Monday Musings

Well hello there!  We are just back from our special days away.  Once again impressions were made.  Friendships strengthened.  Joy restored.  New people met.  And a clearer vision what really matters.

There's just something about a home convention.  You get to go a few times beforehand when it is full of bugs and spiders and dirt everywhere and in a couple weeks it is all ready and the anticipation is high.  Then we all gather.  It seems year by year I know more and more to the point I could almost name 80% of those there.  There's something really nice about that.

I stood on the grounds with more than several and and had a five or ten minute visit.  As we chatted I desperately wished they could come home with us and stay several days so we could continue the visit.  There's never enough time.  

I was once again a member of the "Loo Crew".  I think it is now the 10th or 11th year I have gotten to walk around with a plunger in hand looking for trouble.  I had a secret giggle when someone tentatively came in while we were cleaning and said, 'can we use these?'  I loudly said, 'oh yes we're open for business!'.  Then I realized how punny I was.

People stop me on the grounds to thank me for doing the job.  I appreciate it.  But the job isn't really all that hard.  Dirty?  Yes sometimes.  Rewarding?  Definitely!  And really, how many go up to the ladies in the salad department and tell them how lovely they did for each meal?  Who contacts the guys that get up at dark o'clock and thank them for peeling potatoes and carrots.  Who tells the guy driving the old blue pickup to the dump that they appreciate him taking stuff to the burn pile?  Yes, I think I'm thanked way more than I should be.  There's so so much hidden effort and sacrifice to make those days so rich and possible.

The food?  Oh my!  We go to be spiritually fed.  And we richly were.  We also were naturally fed as well.  For some reason every meal was just delicious.  Maybe it is because I'm usually the sole cook around here and it is so nice to sit down to a meal already prepared.  Maybe it is because I'm hungry for not snacking between meals.  Maybe it is because Wisconsin really knows how to cook a good pot of spaghetti.  Maybe it is because I'm surrounded by a throng of people that emulate joy.  Or maybe it is just good food.

Due to circumstances due to a high school sport, I had to return for one day.  I have never wanted to not be home as bad as I did that day.  Thankfully, I could listen in to what I was missing and I could hardly drive fast enough to get back up there again.

We brought home an extra teenager to deliver to his home.  I liked what he said.  "I used to be an introvert and didn't want to talk to people.  But then I realized I won't get to know other people if I just stand there and don't say anything.  So now I'm trying to just go up to other people and visit even though I'm not that comfortable doing it.  It makes me feel better doing it though."  I think at 17 he knows more than a lot of people.

So we are back to normal living again.  I always feel bad for the Chairman as he really has to put it in high gear the week before we leave and immediately upon returning home.  Last night he slept about six hours.  I asked if he was tired this morning and he cheerfully says, 'no, I'm fine!  I hope you have a good day'.

I have had a good day.  But there is lots done and more to do.  Hope you have a good week!

Talk on Tuesday

Well hello there!  How about a little chat this Tuesday?

I took our car in this morning and just as I was driving into the driveway of the dealership it dinged and said 'maintenance due soon'.  I'm timely like that.

I was wondering what a video would look like as I stood talking to "Xia" (yes, that's his name) and was trying with my tongue, lips, and throat to mimic the sound that comes every once in awhile from the front left tire.  His eyes glazed over and of course they couldn't find it the source of the occassional rattle.

The temperatures have fallen around here and of course my feet are like two blocks of ice under my ankles.  Low blood pressure isn't good for warm feet.  Thank goodness my feet are warm 12 weeks of the year anyway.

Today I went into Costco very hungry.  I was just going to pick up two things and rush back out.  One hour later and $210 of a cart laden with groceries I got out of there.  I may or may not have purchased a 4-pound tub of animal crackers.

I just saw a post on Facebook of all these pictures of moms jumping up in the air or making over-delighted faces over the first day of school while their children all stood nearby looking grumpy.  I'm sure some of them were staged.  But some were not.  I wonder how those kids feel of their mom being so glad for them to be gone.  My hunch is that they never struggled to get their kids in the first place.

Today was the first day that all three didn't leave for their first day of school.  Daughter #1 leaves tomorrow for her first day of classes at the nearby college.  Son #1 and daughter #2 started today.   I think these annual pictures are a very nice to have and also a stinging reminder that time marches on.
How's your insurance plan?  I hope it is better than ours.  Since the Chairman has no insurance offerings through his place of work and I can offer up nothing except a bandage for a skinned knee since I'm a stay-at-home mom, we have to search for insurance plans that don't break the piggy bank.  Well the last letter was the last straw and so we are switching companies again.  It always makes me squeamish and I hope this one works for us for awhile.  Someone should do something about medical costs.  Meeshka.

Got to spend a meal with this great crew a few days back.

Have I mentioned Lisi is showing her almost 10-year old age?  😒

We took her to the city and she loved hanging at the coffee shop with lots of admiring onlookers.

The last first day with two of them.  

This is enough.  I've got some coconut curry simmering on the stove.  Need to make sure all the trimmings are ready when the troops gather round the table.  Happy week to you!

I was hangry...

Well it's over thank goodness!  I did what most middle-aged people do and signed myself up for a colonoscopy.  To put it mildly, I didn't really want to do it.  I don't like even skipping a meal and the thought of basically skipping nearly two complete days left me queasy.  I chose to do it because of family history and wanting to just know what's going on down below.  

So how was it?  I'll try to give a condensed version.  The prep was a mind game with myself.  As soon as I knew I couldn't eat any more solid food I was starving.  I was preoccupied with food.  I watched with complete envy as family members absentmindedly noshed on this or that.  Everything - and I do mean everything looked mouth-watering delicious.  I continued to drink my broth, eat my jello, and down 64 ounces of Gatorade mixed with powder that had a sole job to blow out your colon.  And let me tell you it did it's job.

Finally FINALLY! my sweet mom and I left for the appointment.  I felt almost giddy that it was finally happening.  They checked me in and I got dressed in the lovely back-open hospital gown and the iv was started.  Dr. Staff came in to chat about the procedure.  (It wasn't lost on me that Dr. Staff was soon going to be holding a rod.)  He asked if I had any questions or concerns.  I said no.  But inwardly I was thinking, "let's get this show on the road as I want to go home and eat everything in the fridge and pantry!".

The cute little blonde nurse got me and pushed my hospital bed into the room where the procedure was taking place.  I noted it was freezing cold in there.  She asked me my name and my birthday.  I wondered if she was planning to send a gift?  I was watching the bag of water drip through the iv into my arm and I worried I'd need to go to the bathroom.  But that worry was taken care of as soon as she pushed in two little syringes of sleepy juice.  I tried very hard to try and remember what it felt like going 'under' but I didn't have time.

The next thing I know is this nurse is trying to get me to sit up and get in a wheelchair to go home.  Now mind you the procedure was over an hour and a half before.  The Dr. came to give a recap of how it went.  I had gotten dressed.  They had administered more glucose water since my blood pressure was so low.  After I was settled into the car I basically have little or no recollection of anything for the next 10 hours.  That sleepy juice blew out my short-term memory and all I wanted to do is sleep.

So I did not empty the fridge or pantry.  I slept off the anesthesia.  I was loopy.  And I didn't care one iota where I was.  Then I woke up and looked around the dark bedroom.  The Chairman snored away next to me.  I was home!  I felt fine!  Hooray for life!

Except for rampant gas pains (sorry if too much info) and a terrific appetite, I had no after-effects from the roto-rooter experience.

The lab report came back.  I had one polyp that was removed.  It is the kind that likes to turn into cancer some day.  They want to see me back to go through this wonderful experience in five years to make sure no other growths appear.  So I'm glad I went.  Maybe I'll just gorge myself the next five years to ensure I don't feel hungry the during the two-day fast.

Happy Labor Day weekend to you!