MIL in the hospital

Please keep my mother-in-law in your thoughts and prayers. We received a call yesterday afternoon that she had gone to the emergency room that morning and was being taken into surgery. She had been feeling bad for a couple of weeks and had been to the doctor, who thought it was some sort of virus. Things got a little better, but took a dramatic turn for the worse yesterday. After running several tests and being unhappy with the results, they ran some more tests and did some scans, which resulted in the surgery.

The good news is that the surgery showed it wasn't the bad thing they thought it was. They did find some less serious things while they were in there, but nothing that sufficiently explains her symptoms, particularly the massive infection she clearly has somewhere. So while it's good that it wasn't what they thought it was, it also unfortunately means we don't really know what the problem is. With as sick as she is, that is not a good thing.

DH is on his way down to see her. Hopefully they'll have some additional test results back by the time he gets there. Luke and I are staying at home. That is a hard trip to make under the best of circumstances (300 miles (483 km) one way; hopefully just down today, then back on Monday), plus Luke started running a fever of about 101F/38.3C yesterday. The last thing she needs is exposure to that kind of sickness, and Luke really doesn't need to be doing that much hard traveling while he's so sick, so he and I are home while DH makes that very long drive alone in the rain expected all day across the whole state of Georgia. He's supposed to text me when he gets there, and he'll call me later with an update. Until then, I'll try not to fret, but I make no promises.

Currently feeling: hoping we get an answer and effective treatment soon

Laser Pointer: A Conversation With Luke

Luke was dying to play with the new laser pointer cat toy.

Luke: When the kitties are fighting, we should point the laser pointer at them. That way, they would stop fighting and play.
DH: That is probably more effective than yelling at them.
Luke: Yeah, kitties don't follow directions, but they do follow the laser pointer!

Currently feeling: distracted

Wordless Wednesday - February 15, 2012

Currently feeling: awww!

Happy Valentine's Day 2012

We had a very low key Valentine's Day this year. With the job situation, I sent only about half the number of cards that I usually do (and didn't mail them until Monday, so they won't arrive until Wednesday or Thursday, darn it!), DH and I agreed not to get each other anything including cards (though DH broke his half of the bargain; after 15+ years together, I should have known), and we ate dinner at home instead of out. Mom and Dad were kind enough to send Luke a small gift, so he got a package in the mail, which is way more exciting than anything we could have given him. Thank you for the LEGOs, Nana and Papa!



With this being such a lean year, I still wanted to do something special, so I made cupcakes for Luke. He's been asking for cake for a couple of weeks, so I indulged him. I wanted it to be Valentine's Day-ish, though, so I made pink cupcakes with white icing. I asked DH to pick up red sprinkles at Kroger, but they were out. He got red decorator sugar instead, which is fine, but Luke insisted he wanted green sugar on his. So, here they are, our Valentine's Day cupcakes with red or green decorator sugar! (The things we do for our children! LOL)



And apparently, while at Kroger, a couple of other things jumped into the basket. Luke asked if he could have one, and they were very inexpensive, so DH also got me one, though he let Luke pick it out. Luke chose the dog for me and the tiger for himself. The tiger's name is Love, since he's holding a heart. Awww! I also received a small bag of chocolate covered pretzels, one of my favorite treats. All in all, things actually turned out much better and more special than I anticipated, even if it was inexpensive. It really is the thought that counts!



Happy Valentine's Day!

Currently feeling: loved

11 Things

The Rules:

• Post these rules.
• You must post 11 random things about yourself.
• Answer the questions set for you in their post.
• Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
• Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.
• No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 Random Things About Me:

1. I'm such a boring person, I'm not sure I can think of 11 random things that anyone cares to read about! LOL
2. My favorite form of music is probably movie scores. John Williams is my favorite composer, but I also really like Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer, Michael Kamen, James Horner, Alan Silvestri, John Barry, James Newton Howard, and Randy Newman. Sometimes I can identify the composer of a score just by listening.
3. I am also quite good at identifying people only by voice. I love watching animated films and trying to guess who is speaking.
4. Despite having lived in The South my entire life, I do not care for country music at all.
5. I played flute and piccolo in high school.
6. I was invited to audition for a professional handbell group, but I turned them down since I was about to get married and I didn't want to do all that traveling.
7. At one point during my childhood, my hair was long enough for me to sit on.
8. Until age 9, my hair was all one length and had never been cut (other than to trim off the tangly baby hair from the ends).
9. I still use my very first original email account that I've had since I was 18 or 19.
10. I am a chronic list maker, though it does not fit at all with my Myers-Briggs personality type. Proof some "personality traits" can be learned!
11. I am a very messy person. This seems to really surprise people. Everyone always seemed surprised that my work desk was a wreck; they just assumed I was a neat freak. I have no idea why!

My Answers to the 11 questions from Melissa:

1. What’s the most memorable vacation you’ve ever taken? Probably our most recent trip to Boston with my family. We had a great time and did all sorts of fun stuff. Luke is still asking when we're going to go back. (Need to finish the blog write up on it before I forget more about it than I already have!)
2. What’s your dream vacation? Which dream do you mean? I have several! LOL Place I've always wanted to go: Vatican City. Ideal form of a true "vacation" (vs "trip" like we usually take where we need a vacation when we get back): some place cool (not cold!) and calm and quiet, which likely means going without the child.
3. What’s your favorite childhood memory? There are several, so it's hard to pick. I still remember our trip to Washington DC, though.
4. What’s something you’re good at doing? Excellent question! Um, I'll get back to you. No, seriously, um... this is going to sound strange, but I am *really* good at untangling knotted necklaces.
5. What’s your favorite hobby? My favorite general hobby is watching movies. Doesn't sound like a hobby to some people, I know, but I genuinely *love* movies and will watch them as often as I can, new ones and old favorites alike. In terms of crafty hobbies, I'd have to go with temari, even though you wouldn't know it from my lack of output. I find them so beautiful and fascinating, and they're really fun to stitch.
6. Do you read recipe/cooking websites or blogs? If so, what’s your favorite? Yes, and I have a few too many favorites. For creativity and beautiful photography, I'd have to go with SmittenKitchen. Even if I wouldn't make a lot of her food (her tastes and mine are quite different), it is still a fascinating read, and the few things I have made were excellent. I've been following her blog since before her son was born, and he's about 2 and a half now. For posting lots of recipes that are right up my alley (quick and simple) and that I might actually try (and I have tried several), it's probably PlainChicken, which I discovered through Pinterest.
7. Do you have a favorite quote? If so, what is it? I wrote down this quote probably 20 years ago, but I wasn't smart enough to record who said/wrote it. I still love it, though. "We live in a universe, not a multiverse. Among other things, this means that science, engineering, the search for justice, the search for beauty, and the search for holiness are interrelated."
8. Are you afraid of anything? If so, what? Specifically, any sort of harm coming to my son. Just the thought of it terrifies me. I don't walk around all the time crippled by fear, but every time the phone rings and it's the school, my heart jumps up in my throat.
9. What book are you currently reading? Um, uh, er... I'm supposed to be reading, too? LOL I do actually have a book on the go. It's easy to pick up and put down, perfect for the rash of doctor appointments I've had lately. It's called A Mystery of Errors, by Simon Hawke. It is a fanciful imagining of the early life of Shakespeare (before he's a famous playwright), where he and a compatriot become involved in a local mystery. I picked it up from the bargain table several years ago. It's quite cute, very light, and quite a bit of fun. I'm about 1/3 through it so far.
10. What are you most grateful for? That I generally lead a very high quality and contented life. Even my stressful times (so far, knock wood) have been minor compared to what many people go through. Much of that happy and stable life comes from the world's most amazing husband, and my awesome parents and brother. I would truly be lost without them.
11. What can make you happy when you’re feeling blue? Hearing my son laughing. I can't not smile when he's that happy. It's such a great sound!

The Eleven Bloggers I’m Tagging:

1. Joy at A Joyus Place
2. Heather at It's Geek to Me
3. Fiona at Leaves From My Notebook
4. Christine at Mtrl Girl's Material World
5. Shalini at Shalini's Blog
6. Leah at The Finn Family
7. Christine at Coffee Cup Thoughts
8. Craftyland
9. Measi at Measi's Musings
10. Belinda at View from an Alternate Dementia
11. Stasha at Just So You Know

My Eleven Questions for the Bloggers I’ve Tagged:

1. What is your favorite movie?
2. What is the first movie you remember seeing at the movie theater?
3. Is there a type of movie or an actor/director that you refuse to watch?
4. What craft or hobby would you try if money and time were no obstacle?
5. Name your favorite kitchen tool.
6. What is your favorite type of trip/vacation? Active (like hiking), museums/history, beach, mountains, theme park, etc.
7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
8. Would you ever seriously consider living abroad? If the answer is no because you now have a family, do you think you would have considered it when you were "young and single"?
9. If you could choose any profession other than your current one, what would it be?
10. What is the hardest thing you've ever done?
11. When is the last time you felt really free (whatever that means to you)?

I hope you’ll all participate! Please be sure to leave me a comment to let me know if you played along so I can check out your responses. :-)

Currently feeling: that was harder than I thought!

A Journey of 1000 Miles

The first person I ever heard recommend taking 10,000 steps per day was Dr. Oz. It actually didn't sound like that big of a deal at the time. Then I started working from home. I thought I had some idea about how much I walk in a typical day (mostly) within the confines of my own home, and I knew it wasn't 10,000 steps; it likely wasn't even half that.

Then several weeks ago, I started prepping my Disney guide for a friend, and I started looking up some numbers on how much people walk at Disney. I've seen various range estimates. Some say 4-8 miles (6.4 to 12.9 km), some say 6-12 miles (9.6 to 19.3 km); depends on who you read and sometimes which park you're talking about. I would guess that you do the least walking at the Studios, but I can't really guess as to which park takes the most. (I also imagine that it depends on where you park your car! LOL) I wonder how much we walk the way we typically do Disney? By the time I was done researching, I was intensely curious.

So, I bought a pedometer. (For anyone interested, I got this one.) It actually was not as expensive as I anticipated (I did get it on sale). It is also well reviewed on Amazon, with about 4.5 stars out of nearly 3500 reviews. It doesn't track every single step I take; I suspect no (affordable) pedometer does. If it's only 1-2 steps, it might miss it. But for anything over about 6-8 steps, they're tracked. As I suspected, on a typical day at home, my number is... um, not very high. In fact, it's only about 60% of what I guessed it was, and that was an awfully low number to start with. YIKES!

I actually did fairly well in terms of step count when I had to go to the doctor (large medical complex) and on our visit to IKEA, though still not even up to 5000. Other than that, it was kind of sad. So, I shall redouble my efforts, and see how long it takes me to make it to that 10,000 mark. And I'm strangely excited to see what it reads when we go to Disney! Given that it usually doesn't count if you only take a step or two, the number will likely even be under-reported, since you only take 1-2 steps at a time in some of the slow but constantly moving lines (like Buzz). Guess we'll see.

The title of this post, by the way, is not just metaphorical. It made me wonder how long it should take someone to walk that far during the "normal course" of their life. A year? Two years? What is reasonable, and how does that fit with the 10,000 steps? Hang with me, I'm going to do some math. Divide 1000 miles (1609 km) by 365 days, and you get 2.7 miles per day. 2.7 miles = 171,072 inches (4.3 km). Divide that by my stride length of 20 inches (51 cm, conveniently the lowest the pedometer can handle), and you get 8553.6 steps per day, not all that far from the recommended 10,000. Thus, in any given year, I should have walked at least 1000 miles! That actually kind of blows my mind. I think I just might make that one of my goals, if not for this year then next. Here's to my 1000 mile journey!

Currently feeling: let's go!

Sunglasses: A Conversation With Luke

Remember this picture from 2009? Luke's homework assignment asked him to write three sentences about a time when he was acting silly. We were trying to get him to add more detail to his sentences.

DH: What kind of glasses are they?
Luke: Dark glasses.
Me: What else are they called?
Luke: I don't know.
DH: What is the weather like when you need to wear them?
Luke: Cold? No, hot?
Me: I wear mine when it's cold or hot.
DH: Why else would you wear them?
Luke: If your eyes don't work.
Me: Well, yes, but you wear them for other reasons, too.
Luke: To look cool!

Currently feeling: cool