The River and the Highway

I don't know what that means.  They're both highways of sorts.  Not in a mood much to interact with the world, but, to a certain extent, I must.  Nothing is wrong, but there's an undercurrent flowing right now that just doesn't feel comfortable.  Despite that downer sounding opening, it's been a pretty good week.

The Good Stuff:

• I seem to have isolated the noise problem on my recumbent bike to the right pedal crank.  It was self-loosening.  I added a star washer and tightened it down.  So far, so good, and it's nice to be riding again.
• We went to Waco to run errands on Thursday, and Mr. L got new batteries for his man lift, and I got a Fitbit One.  I've been using an Omron pedometer for years, and it works marvelously.  Every six months or so, I replace the CR2032 battery, and it continues to count steps like clockwork.  But I'm kind of geeky, and since I've been using Lose It!, they have a capability to link with techie things.  I wanted a way to get my steps recorded automatically, and Fitbit is one of those things that will sync with Lose It!.
• One of the other things I noticed in the article about experimenting one's way to weight loss was the sleep monitoring app. I didn't want to use the app he recommended in the article, but it did prompt me to consider such a thing. (Experimenting my way to weight loss?  Maybe!)  Fitbit, if worn on your wrist while you sleep and activated (press it's button until the stopwatch function kicks in) will track how long it takes you to go to sleep, when you're restless, and when you wake up at night.  And the really cool thing?  It seems to do a good job of doing just that.  I can check the chart it's already uploaded in the morning and find out how much time I was trying to sleep (when I activated and deactivated the timer) with how much actual sleep I got and when it was.  Kind of an added bonus to the pedometer function.  Another nifty feature is it tracks when I walk up stairs.  It seems to count my back steps into the house as a flight of stairs (about six steps), but that's also kind of cool.  It's a hundred dollar "toy" but it's a pretty cool one.   
• Mooch is back to hanging around the house a little bit.  I still don't know where he goes when he's not here.
• I brought the furnace filters downstairs in preparation for changing them.
• We went to a sort of local swap meet this morning (Giddings, TX), and we're leaning strongly to setting up there next year to try to re-home some car parts and stuff.

Not So Good Stuff:

• I didn't change the filters yet
• When Mr. L installed his new batteries and when to complete the circuit, he gets a spark, and he doesn't think that's supposed to happen.  So, much to his chagrin, he still needs to drag the machine out and take it in to Equipment Depot for them to inspect it.  To make matters worse, we suspect this problem may have been there when we bought it, because it never performed the way we expected it should, implying something was wrong in the circuitry.  I just hope it's not outrageously expensive to repair.
• Some family challenges that I have been anticipating came up this week, and we're working them out. Nothing terrible, just not appropriate for a public forum.  Only mentioning it, because it is probably contributing to my feelings of discomfort mentioned above.  Pretty sure everything will work out just fine.  One of those things.
• No progress on PBOTL this week.
• The joint at the base of my left thumb is driving me bonkers. It "catches" on a regular basis, which means I get the equivalent of an electric shock in the joint every time I get it moving again.  It's apparently partially attributable to carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis.  I have the beginnings of it in my right hand, but my left hand is my dominant hand, so I see it there first.

 The Week Ahead:

• Take four cats and head to San Antonio on Tuesday to carry out watering and various other sundry chores.  Return to Central TX on Saturday. (This plan leaves Mr. L with Rossie and three others in an attempt to continue to draw Rossie out of her reclusiveness.)  Ruby is also more outgoing with me down there, so I'll work with her.
• Go to Books-A-Million in San Antonio (the one in Waco closed!) -- I need more of the cheapie cloth bound little notebooks that they carry.  The ones at Barnes and Noble are $15.95, and the similar things without the name brand are $5.95 at BAM.  I still have several, but I need to stock up on some colors.
• Go to Social Security Administration office in SA and make sure they have correct address and contact info for me.
• Dare I say it?  Work on PBOTL.
• Oh, yes.  Actually change the furnace filters.

Hot Insanity Prep

This weekend is the big international festival in St. Louis. We're setting up the clan tent so we can sweat and get others interested in Celtic stuff. We were supposed to set up tonight, so we drove into the city only to discover that the guy in charge not only isn't going to show up until early tomorrow morning, the plan he put together won't work in the space. He's in very hot water right now. Oh, and he's the Membership Chair for the Scottish Society That Talks A Big Game. Frankly, I'm surprised it's happening at all. I might try to talk Eric into boycotting on Sunday.

Good Stuff:
- I wrote over 10k words this week with one tiny scheduling adjustment and a slightly larger attitude adjustment. I wrote about the attitude on my blog last week, so you've probably seen that already. The scheduling was just cutting the internet out between my bible reading and writing. I hope the trend continues.
- I ran four days this week and discovered adding an extra day doesn't do much for my stamina. Later runs were pretty slow and not as far.
- Story telling went well. I've set up a standing monthly appointment at that retirement home. Some of the ladies remembered me from the last time.
- Alex has made new friends at school. The one he talks about the most is Igor from Ukraine. He's in a lab with all foreign students, which makes me laugh. His school is in rural Illinois, and he's the only American in the lab.
- Got the lawn mowed this morning before it got hot. Woohoo!

Not So Good Stuff:
- STILL nothing from Chicago, but the people in Richmond contacted him again. No, I don't want to move to Richmond, but I will if I have to. It's further from everyone I love. Except Eric, of course. There's another opportunity in St Louis, too, but the ideal is for him to stay where he is if the funding is approved, at least as far as I'm concerned.
- Eric's new semester started. Only two semesters left and then we can be done with grad school forever. Except for Alex's, but we're not directly involved in that.
- The low battery light on the cat feeder came on. It takes 3 D batteries. We have 1. Not only that, but the battery compartment is on the bottom of the feeder. What kind of genius decided that was the right place?
- The cool weather we've been enjoying has gone. Summer is back. At least my tomatoes should be happier.

So I can't say I'm eagerly anticipating this weekend, but win, lose, or draw, I'll probably blog about it on Monday. Hopefully I'll remember to take some pictures. As long as I don't get in the way of the caber toss, it's all good.

On the downside of summer

First off, I'm doing GOBS better, mentally. My doc took me off the progestin and whoa, what an improvement to my mood! I've actually been almost manic ever since. I have a dip every now and then, but I bounce back fairly quickly. Yay for that! Weight loss is stalled tho, mostly because I'm still HONGRY. I am, however, holding more-or-less steady, so I'm trying not to worry about it. Much.

Good golly, I'm hungry, tho.

Laura is working 20+ hours a week, so by the time we add in travel time, I have Little Miss 5+ hours a day, during the day. Since she is very, very BUSY (many comparisons to energetic monkeys come to mind) and I can't turn my back on her for a few moments or else the room/house will be trashed, I'm not getting much of anything done during the day. Plus I have to start babysitting in the morning, so I can't stay up too late (and I'm a night owl) so I'm really not getting enough sleep. It's been challenging cramming housework/sewing/writing/relaxation/etc into a short period of time, but I'm managing. I've been too spoiled being a stay-at-home-mom/screw-off for too long. I dunno how people who work full time get anything accomplished without falling to utter exhaustion.

Been trying to do a smallish artsy quilt a week, ish, and that's working out well, especially since I sew a lot while Little Miss is having visitation w/ her dad. I'd really like a book to work on, but other than a Lars short/novella and the next Dubric book, I'm kinda stuck. I want to do something different. Not sure what, but something.

You all probably heard my good news from last week. The three Dubric novels have sold to a German publisher. Still awaiting final contracts, but it's all supposedly good to go and all parties have agreed. The sale will also pay off the remaining advance for Threads and Valley. YAY!! Very exciting stuff!!

Down to two agents and an editor with the full SPORE manuscript, and quite a few still have partials, plus one partial for Morgan. I've paused querying until the two agents respond. They've both had the book quite a while so I'm very, very hopeful one will want it or one of the agents with partials will want more, or now that the Dubric books are in the black my old publisher might want SPORE. Everyone has been amazingly nice and complimentary, which is a relief.

We had our annual Fireman's Ball here in town this past weekend and I spent the day selling motorcycle 'fun run' tickets and t-shirts. Was pretty fun. Met lots of locals and it's kinda cool that people recognize me and come up and talk to me. I'm up for reelection to city council this November and I've been hemming and hawing whether to run or not (there is quite a lot of BS and arguing involved which frustrates me), but, today at least, I will run. Quite a few people made a point to tell me they're thrilled I'm on the council because I'm *nice* and I listen to *them* instead of pushing my agenda and because I'm working for the whole town and not just my handful of friends or personal preferences. This kinda perplexes me at times because isn't that what representatives are supposed to do?!? Anyway, I need to gather at least 10 signatures to run again and I really don't think that'll be a problem at all.

I don't like the arguing, tho, and I fear a big argument will be coming next meeting because I'm gonna strongly disagree w/ a proposed set of surveillance cameras. I've already warned the Mayor. lol

I think that's about it. I hope you all are having a good week, getting stuff accomplished, and finding joy in your life.  {{Hugs}}

[Insert Song Title Here]

I made it more than half way through the year before drawing a blank on a title.  Better than I expected.  (Who knew the sideways carets would blank out my "blank" title?  I should have.)

The Good Stuff:

• We got the lawn mower repaired for $15.  Not bad.
• I got the lawn mowed
• We got rain 
• I did a beta read on a book for a complete stranger.  I'll be sending out the critique tomorrow (after I've had a chance to review it to make sure I'm not too harsh anywhere but still getting the point across)
• I rode the recumbent bike and got it fully reassembled.  I believe the problem is a bolt on the right hand pedal crank that self-loosens.  I have some Loc-Tite around here somewhere.  I'll find it and apply it to the threads of the bolt and re-secure it.
• I've been eating more fresh fruit

The Not So Good Stuff:

• No work on PBOTL this week.
• Productivity is in the tank for most everything (except riding the lawn mower)
• I think I have a continuous hot flash going on.  Is that possible?
• You've seen the hammer throw in the Olympics?  I think the cats are practicing for it with their water tower.  In fact, tonight I (jokingly) accused Mr L of kicking it over in the morning just so I'd have to mop up a half gallon or more of water when I come downstairs.

The Week Ahead:

• Find Loc-Tite and get the recumbent bike pedal mended
• Work on PBOTL
• Get the downstairs furnace filters changed out
• Replace burned out light bulbs (I think there are two or three to take care of)
• Get the menu planned and grocery lists created.

Still In Limbo

Dispensing with the Good Stuff/Not So Good Stuff today. Most of it feels really ambivalent.

- No news yet on the job in Chicago. The interview went well. He got follow-up e-mails from the head hunters telling him he made the cut, but apparently they're not moving very fast. Then again, they are a veteran-owned company. Jean knows what can happen to people who are steeped in bureaucracy their entire careers. Or maybe they're just super busy and trying to stay afloat while they hire new crew. Who knows?
- I didn't make the cut for the seasonal job. Given my schedule in September, I'd have made the same decision. I can't really say I'm heartbroken to have another Christmas not working retail.
- I got Alex to go through the books he has had since he was a kid, and he identified some others he wants when Eric is done with them. When I got Eric upstairs to approve Alex's selections, I also got him to go through all the hard cover books and between us, we got rid of 4 big bags of books. I also went through my shoes and purged all the sneakers I don't wear anymore, all the shoes I bought for work, and the ones I haven't worn since last year because they were buried and I forgot about them.
- I need to focus on my closet for purging. Tammy, any thoughts on what to do with the tubs of fabric I have stashed? It's not like there's anything particularly good. The best pieces came off the discount table at Walmart, so my quilting friends will not be interested I don't think, but I hate for it to end up in a landfill.
- There's a new restaurant supply shop not far from the mall. They sell in bulk and the prices are reasonable, so we can ditch Sam's. They even have stores in Chicagoland. :-/
- Running is getting a little easier. I got through all of my run intervals on Friday, even the long ones. Not that it's anything to write home about--I ran 3 minutes without stopping and was surprised when it ended because I thought for sure I had another half minute or so. Small victories, right? Yeah...
- Story telling at the nursing home went well. I have one at the other nursing home this week. Really need to spread them out a little.
- Alex went back to school with trepidation. Fall semester has always been harder for him than spring.

This Week:
- Vicky is coming by tomorrow to pick what she wants from the latest Grandma stash. I need to get her to go through the books in her room.
- Usual household stuff.
- Write.
- Purge.
- Exercise.
- Take whatever is left from the Grandma stash to Good Will.
- Holy cow, Festival of Nations is next weekend, not the one after. Let Games Season, Part II begin.

Digestion or Indigestion?

I'm "digesting" this Lifehacker post about Experimenting My Way to Losing 100 Pounds.  I've read the article and opened all the links contained in it and saved them to a Too Many Tabs row.  Stephen, I know you've read a lot of books on this subject.  Have you read any of the ones he lists, and, if so, do you recommend them?  (If anyone else has read any of them, feel free to chime in.)

One thing I'm contemplating doing is ONLY recording the good stuff I eat.  Things that I think will work well for fueling my body.  Why is this?  Well, recording everything isn't working for one.  For another, it may be a challenge to make recording my food diary a positive experience.  Also, if I don't want to record it, maybe I'll ask myself why I'm eating it.  Will that perhaps result in more reflective eating?  Eating for fuel and health vice out of despair?  I dunno.  Then, of course, there's the challenge of (hopefully) watching me increase my intake of good, healthful food.

I'm seeing a mixed message in the article about gluten-free, but I think that message is more for the bandwagon gluten-free foods vice naturally occurring gluten-free foods.  As with fat-free and sugar-free, gluten-free makes up for it with other things not necessarily healthful.  The other message is, unless you have celiac disease, gluten-free isn't necessarily beneficial, and, if not done right, can actually be harmful.  I have an aunt who has chosen to be gluten-free, and it works well for her (she had problems that gluten-free has alleviated).   

His five recommendations in the article were:

• Drink water (or black coffee -- just not frappacinos, etc)
• Eat high protein
• Eat vegetables (fresh ones, I'm sure he means)
• Stay away from sugar
• Stay away from wheat/gluten.

The second and third will help with the fourth and fifth, I think.  Tammy, you mentioned stumbles and getting back up again.  Definitely, that is the way to go.  I'm still trying to figure out how to mesh something like this with a non-supportive spouse.  He's supportive, but only to the point where it doesn't impact him.  I guess the way to do that is, when necessary, cook two dinners.  Then I still have to figure out my part of the deal for me.  I'm still thinking.

Unlike the author who mentions he'd eaten without thought of what he was doing for most of his life, I've spent most of my adult life being "educated" by the military on what their view (the government view) is of healthful eating -- a large part of that was the low fat bandwagon.  That and the food pyramid that apparently one of the authors referenced in the article debunks.

To revisit the wheat and gluten issue, one person has mentioned the "Frankenwheat" discussion of genetically engineered wheat.  Sadly, that appears to be becoming a greater portion of the food selection available to us.  So frustrating.

Rain on the Scarecrow

But none on our yards.  It's been a marginally productive week. 

The Good Stuff:

• We got a good watering on the yard in San Antonio.  I doubt it will last for three weeks until I head back down there at the end of the month, but it was the best we could do.
• Mr. L got pickets painted and a frame assembled for a new gate on the inner side yard.
• I got some work done on Polar Bear on the Loose
• Mr. L had a rehearsal and recording session for the New Braunfels Village Brass band.  I think the CD is going to sound good. 
• Sneaky is doing fine.  So are the other kiddos.

The Not So Good Stuff:

• I had some uncomfortable back spasms last night.  I slept on a contoured pillow last night, and that seemed to help.
• We didn't get several things we'd both agreed needed to get done done while we were down there.  Mr. L is strongly avoiding trips under the house.  I don't blame him, but it has to get done.  If he won't call in a plumber to do the job, he's going to have to go under there and do it. (This is still the tub drain repair, and it's been almost a year that he's been working on it.  Not being able to shower down there is getting really old.) Having someone else do it is not open for discussion.  Sigh.  There are disadvantages to marrying a stubborn man.
  

 The Week Ahead:

• More work on PBOTL
• Yard work
• Resume recumbent bike riding as well as begin reassembly of the shroud (assuming no problem can be found for the mysterious noise).
• Continue doing the stretching exercises for my hip and lower back.  I'd stopped doing them for several months, and that was a mistake.
• Add stretching exercises for my ankles and wrists. (If you have an iPad2 or newer, iMuscle2 is a wonderful app.  It's intended for physical therapists, but it really shows your muscle layout as well as weight training and stretching exercises you can do for each one.  You can customize a workout program as well.)

Befuddled

As usual, I'm trying to figure out where to start.

Good Stuff:
- Ran twice. Couch To 5K seems to be the way to go for me. You jog a little and walk a little, and it gradually increases the run time. I'm running almost a mile now, just not all at once. Next week the runs will be longer.
- Got my eyes checked. They're the same as last year.
- After my eye appointment, I went across the street to the gift shop I applied to before I left for Mom's to follow up on my application. Eric said they didn't call, and it's a good thing I stopped in because she had tried to call. She had a few minutes and so did I, so we did an impromptu interview. It's the first time I've interviewed for a job in jeans and flip flops, but it went pretty well. We know each other superficially because I shop there sometimes. This isn't anything to get excited about, just a holiday gig, but it will get me a little pocket money and an employee discount.
- Got some story work done, more writing than telling. Not enough as far as I'm concerned, but a little is better than nothing.
- Froze the corn Mom sent home with me. In case you're wondering, 1 ear of corn is roughly 1/2 cup. It was the easiest preservation process I've come across yet.

Not So Good Stuff:
- I have to tell stories Wednesday and I don't know yet which ones to tell. This was sort of the point of setting up regular tellings--to force me to learn stories more quickly. It was better in theory than in practice.
- I've been behind the 8 ball all week. Laundry has piled up, dishes have gotten out of control, and I only have a couple more weeks before all hell breaks loose again. Every Saturday and most of the Sundays in September are booked. Yep, the worst of the heat should be done and it's almost Scottish Games season again.
- My concentration is shot. Sleep isn't helping, and neither is caffeine. And I have stories to learn! And another one to write! Aah!

This Week:
- Laundry and house work.
- Tell stories and hope, if I have to recycle one or two, that they've forgotten I told them already.
- Run.
- Write.

Yeah, I think that's it.

home. tired.

Last week was busy, busy, busy. We were up and out of the house by 8:30 every day.

- Tuesday I drove. Stopped in the Kalamazoo area to visit my grandma. She looks great, and at 96, she's sharp as a tack. Got to Mom's late--almost 10 p.m.
- Wednesday we went to have a foot detox. You put your feet in ionized salt water and it draws out toxins. It sounds bizarre, I know, but it did something because the water was gross when we were done. After that, we hit some of the new antique shops in my home town and I found some cool stuff for Vicky for Christmas.
- Thursday was the Family Cemetery Tour. We drove back over to the western side and put flowers on the graves of my grandparents, great grandparents, and several other great great relations. My aunt and uncle met us out there and we had lunch together, which was cool because I haven't seen them since Alex's graduation party. Also on Thursday, my step-dad took his twin brother to the Detroit VA for a lymph node biopsy, and when they did the preliminary blood work, they discovered that his white cell count and uric acid were sky high, which is the perfect storm for kidney failure. They cancelled the procedure and had my step-dad drive him to the VA in Ann Arbor, which has an inpatient oncology ward. Long story short, he'll be there a few more days and they're re-doing all the tests to make sure he does indeed have lymphoma and not something else. They've mapped out a new treatment plan that will include staying in the hospital a week at a time for chemo.
- Friday we went to Meadowbrook Hall and toured the house and gardens. I'd been decades ago, and it was much darker and smaller than I remembered. Compared to the "summer cottages" in Newport, it wasn't too impressive. After that we visited my mom's cousins who live nearby for a couple hours. They were great role models for me growing up and I like hanging out with them. They're one reason I wish I lived closer.
- Saturday we had a hand detox, which was the same as (but grosser than) the foot detox. Then we had lunch with an old friend from high school. My dad came to see me in the afternoon.
- Sunday was church with a potluck, after which mom volunteered us for clean-up. She's the Church Marine--first in, last out.
- Monday I hit the road again, same trip as the week before in reverse. Stopped to see Grandma. She cooked lunch for me. It was cool to walk into her apartment and have it smell like her house used to. Then came the long drive home. At least it didn't rain yesterday.

So that's what I've been up to. Needless to say, I haven't gotten much done today. At least I don't have story telling this week. I have one more week to prep for that. Alex is home, so I guess I'm going grocery shopping this afternoon. We "have nothing to eat," meaning no Ramen, normal pasta, or lunch meat. Poor kid.

Truckin'

Down in SA on mobile access. I'm back to working on PBOTL, and I hope to finish Lesson 17 in How To Revise Your Novel by the end of the month, so I have a good bit of "truckin'" to do.

Saw my eye doctor today. While my distance vision is incremental worse, she saw no need to change my lenses in the glasses I use primarily for reading and computer work. The Progressive lenses go to infinity at the top, so I can wear them all the time if I like (they have clip-on sunglasses lenses).

The Week Ahead:

• Continue work on PBOTL
• Get truck serviced
• Work around the house and yard
• Accompany Mr. L to his recording session on Saturday (even though I'll only be in the way of the band--I plan to stay as far out of the way as possible).