guys together who regularly play with electricity and have access to cherry-pickers, they're going to put up some pretty good Christmas lights.  There were lots of folks walking around admiring the lights, and because it was a small town, some of them were in horse-drawn carriages and flat-bed trailers pulled by tractors.  Once again, I felt like I was in a scene from a '40s Christmas movie.  

My foot started feeling worse on the drive home, but all-in-all, I'd say it behaved quite nicely today.  Apparently it has also finally gotten into the holiday spirit.  

12/19/14. The post where I admit I'm not very artistic.

12/19/14:  it poured rain this morning, so once again I rode the trainer.  It was my last Friday to work before the end of the year and I have one project I want to finish before I leave the office for the holidays next Tuesday.  Fortunately for me, it is a self-imposed deadline, because it ain't gonna' happen.  Today was filled with meetings and in between meetings, there was a parade of people in and out of my office.  So much for my plans.

I did manage to sneak out for long enough for a manicure.  ("In My Santa Suit" from the OPI Holiday collection. Of course.)  While my nails were soaking, my manicurist was working to decorate her door for a contest sponsored by the salon, so I helped her.  And by "helped", I mean watched and gave periodic words of encouragement.  And not because my fingers were soaking.  Because artistic creativity is not my thing.  The only award my decorated door would win is "most symmetrical", and I'm pretty sure that's not a real award.  So it was fun to watch her decorate her door, which looked great.

My foot was really angry this evening, but we had no plans, so I was able to relax on the couch and watch an old movie.  I'm hoping it feels better tomorrow and I like my chances.  The bad weather clears out tonight and we have fun plans to go on a wine-tasting day trip with friends tomorrow, so it can't help but be a better day.  

12/18/14. The post where I win.

12/18/14: it was cold and foggy, this morning, so it was another bike trainer day.  I'm starting to get used to it.  Today was a big day at work - maybe not the best day to show up with a radically new hair color.  But everyone loved it.  Or at least they were afraid to say otherwise.

It was a very long work day, although it went very quickly, and I got home pretty late.  It was the first night this week with no rehearsals or meetings.  But there was plenty to do.  We decided to run some errands, which included purchasing a new tablet for me.  Between my blogs, work, and music series obligations, I am a power user, so it was time for an update.  I was not excited about braving the shopping crowds, but we made it through without permanent injury.  (As a result, it will have to be a short post tonight - my new tablet is still being synced and the old one is officially dead.)  We decided to celebrate our shopping success with a late sushi dinner.  We sat at the sushi bar next to a couple who, when asked by the chef if they liked a particular roll, said it was "too fishy."  No further comment necessary.

An update on the Christmas lights situation - we got a second email from our homeowner's association today apologizing for the confusion and saying that our lights were fine after all.  I feel like such a political activist.  That was almost too easy.  Although now I don't have anything to rebel against.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

The busy day was hard on my foot, but turning up the amplitude on the stimulator helped quite a bit. More rain tomorrow - this is getting old.  At least it is Friday.

12/17/14. The post where I become a rebel.

12/17/14: the rain and cold came back today, so I rode the trainer again this morning.  I have slowly been adding my strength exercises back to my morning routine, and this week I finally got brave enough to start doing stomach crunches again.  Pre-surgery, I could do 70, so I thought I'd just get started and do as many as I could before I started to feel it.  Monday morning, I got up to 40 and was pretty impressed with myself.  Forty felt fine on Tuesday, too. But this morning?  Ouch!  I did all 40, but I was sore all day.  Not sure what's up with the delayed reaction, but I guess I'd better keep at it.  A few more months and I might be able to zip my pants and breathe at the same time again.  Right now that's an "either/or" proposition.

As I mentioned, we put up our Christmas lights over the weekend.  This morning, we (along with everyone else in our small neighborhood), got an email from the manager of our homeowner's association "reminding" everyone that our bylaws don't allow holiday decorations on the outside of our homes, other than around the door.  Whaaaaaaat?  We have lived here almost five years, and this is the first we've heard of this.  And at least a third of our neighbors also have outdoor lights.  I am a rule follower by nature, but you've got to draw the line somewhere.  We are surrounded by neighborhoods with more expensive homes that are brightly decorated and we do not live in historic homes, so I don't get it.  I asked for clarification and haven't gotten a response, so guess what?  Our lights are still shining brightly tonight.  

After work today, I had an appointment to have my hair cut and highlighted.  My stylist asked what I wanted to do, like she has done every month for nearly 15 years.  Today, though, I remembered my acting class last night, where they suggested you should change your "look" about once a year.  How long has it been since I've changed my look? Nearly 15 years.  So my response to her was, "Oh, do something crazy for the holidays."  And she did.  The cut is the same, but the color? Well, it's a little different.  Actually, a lot different.  Still generally a hair color found in nature, but nothing that has ever been seen on my head, and I love it. The real kicker was when another patron asked if my hair was always that color and another stylist said, "Oh no, she usually looks very conservative."  Guess it was time for a new look.  And the best part?  It matches my new car.

She finished up just in time for me to race to choir rehearsal.  No time to warn my patient, long-suffering husband that he might not recognize me.  I walked into the room and there was a collective gasp from my fellow choir members.  No blending into the wall tonight!  During the break, I was surrounded by admirers complimenting me on the change.  My patient, long-suffering husband?  He's still getting used to it, but I think he likes it.  Because now he has options for new nicknames for me.  (So far, he seems to be torn between "Red" and "Santa's Little Helper.")  

With the weather change, my foot was pretty irritated again today, so it was nice to have some distractions.  And now that I'm a rebel, everyone had better watch out.  The next thing you know, I'll be wearing white linen pants in winter and not using my turn signal.

12/16/14. The post where I learn a new profession.

12/16/14:  the clouds cleared out this morning, which made it less humid, but also colder.  My foot felt a little better, and I decided to ride the trainer inside instead of walking.  That was probably a good idea.  I felt better all day - whether it was the weather, my choice of exercise, or a combination of the two, I'm not sure.  But I'll take it.  I still have a big red bone bruise on my hand, but I don't think I did any serious damage, which is a relief.  It would be a pretty sad state of affairs if I can't be trusted with handbells.

I had a mid-morning pedicure appointment and as I drove there from work, I found my car completely surrounded on the freeway by four UPS trucks, which I figured meant either: a) it is nearly Christmas, or b) I was about to be kidnapped by a well-organized criminal gang.  I made it to my appointment, so it must have been a).  Since the holiday season is upon us, I went with something fancy - "My Signature is DC" from OPI's Coca Cola collection, with a glittery top coat of "My Favorite Ornament" from their Holiday collection.  My manicurist suggested that this sparkly combination deserved a blog photo, so here you go:

You can also see that my foot looks pretty good today.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts - another cold, rainy front comes in tomorrow morning.

I had to leave work again in the afternoon for a year-end appointment with our financial advisor.  Our semi-annual reminder that we don't have enough finances on which to be advised.  But no worries, because my acting class tonight was a business class, all about résumés, head shots, agents, makeup, auditions - all the things an actor needs to make a living.  Mind you, I have not yet done any actual acting in this class. But as soon as I do, I feel certain fame and fortune will follow quickly.  I just hope it happens before the next meeting with our financial advisor.

12/15/14. The short, whiny post.

12/15/14: my foot felt progressively worse all evening and I had the crazy idea to turn off the stimulator for a bit, just to be sure it wasn't the cause of the discomfort.  It wasn't.  So much for that experiment.  After about 30 minutes, I turned it back on and upped the amplitude.  This worked well enough for me to get some sleep.

I took my walk this morning as usual.  I know that may not sound like a good idea, so I'll keep reminding you (and myself) that I am not doing any damage to my foot.  Today was our annual holiday luncheon and gift exchange at work, so the day went quickly.  Handbell practice was pretty serious this evening in preparation for Christmas Eve services, and somehow I managed to hurt myself.  Because that's how I roll. Tonight I have a bruise on my hand and a heating pad on my shoulder. And neither feel as bad as my foot.  This may be a long week.

12/14/14. The long post.

12/14/14: things have been so busy the last few days that I haven't had a chance to post, but I have a lot to say, so I'll try to catch everyone up.

Thursday: it's already that time of year where people's minds are not on work, so I spent most of the day reminding colleagues about things I need from them before they leave for the holidays.  So that I can finish the things I need to do before I leave for the holidays.  I was excited for the work day to be over, because it was date night.  The first free evening my patient, long-suffering husband and I had alone together in too long to remember.  And we had fun plans.  Dinner at a hip local restaurant that specializes in artisan pizzas from their brick oven and then a concert by my favorite band in the history of ever.  These days, it's extremely rare for me to attend a concert featuring music written within the last 300 years, so this was a real treat.

Our evening alone didn't turn out to be very "alone" after all, but we had a great time.  The restaurant was very intimate.  And by "intimate", I mean tiny, with tables packed together so closely I couldn't get up without giving our neighbors an inappropriately close view of my backside.  We started chatting with an older couple at the table next to us, who were visiting from a small town about two hours away because their son was getting married here over the weekend.  They were checking out the restaurant because the rehearsal dinner was the next evening at a nearby (larger) restaurant run by the same executive chef.  They were a lovely couple and we enjoyed talking with them about their weekend plans.  I was distressed to hear that they were still waiting for RSVPs from many of the guests invited to the rehearsal dinner.  (Editor's note: I'm sure I don't have to tell any of you this, but it is so easy to RSVP to events, and so important to the hosts.  All it takes is a call, an email, a text, a smoke signal. I'm sorry this appears to be a dying form of courtesy.) We had a delicious meal, as expected, and thoroughly enjoyed the company.

After dinner, we walked to the concert venue, where we ran into some very close friends.  We enjoyed the concert with them, and afterward they let us in on the wonderful news that they had just gotten engaged!  We were thrilled to hear it - besides being two awesome individuals, they are perfect together, and we couldn't be happier for them.  It was a great way to end a really nice evening.

A few words about the concert.  It was every bit as good as I expected it to be and I'm really glad we went.  I knew it would be loud, so I thought ahead and brought our ear plugs.  It would have been even better if we had actually worn them.  Also, I have read that CRPS can be triggered by loud noises and that some people have to give up concerts for that reason.  The concert definitely triggered it.  My foot felt as bad as it has in the last four months, but I enjoyed myself anyway.  Maybe that won't always be the case, so I will try to appreciate events like this while I can.

Friday: speaking of concerts, I did something crazy Friday morning.  I took the morning off work so I could stand in line with a friend for tickets to an upcoming concert.  A huge pop star is coming into town next year and playing at a really small venue, so we knew tickets would sell out immediately.  We are from the generation where you camped out for tickets to events like this, so we got to the box office at the crack of dawn.  And found ourselves alone.  Apparently that's not how it works these days.  The good news was that we were first in line!  We were there almost two hours before the next person showed up.  By 30 minutes before tickets went on sale, there were about six of us in line.  We had fun swapping stories about previous ticket buying experiences and wondering why there weren't more people in line.  Fifteen minutes before tickets went on sale, the box office opened and we were excited to learn they were going to reserve our seats beforehand and run the transactions when ticket sales officially started, so we were assured of tickets and got better seats than people buying online.  Plus, the people buying online paid a hefty "convenience fee", so we felt like geniuses for going in person.  In my case, a genius who only got four hours of sleep.  Next time we'll know we don't have to be there quite so early.

I spent Friday afternoon at work, where all the reminders I'd sent the previous day resulted in lots of work to get done that afternoon.  Friday evening, my patient, long-suffering husband and I went to a friend's 60th birthday party, a very fun affair that included a piñata filled with the tiny plastic liquor bottles you get on airplanes.  A party like that will take the sting out of turning 60.  We left a little early and I went straight to bed, where I spent the next 11 hours catching up on sleep after a long, event-filled week.  My health monitor thinks 11 hours is too much sleep and gave me a failing sleep score, but I will have to respectfully disagree - it felt like an A+ kind of night.

Saturday: I woke up refreshed and ready for action.  We had no events scheduled other than a holiday party that evening, so the day was spent in a frenzy, shoveling out the house after the previous week's activities, running errands, making cookies for various events in the coming week, and doing about 700 loads of laundry.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it's amazing how much laundry two adults (and houseguests) can accumulate in two weeks.  We had a really fun evening visiting with friends at an annual Christmas party with a gag gift exchange.  If you see me in the near future wearing a belt buckle with a resin-encased scorpion, you'll know where I got it.  And my favorite random quote of the night?  I was having a conversation with a friend about travel, when he took a sip of his drink and suddenly exclaimed, "Man, I love grapefruit juice! This is the third glass I've had since I got here."  I've known him for 20 years, but apparently I was unaware of his fondness for citrus drinks.  Guess I'll stock up on grapefruit juice the next time he visits. And antacids.  

Sunday (today): it has continued to be humid and rainy most of the week, a terrible weather pattern for my foot. I've used up all my stimulator programs and various amplitudes, to no avail.  I guess I'll have to face the fact that winter is not going to be as good as summer when it comes to foot pain.  At least the temperature has been moderate.  Despite how I feel, I am trying to stay active this week in what is probably a futile attempt to make up for all the holiday parties and special meals, so I took my usual walk this morning before church.  I managed to make it home about 15 seconds before the sky opened and the rain came pouring down.  Score!  By the time I showered and was ready to leave, it had stopped raining and I was able to get to church and back with no weather-related issues.  This afternoon, my patient, long-suffering husband and I put up outdoor Christmas lights in between rain storms.  I proclaim our house ready for Christmas - in any event, this is as good as it is going to get.  This evening, we will make dinner for the next few days, since we'll have rehearsals through Wednesday night.  

There, I am now officially caught up.  Thanks for being patient.  As a reward, here's a very silly scene from one of my favorite movies, which is set around the holidays. I was reminded of it because the man we met Friday night at dinner looked like "cowboy guy" in the movie clip.  Enjoy!  http://youtu.be/rFgEItulMmc

12/10/14. The post where I curse humid days.

12/10/14:  my foot started to feel worse last night on the way home from class, but I chalked it up to a long day and being tired.  I haven't really had time to pay attention to the weather forecast and so I didn't realize a humid, rainy front was on its way in.  By this morning, it was a little more obvious.  I took my walk, but my foot was really red and splotchy afterward, and it felt bad all day.

I changed programs this morning, but it wasn't very effective, and by now I didn't expect it to be.  I think I have this this figured out, and unfortunately, it looks like rain is going to be an issue.  At least I don't live in a place where that happens very often.  

Between a long work day and choir practice, the day went quickly.  On a positive note, my weight loss program has been a little more successful recently.  How can that be during the holiday season, you ask? Because green chile cheese fries are not a traditional holiday treat.  When it comes to sweets, I have superhuman willpower.  But if co-workers brought plates of truffled macaroni and cheese every morning instead of cookies and fudge, I'd be in big trouble.  I'm still almost five pounds away from a new pair of shoes, but I'm finally making steady progress.  In retrospect, that stomach bug got me started on the right path.  Not that I recommend it as a weight loss tool. But to quote from "The Devil Wears Prada" (since I couldn't find a video clip), "I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight."  

12/9/14. The post where the universe aligns.

12/9/14: I didn't think it was possible, but I was even more tired when I woke up this morning.  Note to self: take a day off after the festival next year.  A brisk walk in the crisp morning air helped me wake up.

I had a dentist appointment to have my teeth cleaned at lunch time today.  As they always do, they asked if I have had any medical changes since the last time they saw me, and this time I had a pretty exciting answer.  The hygienist and dentist were both very interested in hearing about the stimulator and its effectiveness.  Then the hygienist asked if it was okay for me to have an x-ray.  And I totally panicked for a moment, because I couldn't remember.  I didn't recall anyone saying I couldn't, but I didn't want to screw anything up, either.  So I turned off the stimulator, just as a precautionary measure.  And turned it right back on as soon as the x-rays were done.  It wasn't off long enough for my foot to notice...at least I hope not. I guess I should verify the whole x-ray thing.

This evening I went back to my acting class.  Tonight they were filming scenes they'd been working on before I started, so other than warmups, I was still just a spectator.  It was very interesting, but I had spent much of the day wondering if these classes were a wise expenditure of my increasingly rare free time.  Especially on a night like tonight, where I was worn out from the previous week, way backed up on chores, and would be sitting for three plus hours with plenty of time to think about what I should be doing instead.  

And guess what the big takeaway was from tonight's class?  That acting, especially film acting, is all about patience.  Patience while waiting to film, patience while filming the same scene multiple times.  The coach had quite a bit to say about acting and patience, and it dawned on me that this would in fact be a very wise expenditure of my time.  Sometimes the universe aligns.

12/8/14. The post where another family member tries to get healthy.

12/8/14: the alarm went off way too early this morning.  I managed to take my morning walk (which was more like a stumble) and then went to work while my patient, long-suffering husband took the last of our visiting musicians to the airport.  If my work day had been the slightest bit more complicated, I would not have been up to it.  

I spent much of the morning in contact via text message with my family because my brother had back surgery.  Yep, another family member, another hospital visit.  Too bad hospitals don't give family discounts.  All went well and he is recuperating nicely.  By the end of the year, my family should be super-human.  

I got home from work to find my patient, long-suffering husband sitting in a catatonic trance in his comfy chair.  I made a very simple meal, our first home-cooked meal in...well, I can't remember when.  We managed to get it together enough to go to handbell practice.  Afterward, I spent some time talking to my brother, who called me from his hospital room after the rest of the family left.  I'm fairly certain he won't remember most of our conversation, but I enjoyed it anyway.  Plus, I have blackmail material for years.  

12/7/14. The post where I survive the weekend.

12/7/14: when last we spoke, I was trying to figure out how I could make my friend's brunch party on this crazy festival weekend.  Well, I made it.  I woke up Saturday morning thinking with my heart instead of my head, which everyone should do, at least sometimes.  Forty-five minutes before the party, I had no gift and a 25 minute drive.  I steeled myself for a very unpleasant driving and shopping experience.  Fortunately, the stars aligned and the store I chose was not crowded, so I was able to get in and out without a major catastrophe.

As I expected, it was a wonderful party filled with people I love and I'm glad I went.  For the last week, I've tried to concentrate on one thing at a time, so I waited until I left the party to start thinking about the post-concert gathering I was hosting that night, and the fact that I had no plan.  By the time I drove to the grocery store, I had at least a vague notion.  I spent the afternoon cooking and getting the house ready for a shindig, then spent the evening manning the box office and enjoying the concert. The gathering went off without a hitch, due mostly to the fact that our visitors have very low expectations.

The evening went very late, which is maybe not the best idea the night before I have to perform.  But as you know, good judgment is not always my strong suit.  I ended the night by making some last-minute alterations to my husband's concert clothing at 1am after post-party cleanup, So in case you are wondering...yes, being married to a musician is just as glamorous as you would imagine.

Today was a blur. I spent nearly the entire day at church, selling advance tickets, singing in the service, and setting up the box office for the concert. Not to mention the dress rehearsal and, oh yeah, the concert itself.  A few minutes of rest after the concert to bask in the afterglow, then it was time to shut down the box office and finish the associated administrative work before going to the post-concert party, an awesome affair hosted by our closest friends. Just posting about the day makes me tired all over again.

I don't know how many of you get a first-hand opportunity to see your significant other excel at work, but I do.  This weekend my patient, long-suffering husband programmed amazing repertoires for two different concerts, played beautifully last night (so beautifully it made audience members weep - no lie), and conducted a 20-piece orchestra and 25-person choir tonight.  Not bad for a guy who slept in a chair for four hours last night because he is still having coughing fits. Even if I weren't crazy in love with him, I would be awed by his talent and dedication to his craft.

My foot didn't feel great this weekend, but I was busy enough to ignore it much of the time.  Tonight I finally took a few minutes to change my stimulator program, which helped quite a bit.  There's no rest for the weary, though. Tomorrow it's back to the grind.  Thank goodness it will be a more quiet week.  Except for handbell rehearsal. And acting lessons.  And choir practice.  And a concert (as spectators, not participants).  And a birthday party.  And a holiday get together.  Guess I'd better get to bed.  Sounds like I am going to need some rest.

12/5/14. The post where I share a few random thoughts.

12/5/14: almost through festival week.  Other than, of course, the performances.  Tonight we are spectators, tomorrow night my patient, long-suffering husband performs, and Sunday afternoon he conducts our choir (which includes me) and the orchestra.  He is still fighting some kind of cold or allergies, but he's muscling through it.  I have managed to exercise and eat healthy every day, and I've worked almost a full week. (In retrospect, taking a day or two off would have been a good idea.  Live and learn.)  My alarm did not go off this morning and, in the interest of full disclosure, it is quite possible that I failed to set it.  This week, nothing would surprise me.  In any event, I got an additional two hours of sleep, giving me a grand total of six, which felt pretty luxurious.  And I did not have any meetings or emergencies this morning at work, so the world did not stop turning just because I got in a little late.

My posting has been spotty this week and probably will continue to be for the next few days, so I thought I'd share a few quick random thoughts:

I think my stimulator works better for cold weather-induced symptoms than for humidity-induced ones.  It has been humid the last few days and my foot has been swollen and splotchy on and off, with a pain level back up to a 4.  Bearable, but I haven't been able to decrease it by changing the amplitude or the program on the stimulator like I can when it is really cold.  It's probably too early to make a sweeping statement, but if this is going to continue, I may have to move to the desert.

I am not accustomed to the stimulator yet.  It is so close to my skin that I can easy feel it when I run my hand over my hip.  In fact, a few days ago, I hit my hip against a doorknob and it made a loud "clunk."  And if I have any swelling at all, which I have had the last few days with the humid weather, it feels downright uncomfortable.  It's only been three months since the surgery, so I'm hoping it will continue to improve.  

Festival week is always tough, but this year it has been even more difficult while I try to figure out my new limits.  In addition to rehearsals and administrative work and entertaining musicians and doing my "real" job, one of my friends has a wonderful holiday brunch and gift exchange that always falls on the date of the Saturday concert.  It's an event that shouldn't be missed, but I'm trying to figure out how I am possibly going to make it happen and make it through the rest of the day.  And we have three immediate family members with birthdays this week.  Which means they never get gifts from us on time.  Fortunately, they are very forgiving.

12/3/14. The post where my family has a good day.

12/3/14:  as you know, my plan for this week was to take good care of myself.  Exercise every day?  Check.  Eat healthy?  Check.  Get plenty of sleep?  Well...two out of three ain't bad.

A busy day at work, then straight to choir rehearsal for our performance this weekend.  Not much time for a post, but I wanted to make sure I told you about Mom's test results.  Still no sign of cancer!  It was a very happy day for our whole family.  Best of all, she doesn't have to go back for more testing for three months.  It is going to be a great holiday season.

My foot has behaved pretty well so far this week.  It's a little whiny tonight, but so am I.  I will try to get a little more sleep tonight, because tomorrow will be even more crazy.  It was still cold enough this morning that I rode my trainer, but I'm hoping for a walk tomorrow morning.  I don't know whether it is better to walk or ride the bike, but my health monitor is certainly more impressed when I walk.  And I am result-oriented.  

12/2/14. The post where I do something interesting.

12/2/14: it was a cold morning, so I rode the trainer instead of walking.  And it felt pretty good.  I'm liking this new stimulator program.  My work day started before I left the house with a call from a colleague needing assistance.  Any time a call begins with, "So, the thing I'm worried about is...", I know it is going to be a long day.  And it was.  

I was able to sneak out at lunch for a manicure ("OPI, Ink." from the Night Brights collection), but it took the rest of the day to resolve the work issue.  I finished up just in time to meet my patient, long-suffering husband and some of our visiting musicians for a quick dinner before doing something very interesting.

I took an acting class tonight.  Taught by a real actor.  For privacy reasons, I won't share his name, but he is a character actor best known for movie and TV work in the 80s who still acts regularly.  He and my patient, long-suffering husband have recently become friends and he offered to let me try out a class to see if I wanted to start taking lessons.  And tonight was the night.

I wasn't really "taking" the class so much as I was auditing it.  It was a group class and they were already into week four, so I watched them do a series of warmups and then rehearse scenes they have been working on for several weeks.  All of this was interspersed with musings by our actor friend, who was trained in Method Acting.  As you might imagine, he had some very interesting stories to tell and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I am seriously considering taking lessons.  Because you know what I need? Another three hour weekday evening commitment.  As you already know from reading my blogs, good judgment is not always one of my strong suits.  But I think it might be a good creative outlet and who knows? I could be the next Big Thing.  As long as I can find a role calling for a short, slightly overweight 40-something female with a nerve disorder and an implanted medical device. (And a self-deprecating sense of humor.)

12/1/14. The post where the flare-up flares down.

12/1/14:  yesterday was another busy day getting ready for the music festival and finishing Christmas decorations.  We capped it off with a nice dinner out with friends.  The last restful evening we will have for a week.  

It was warm and humid this morning when I went for my walk.  But within a few hours, the temperature had dropped more than 25 degrees and the wind was howling. It was cold enough that the light rain jacket I had worn to work would not do.   Fortunately, I had a doctor appointment near my house, so I was able to run home and trade out the jacket for my wool coat and a pair of gloves. I'm really appreciating the seat warmer in my car.  Good thing I found it! 

At the doctor's office, I got three new programs for my stimulator, which gives me a total of six.  I am particularly fond of the one that has a slower but more intense pulse.  It feels like someone is massaging my calf - my calf isn't part of the problem, but it sure feels nice.  I can also feel it more intensely on the ball of my foot when I walk, which seems to help.  The medical device rep also increased the maximum amplitude on the first three programs, something she said she would probably need to do several more times over the next few months as I continue to heal and become more desensitized to the stimulator.  She reminded me that I will still have good days and bad days.  (Tell me about it.)  Still, it's nice to have a few more tools in my arsenal.  

And speaking of good days and bad days, over the last 48 hours my foot has started to feel much better.  It was gradual and I'm not sure when it went over (or should I say, under) the tipping point, but by the time I went to my appointment, I was back down in the 3 range.  Whew.  So I guess I made it through a flare-up without too much disruption.  At least, I hope I made it through, which would mean it is over.  I really need to feel good this week.  I am going to do my best to take good care of myself with regard to sleep, exercise, and healthy eating, which is more easily said than done on a week like this.  For instance, our first house guest will arrive around 12:30 tonight.  But my patient, long-suffering husband is on welcoming committee duty tonight.  I intend to be sawing logs long before then.  And enjoying my calf massage.  

My other mission will be to try to make sure my patient, long-suffering husband takes care of himself, too.  He has had his customary music festival cold for the last few days and has nearly lost his voice.  Not good for someone who needs to spend the next six days herding about 50 (metaphorical) cats.  He's armed with a medicine cabinet full of cold and allergy remedies, so we're hoping he'll make a speedy recovery.  As you know, I am the eternal optimist.

And speaking of being an eternal optimist, Mom had her three-month CT scan and lab work today, and she'll get the results Wednesday morning.  We have no reason to believe it will be anything other than continued good news, but all the same, I'll be glad when it is Wednesday afternoon.

11/29/14. The post where I am a whirling dervish.

11/29/14: woke up this morning with the realization that I had nearly a full Saturday with no appointments or social obligations.  And the realization that there are only a few days before musicians descend on our city and home for an annual three-day music festival sponsored by our church and run by my patient, long-suffering husband.  Lots to do, and not much time in which to do it.  So I got busy.

I spent most of the morning and early afternoon putting together the program and all the other necessary paperwork for the festival.  I unpacked suitcases, straightened up the house, and did three loads of laundry.  After all that, I was still standing, so I decided to start getting out Christmas decorations.  Which required cleaning out the closet where the tree is stored so I could get to it.  Then I put the tree together.  I have an artificial tree which I purchased several years ago pre-lit.  Of course, the lights that came on the tree did not meet my exacting standards for the appropriate light-to-branch ratio, so I added about four times as many lights.  Enough lights that airplanes try to land on our roof.  So every year, the annoyance of stringing lights on the tree is replaced by the annoyance of untangling the wires that somehow got knotted up and wrapped around the branches while sitting in the closet and trying to remember where to plug them in so all the strands light up.  Maybe it would be easier to just re-string them each year. 

After wrestling with a Christmas tree for about an hour, all the lights were functional and I was ready to be done with decorating.  I did a few more small chores and then went to my patient, long-suffering husband's concert.  A long, but productive, day.  Much too busy to think about my foot.  

11/28/14. The post where I am reminded of the power of positive thinking.

11/28/14: it was a Thanksgiving for the ages.  My patient, long-suffering husband did most of the heavy lifting and cooked an amazing meal.  Our entire family was there, including my godparents, so it felt really special.  Some of us did a 5K "Turkey Trot" in the morning, and I got through it without too much trouble.  As I expected, the walk didn't come anywhere near making up for everything I ate, but I guess it was better than not doing anything.  

Like most families, we spent the rest of the evening watching football, chatting, and complaining about how much we had eaten while continuing to snack.  All four nieces and nephews from my side of the family were there - ages 19, 14, two, and eight months.  As you know, I try to protect everyone's privacy on my blog, so I won't include any photos.  You'll just have to trust me when I tell you I have the best nieces and nephews in the history of ever.  It was truly a day to be thankful.  

We spent a little bonus time with Mom and Dad this morning, then after lunch (because, of course, we needed more food) we packed up and planned our escape route.  There are three outlet malls between their house and ours, so traveling on Black Friday was a bit of a gamble.  We took a route that, while a bit longer, would avoid the first one.  The traffic got a little heavy before the second one, but we got through it without much of a slowdown.  Another hour and half to the next one, so we had some breathing room.  Or so we thought.  About five miles after the second mall, things suddenly came to a screeching halt - literally.  There was an accident on a part of the freeway where there was construction going on and concrete barriers on either side, which meant no shoulder.  Of course, at the time, we did not know there was an accident.  All we knew was there was a sea of vehicles at a complete standstill.  Three lanes of traffic were diverted onto the frontage road, and chaos ensued.  After about forty-five minutes of inching forward and trying not to wish ill on any of the vehicles around us, we got past the remains of the accident, which by that time was just some broken glass and a few emergency vehicles.  It did not appear there were any serious injuries, another thing for which I am thankful.

We made it past the final outlet mall with no difficulty and got home at a reasonable hour.  My patient, long-suffering husband practiced for a concert he is playing tomorrow while I went to the grocery store for dinner fixings.  And the evening of Black Friday is the best time to go to the grocery store.  Seriously.  I wish I had made a list of everything I needed for the next month, because I was nearly alone in the store.  I started to get concerned that there had been some sort of catastrophe in the city and no one had told me.  The store was so empty that when I asked an employee for the location of an item I couldn't find, he followed me around the store looking for it just because he was "curious" about where it was.  

We spent a nice, quiet evening at home. My foot has felt a little better the last few days, but off and on it has been pretty distracting.  I always try to keep a positive attitude and I am convinced it makes me feel better.  I came across an article tonight that makes me feel justified.  http://www.rsds.org/1/publications/review_archive/BruelCBT.html. While the article is specific to CRPS, it seems like it would also be relevant for other types of physical pain and injuries.  So call me Pollyanna (just like my patient, long-suffering husband does), but I'm going to keep thinking positively.  And I encourage you to do the same.

11/26/14. The post where I enjoy a day with family.

11/26/14: we got in very late last night, but Mom and Dad were waiting up for us.  After chatting a little, we all went to bed, but not before I was reminded that daddies never quit being daddies.  He said he would take my suitcase upstairs and I replied that I could do it as I picked up the handle.  He gave me a look that I probably haven't seen since I was three years old and said, "Valerie Anne, do you read your own blog?"  Uh, oh, when the middle name comes out, he means business.  I dropped the handle and let him take the suitcase upstairs.

Today was a really nice day.  One of my brothers lives halfway across the country, and he and his wife had braved the airport on Monday with their two-year old and eight-month old, so we got to spend the day visiting and playing with the kids while we cooked.  We don't get to see the kids very often and they were a little shy at first, but they quickly remembered us, or at least decided we were okay.  The two-year old got a little rambunctious this morning and got sent to "time out", which we learned was not as effective as his parents probably hoped, because when Mom (his grandma) entered the room, he proudly exclaimed, "I'm in time out!"  Being the aunt often means stifling laughter (with varying degrees of success) at inappropriate times.  I am not a good influence.

I made three pies this afternoon and my foot behaved remarkably well, all things considering.  It was a little discolored after the pie-making episode, but quickly returned to normal after I sat for awhile, and it stayed in the 4-5 range all day.  I changed stimulator programs again today, but I actually turned the amplitude down a little since I was feeling better.  Sometimes the combination of pain and heavy vibrations gets a little overwhelming, so the lower I can keep it, the better.

We spent the evening with family, including our other brother, his wife, their two kids (one of whom was home from college), my aunt, and her friend.  We ate entirely too much for a pre-Thanksgiving meal.  Maybe it will keep me from overeating tomorrow. I doubt it, though.  Some of us are walking in a 5K in the morning, which makes me feel slightly less guilty, but only slightly.  I don't know if I will check in tomorrow, so I will wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.  Enjoy your time with loved ones and remember all the things for which you are thankful.  

11/25/14. The post where lanes are closed.

11/25/14: my foot wasn't any better in the night, but it also wasn't any worse.  It was cold enough this morning that I didn't want to walk outside, so I rode my bike on the trainer instead.  I needed to make a trip to the grocery store at lunchtime, so I wore a comfortable pair of loafers and an uncomfortable pair of pants to work.  At least they kept me on my diet.  There's no way I could have overeaten in them.  Come to think of it, maybe I should have packed them for Thanksgiving.

Traffic was really light yesterday and I figured a lot of people were taking the day off work, so I was surprised when everything came to a sudden stop.  At least, I was surprised until I saw the "left lane closed" sign.  It looked like some kind of utility work. It's a good thing a lot of people had taken the day off, or traffic would have been even more snarled up than it was.  It's also one of those days I'm glad I bought a car with an automatic transmission this time.  I don't think I would have been up to that kind of clutch work today.

I was dreading my grocery store trip, so I left a little before lunchtime.  And I'm glad I did.  Because a lane was closed.  This time, a traffic light was out and an officer was directing traffic.  When I finally made it to the store, it was actually not that crowded.  Maybe because traffic was so bad no one could get there.

I finished up at work and came home to start packing.  My patient, long-suffering husband had a meeting at church tonight, so we knew we'd be getting a late start.  A late night drive was probably our only chance of staying out of holiday traffic, so we didn't mind.  (The three hour trip to my parents' house regularly turns into a five to six hour drive on Thanksgiving weekend, so you have to plan carefully.)  As soon as he got home, we loaded up the car and got on the freeway.  To find one of the lanes closed.  Of course.  Fortunately it didn't last long and things quickly started moving again.  

I was able to get an appointment for Monday morning to have my stimulator updated.  Until then, I'll keep rotating between existing programs and amplitudes and hope this flare-up disappears as quickly as it came.  I'm writing this on the road while my patient, long-suffering husband drives.  Here's hoping for no more closed lanes. 

11/24/14. The post where I face facts.

11/24/14: my foot pain didn't keep me awake last night, but I felt it every time I woke up.  It was still unhappy this morning when I got up, but as I got ready, it improved quite a bit.  I took my walk and it didn't feel too bad.  Although I was feeling pretty good by the time I left for work, I decided to go a little more conservative in my shoe selection today.  It was a beautiful day, nice enough to take my car out at lunchtime to be washed after its scary weekend journey and make the 10 minute drive back to work with the top down.  

I hadn't been in the office in nearly a week, so today was catch up day.  It was a relatively quiet day and I spent most of it at my desk.  As a result, it was mid-afternoon before things started to go south again with my foot.  But they did go south.  I continued to slog through the day, making it through handbell practice and doing a little cooking afterward.  But my foot was back to the familiar red splotchy color and I noticed a bruise in the "usual" place.  I changed the stimulator programs several times, but it didn't seem to make any difference.  

I will call tomorrow for an appointment to get some new stimulator programs, but I'm not convinced that is the issue, or the cure.  Something else is happening.  I guess this is officially a flare-up.  I'm back at a 6 again, but I wonder where I would be without the stimulator. The timing on this sure could have been better.  (Like, for instance...never.)  Tomorrow is my last day in the office before the holiday, and then we will pack up and head to my parents' house to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.  And guess what? I intend to enjoy it.  Flare-up or not.  

11/23/14. The post where I take a step back.

11/23/14: by bedtime last night, my foot was pretty riled up.  It was splotchy and swollen and the pain level had inched up to a 6.  http://youtu.be/lTSVOnhLtCs  I changed the program on the stimulator, turned up the amplitude, and went to bed.  The thunderstorms continued all evening and much of the night.

By morning, things were looking up.  My foot felt much better and the sun was back out.  I took my morning walk without any major issues and made it through a full morning at church, complete with choir and handbells, in a pair of my favorite suede pumps.  Must have been a fluke.

My patient, long-suffering husband had to travel for another gig today, but this time I stayed home because I was having a couple of friends over.  It was a makeup date from last week, which I had to cancel because of my stomach bug.  We made brunch and binge-watched a TV show we all like but rarely make time to see.  It was a fun, low-key afternoon and everyone was gone by dinner time.  I had plenty of time to do some chores and start some advance Thanksgiving meal prep.  

Or so I thought.  My foot objected.  Pretty strenuously, in fact.  Normally, I have a policy of not negotiating with terrorists, but it was all I could do to get the most pressing chores done before giving in to my foot's demands.  I tried to turn up the stimulator again, only to discover that I had already turned that program up to the maximum amplitude.  So I went back to the original program.  This time, I don't think I turned it up all the way.  At least, I hope not.  

This is really disheartening, but I hope it is only temporary.  I'm still willing to blame it on the storms, the likes of which I doubt we'll see again for some time around here.  It looks like the weather will be beautiful for the next week, so I'll know for sure in the next day or so.  I knew this wasn't going to be an easy journey, but things had been going so well I had convinced myself the story was coming to a conclusion.  Now, it appears there is a plot twist.  And this is one story where I can't just stay up all night reading to get to the end and find out what happened.  

11/22/14. The post where it rains.

11/22/14: when I last checked in, I was about to leave DC for home.  I made it home with no snafus.  Both flights were uneventful except for the three servicemen on the first flight with their canine units in tow.  The dogs were supposed to lie under their feet, which sounded terribly uncomfortable for both dog and handler.  Fortunately, the flight was not completely full and some passengers moved around so the dogs could sit in a seat next to their handlers.  One of the dogs was on the row in front of me and it was fascinating to watch.  He had a window seat and he spent most of the flight sitting in his seat looking out the window.  I have no idea whether he understood that he was in the air, but he seemed to enjoy the view and he did not even flinch during the landing.  The dogs were better behaved than most human airline passengers. 

I got home just in time for a haircut ("Sassy, with a side of sassy, please!") and a race to choir rehearsal.   After a long week, I took a day off work on Friday, because my patient, long-suffering husband had a concert in a city about an hour and a half away.  We decided to make a micro-vacation out of it, staying overnight in a fun tourist area, and one of my dearest friends accompanied me.  She and I wandered around the pedestrian area of town enjoying the sights until concert time.  The concert was held in a historic church.  The historian in me spent quite a bit of time ruminating over the fact that while the church existed during the lifetime of the European composers featured in the concert, it is highly unlikely that either the composers or the worshippers at the church knew of the others' existence.  Still, the music seemed perfectly suited to the setting.

After a beautiful concert, we had a late dinner and a nightcap, and then enjoyed a restful sleep, courtesy of a steady rain.  It was still raining this morning as we ate breakfast at the hotel and checked out.  We were in two vehicles, and the girls had planned a leisurely trip home with a few fun stops, but that was not to be.  Because the rain continued to increase, until it became a gully washer.  A frog strangler.  (Insert your own regional colloquialism for a heavy rainstorm here.)  It took both of us, and every bit of concentration we had, to get home without injuring ourselves or others.  And we made it.  We're a good team.  

After getting our two new cars home safely, neither I nor my patient, long-suffering husband were anxious to get out again, so we spent a quiet afternoon and evening at home.  Our biggest decision was what we could put together for dinner without a trip to the grocery store, which was more difficult than it sounds, because our pantry and refrigerator were nearly bare. We came up with a main course but it really needed bread and we were all out.  But guess what? We did have all the ingredients we needed to make bread, and we both know our way around a kitchen.  So we made our own.  

Oddly enough, after my foot made it just fine through a week of air travel, sub-freezing temperatures, and a long, rainy drive, the bread-making was one step too far.  After about 20 minutes of mixing and kneading, it was suddenly red for the first time in a long while, and started to really burn.  Was it the kitchen work, or a combination of everything that has happened over the last week?  I don't know.  It's confounding.  Time to turn up the stimulator.  I guess it's all part of the grand experiment.

11/20/14. The post where I get used to the cold.

11/20/14: started the morning Wednesday with a big breakfast at the pub, the first time I'd really felt like eating since I got sick.  It was a nice experience. I was sitting by a window with a view of a beautiful historical building, I had a cute Irish waiter who called me "dear" (thus ensuring a hefty tip), and I was seated next to two businessmen speaking French.  I felt very cosmopolitan.

It was still really cold, but I was ready for it.  Tights and socks, wool skirt and sweater, warm gloves, scarf and coat.  I had also brought ear warmers, but they wreck my hair, so I decided to go without them.  For two blocks.  Until the cold restored my sanity and I put them on for the rest of the walk.  My classmates would have to ignore my wrecked hair.

My class was in a very secure building, which meant x-ray machines and metal detectors.  I'm starting to get better at explaining my implant without sounding like a crazy person or a criminal.  I'm also starting to get used to being wanded and patted down.  The class was very useful and I was glad I went.  We did not get out in time for me to fly back last night, which meant I had a free evening.  It won't surprise anyone who knows me to hear that I made some new friends in the class and we decided to spend the evening exploring.  The cold almost made me reconsider, but I figured I would regret it today if I spent the evening in my room.  We had all been to DC before and had seen the sights, so we walked to a nice pedestrian area and checked out the night life.  Which was a little quiet on a blustery weeknight, but that was okay by us.  We ended the evening back in the pub, with promises to stay in touch.  One of the purposes of the class was to build a good network of people all over the country who perform the same job duties I do, so I would say it was a success.  

Back to the airport this morning to fly home, where it is considerably warmer.  Guess I'll put away my cold weather clothes for another year.

11/18/14. The post where I reminisce.

11/18/14: as you would imagine, I slept horribly, spending the few hours I had in bed worrying that I'd forgotten to pack something or that somehow neither of my alarms would go off.  As a result, I was up about five minutes before either alarm went off.  The entire journey went off without a hitch.  Not surprisingly, there aren't many people on the road or in the airport at 4:30am.  I made my connection easily and arrived at my destination in time to check into the hotel before going to the training class.

I am in Washington DC, where it is bitterly cold (at least, in my opinion), but sunny and beautiful.  I prepared well, wearing several layers of clothing under my warmest coat.  This meant I was able to walk the half mile between the hotel and the training site. Something I wouldn't have been able to do pre-stimulator.  I even had time to stop for a sandwich, my first "meal" since I got sick a few days ago.  And it was the most delicious sandwich I've ever eaten.  Although my judgment may have been a little clouded after three days of saltines and ginger ale.  

The training went well and the trainers invited us all to an early dinner afterward.  This meant that by 6:30pm, I had eaten dinner and walked back to my hotel.  A little early to turn in, even for a girl who'd been up since 3am.  Fortunately, my hotel happens to have an authentic Irish pub attached, which meant I had somewhere to go without having to brave the cold again.  It was warm and cozy, and I enjoyed it even without any company.  It reminded me of the only trip I've ever made to Ireland, which was in similar weather, and I felt at home.  (Between the weather and travel, my foot was pretty unhappy all afternoon, but now that I am sitting inside a toasty pub with an appropriately-themed beverage, it has stopped protesting.)

It also reminded me of the last trip I made to our nation's capital, approximately nine years ago.  It was a mother-daughter trip I made with my mom and two dear friends (and their moms, of course).  It was one of the best trips ever.  Due to some once-in-a-lifetime circumstances, we traveled like celebrities, hobnobbing with important people, going to special events, eating in the best restaurants, and staying in a fancy hotel, in a city decorated festively for Christmas.  But best of all, Mom and I got to spend some precious time together, making special memories.  This trip is nothing like that one.  I'm by myself, traveling on my employer's meager budget, and concentrating on work.  Still, it's nice to be back and remember the last trip. 

Come to think of it, one of the great things about that Ireland trip was the festive Christmas decorations.  I've never been that excited about decorating for Christmas (or any holiday, for that matter), but maybe there's something to it.  Guess I'll have to get on it this year.  After Thanksgiving, of course.

11/17/14. The post where I win the battle of wills.

11/17/14: woke up this morning feeling better.  No fever in 24 hours and no more joint aches.  Still nauseous, but as you know, I can handle that. I got on the scale to find I have lost six pounds since Friday.  Not the way I would like to have done it, but hey, at this point I'll take it.  A few more days of this and I can buy a pair of shoes!  (And I certainly won't blame my weight-loss challenge friend if she is also looking on the bright side.)  I also took the opportunity to squeeze into a dress I haven't been able to wear in almost a year, in case this is temporary.

I made it into work on time, which was a good thing, because I walked in to find my boss had to be out at the last minute and needed me to cover a big meeting for him.  Since I was still pretty puny, it was fortunate that I didn't have to say much.  I made it through the rest of the work day with no major events (and still very little in the way of food).  Handbells, then packing for my trip.  I have a very early flight (which means I have to wake up before most college kids are getting to bed), so I set two alarms, just in case.  Belt and suspenders, you know.  Now I'm off to bed for a few hours of sleep.  Pleasant dreams, everyone.

11/16/14. The post where I rest.

11/16/14: before I went to sleep last night, I passed from the "afraid I might die" part of the virus to the "wishing I would die and get it over with" part.  You've all been there - you know what I mean.  I woke up this morning feeling significantly better.  It's amazing what 11 hours of sleep will do.  My fever was almost completely gone and I was much less achy.  My stomach was still adamant that it did not want any visitors and I obliged for the most part.  Today's nutrition included Sprite, a few saltines, and a piece of toast.  Or rather, about 3/4 of a piece of toast.  That's as far as I got before my stomach gently reminded me of the no visitors policy.

I spent the day rotating between resting and doing some easy chores around the house.  Besides missing church, I had to cancel afternoon plans with friends.  It was another cold, drizzly day, and it would have been great to have a free day at home if I'd felt better.  And if my patient, long-suffering husband had been home to keep me company.  But he had to travel today for a concert, so I settled for my stereo, books, and social media for company.  Probably for the best - less chance of passing it to him.  And I wouldn't wish this on anyone, especially him.

I've left the stimulator turned down pretty low, because it really seemed to exacerbate my symptoms.  My foot definitely feels worse with the volume low, but it is bearable and right now it is the better option.  Hoping things continue to improve, because tomorrow is my only day in the office before a work trip.  It is a training trip I've already had to postpone twice and I am adamant that I am not going to cancel again.  Almost as adamant as my stomach is right now about the no visitors policy.  Time will tell who wins this battle of wills. 

11/15/14. The post where I jump-start my diet.

11/15/14: everything went like clockwork yesterday, thanks to a lot of assistance from my patient, long-suffering husband.  Since it was a cold, blustery night, we made a variety of soups and served them with grilled cheese sandwiches.  We had a lively book club discussion and a fine time was had by all.  Being on my feet all afternoon was a little difficult, but I turned the stimulator up near the maximum and it helped quite a bit.  

I felt pretty rotten this morning, not surprisingly.  I still have quite a bit of drainage from my sinus infection and my joints were aching, maybe from all the work yesterday and maybe from the cold weather.  I had a pretty slow morning and then went out for a manicure and pedicure.  

Let's talk for a minute about vomiting. (Yes, I know, you are thinking, "Let's not." But I'm going there.)  As you know, I have a tendency toward nausea when taking any kind of prescription medication, but otherwise I generally have a pretty iron constitution and don't get stomach bugs very often.  But when I get them, I generally don't get a lot of warning, leading to some very interesting situations.  Here's a quick rundown of various places I have "tossed my tacos," either from prescription medications or ailments:

- every home I've ever lived in (and most of my family's homes)

- every school I've ever attended and every office I've ever worked in

- the drinking fountain in my high school principal's office suite, and 

- the summit of a hike in a national park (so much for "Take only photos, leave only footprints.")

I suspect my family will remind me of other instances after they read this.  But the point of my story? Now I can add a nail salon to my list.  The good news is that I had enough warning not to do it in a public place.  And my manicurist was very kind and helpful.  I felt much better afterward and was able to finish my appointment.  ("How Great is Your Dane?" From the OPI Nordic collection.)  Must have been all that sinus drainage.  

After my appointment, I met my weight-loss challenge friend for "coffee" and to talk about jump-starting our diets.  (I say "coffee" because I am not a coffee drinker.)  Since I was still feeling a little under the weather, I opted for an Italian soda, which helped my stomach.  We had a really nice time catching up, although my joints were still aching.  Darn this cold, wet weather!

We had a friend's 50th birthday party to attend this evening, a party I've been looking forward to for quite some time, so I thought I'd lie down for a bit.  Hmm, I'm a little flush.  Maybe I'd better take my temperature, just to be sure.  Well, $&*%.  I'm no doctor, but 100.8 doesn't seem right.  So much for the party, or for dong anything tomorrow, I suspect.

One interesting thing I've learned about my stimulator - it is really annoying when you have a stomach bug and achy joints.  I had to turn it down enough that I can barely feel the vibration, which of course means my foot is very unhappy.  It's an okay trade-off, though, and I'm hoping this will be over quickly. In the meantime, I'm enjoying some delicious Gatorade and saltines.  Which I have been keeping in stock over the last year for medication-induced nausea.  In case you are wondering, this is not the way I intended to jump-start my diet.  

11/13/14. A brief post.

11/13/14: my parents-by-love returned today after an extended absence and treated us to a wonderful evening of eating, drinking, and catching up.  Now it is late and I am thinking of my agenda for tomorrow:

 - work all morning

 - shop for groceries

 - cook all afternoon

 - host book club (for a book which I have not quite finished)

Wish me luck.

11/12/14. The post where I ride my bike (sort of).

11/12/14: winter has arrived. Or at least, as close to winter as I want to be.  It was too cold to walk this morning, but after my debauchery yesterday, I desperately needed some exercise.  My bicycle was still attached to the trainer downstairs, so I decided it was time to give it a try.  It has been long enough since I rode it that I had to pump up the tires.  I set myself a 20 minute limit and started pedaling. 

I learned several things on my ride:

1.  I can do it.  My foot didn't feel great pedaling, but it wasn't horrible, either.  The color was okay afterward and I didn't seem to do any major damage.

2.  I am really out of shape.  I had convinced myself that as soon as I was feeling better, I would be able to go right back to my old activities.  Not so.  Twenty minutes of pedaling, in a low gear with no incline in a climate-controlled environment, and I was beat.  My arms are sore, my core is sore, my legs are sore.  Which leads to...

3.  It will be awhile before I can go for a real ride.  I am going to have to go through a serious reconditioning period before I am up to riding outside in traffic and on hills.  And besides,

4.  I look terrible in bicycle shorts right now.  It's pretty much a given that everyone looks terrible in bicycle shorts, but this is worse. Much worse. For the sake of my vanity, the aesthetics of the neighborhood, and the well-being of the general public, I think I'd better stick with the trainer for awhile.

5.  While my health monitor often mistakes driving with the top down for cycling, it does not recognize riding on the trainer as cycling. Or as any other physical activity, for that matter.  In fact, it just seemed to be confused about why my heart rate was elevated.  Whether that is a statement about the speed of my pedaling, my current physical condition, or the sophistication of my health monitor, I'm not sure.

Looks like we're in for a cold spell at least though the weekend, so I think I will try to ride for the next few days.  After a full day at work and choir rehearsal, I had to turn up the stimulator a few tics, but all in all, I'd say the bike experiment was a success. 

11/11/14. The post where I have a good day off.

11/11/14: finally slept through the night with almost no coughing.  I may have this thing licked (more or less).  Started my day off with laundry, which I did on and off all day.  Maybe not the most glamorous way to spend a day off, but it means I won't have to do it this weekend, so it was totally worth it.

I went to the doctor's office to meet with the medical rep for my new stimulator program, and she gave me two new programs!  Bonus!  She spent several minutes adjusting minimum and maximum amplitudes and then I was on my way.  I was already feeling better by the time I got home.  I'm hoping that having multiple programs will allow me to switch back and forth when I start to have breakthrough pain and keep things interesting for awhile.

My patient, long-suffering husband was able to swing a long lunch and took me to a new place to eat.  It was a hipster's paradise, full of people enjoying their food ironically.  While I didn't feel quite cool enough to be there, I sure did enjoy it.  Everything we ate was delicious, and they had a surprisingly impressive bar for a place that looked like a diner.  (Part of the hipster irony, I'm sure.)

It had been a cold, dreary morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon and I took my car for a spa day.  They removed all traces of the foam dust and it looked like it did when I drove it off the lot a few weeks ago.  To be safe, I left the top up on the way home.  When I got home, I continued the car TLC theme.  I read the owner's manual, set up the satellite radio and bluetooth, and set the buttons so I could open the garage door without the opener.  More importantly, I did all these things without the assistance of a 10 year old.  I feel so technologically savvy!  We'll see if I remember how to work any of it tomorrow.

We ordered some sparkling wine a few weeks ago and it happened to be delivered today, so we had a few friends over for a little taste.  All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good day!  And tomorrow I will drive in my clean, organized car to my clean, organized office.  With some good vibrations in my foot. http://youtu.be/hoJnNYUhwcQ