Saturday, October 31, 2009

Saturday 10.31.2009 Halloween

I was surprised that the radio had been on almost 15 minutes before I woke up. I got up and got ready for work. Daniel's alarm came on at 5, and he got up, too.

He said he was tired, that he didn't sleep well. Seems I was snoring. Hm. I'm glad I was sleeping.

I had a safe drive down, thank you God. I parked and walked over to the hospital. We had a good day, with a good group of co-workers. Both units were full this morning. Lots of call lights throughout the day. By the end of the shift, the overflow unit brought their remaining patients over, a couple nurses left early, and we were glad to be done with the day.

A good drive home, thanks again. Dan is punky tonight and has gone to bed. I'm going to change some clocks back and turn in, too, hoping to sleep a little more tonight. Tomorrow is a workday for both of us.

Overall, I'm doing ok. Same discomforts--sore breast, full shoulder/upper arm/breast/back, ear full, and nauseated for a couple hours after taking the arimidex. But I'm alive, and cancer free. And hope to stay that way.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Friday 10.30.2009

I finally slept last night (as much as I do), and felt rested when I woke. I was dreaming that I was in the water getting ready to water ski, with the boat in front of me. I heard the boat take off, and I ski-ed out of my dream. But I could still hear the boat. What was that noise. Wait--what is that noise?? Loud and constant droning. Daniel was up, it was after 9 o'clock. He comes into the bedroom to say that there is a carpet cleaning van out front. Whew. Isn't it odd how dreams intersect with reality??

I breakfasted and got ready for the day. My phone rang--it's the body shop saying the car is done and offered to come get me. Ok. The guy was here in just a few minutes.

The car looks good. All the streaks along the side wheeled out and disappeared. The owner, Dave, showed me that the front edge of the base of the mirror isn't quite flush with the body of the car, probably because the steel of the door moved a little with the force. And that might cause a little wind noise. He said to "just bring it back" and it will be adjusted as necessary. $123.55 for what could have been a really ugly wreck. I'm happy.

Dan came down to the garage when I got back with the car, and we looked at it together. Yep, good job. However, the top corner of the window of the door looks like it doesn't seat against the rubber. I hope it's just an adjustment of the door hinges...

It's rainy and windy. Dan looks at the weather map and sees that there is a break in the rain, and during that break, we went to Frandor Mall to a sewing machine shop to take my circa 1970's Kenmore free-arm sewing machine in for a cleaning and a tune-up. Also, the "tire" (that's what the lady called it) that engages the bobbin winder has disintegrated and needs replaced. And all that disintegrated rubber is in the machine. Eww.

It started sprinkling again an the way back home, and has been rainy and extremely windy gusty the remainder of the evening.

Tomorrow we both work.

My left ear has stayed open, and the right one is trying. It's better, but not all the way.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thursday 10.29.2009

A restless night. I did my best to just go to sleep, but even after an hour of meditation-type music I was barely in a doze-mode. What's a little sleep, anyway? I made it until morning, when I finally slept, getting up at 10.

Dan was up and getting ready for golf. I breakfasted and got ready to go to Jackson for a meeting.

A safe drive down, thank you God, and I parked in the new parking ramp. (for visitors, only) It's not being utilized much by the public at this point. I sure would like a spot in there when winter comes.

We had a good meeting, chipping away at underlying problems that may never be resolved because of regulations and requirements and the human element.

I got home safely, thank You again, changed shoes, and took the car over to the body shop to get the mirror replaced. They'll wheel out the marks from the orange barrel, too, and call me when it's done.

I walked back home (the shop is behind the complex), met some new neighbors.

Dan came in shortly after. He had eaten, so I had my supper. We had a short night together, as he went to sleep pretty quick.

I had a nice conversation with Jeremy tonight. He sounds good, though he's getting "the crud". Pray he doesn't get too sick...

Tomorrow is unplanned, other than picking up the car.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wednesday 10.28.2009

I woke frequently during the night; achy, uncomfortable, hot. Finally about 5:30 ish I took tylenol/motrin and went back to bed. A half hour later I found myself dozing, then woke about 10. Daniel was up, of course. I was surprised the next time I saw the clock it was almost 11.

I got up and breakfasted. I do feel rested. My right ear is still full, though. Yesterday my left ear opened up after I had done a massage technique on my head that I had come across on the internet.

After a while I got ready and went out for a run. It was very nice--a little on the cool side to start, but by the time I got back in I was hot. And while I was out, my right ear opened up. Praise the Lord!! I hope it continues to resolve.

I cooled off and showered. Dan went out for a short game of golf.

I fixed a cherry/berry cobbler to go with the pot roast that he had started earlier, and we enjoyed our supper.

We had a quiet evening, not doing much of anything.

Tomorrow, he's golfing at 11, and I have a meeting in Jackson from 12-3.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tuesday 10.27.2009

I'm up this morning, washing up, I hear Daniel's voice but can't understand what he's saying. I turned the water off--he says "they're calling you". Oh. Huh?? Then I hear the message tone on my phone. I listen to the message saying I'm on call. Hm. I called back. We verified that yes, I was just on call on the 23rd, but the others on the schedule have lost more hours this pay than I have, so it's my turn. Ok, thanks. I'm surprised, but I put my pj's back on and get back into bed, listening to the radio with earphone (so as to not disturb Daniel, as well as block his sleeping noises). About a half hour later I turn it off and go back to sleep.

I knew at some point that Daniel had gotten out of bed, but I was sleeping. I was pleasantly surprised when I woke and it was 10:30!! Wow! I sure feel better than I did 6 hours ago.

I got up. Dan was working on his computer. His phone rang and I could hear that he was making arrangements to golf at 11:30.

I had breakfast, did some laundry. I basically did nothing all day, other than catch up on the subscription reading I have on the internet. And dozed.

Dan got back about 5:30 looking happy and tired. We chatted, fixed and ate supper, then he sat down with his computer and the tv remote. I finished up the kitchen, then wrote here.

I'm about ready for bed, and I'm thinking he is too.

No plans for tomorrow.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Monday 10.26.2009

Short night/long night. Not much sleep, listening to snoring. The radio came on this morning when I had just finally gone to sleep. I woke and turned it off, but didn't get up. I know that I did this. I didn't expect my eyes to stay closed. Almost 10 minutes later Daniel woke me, saying I was sound asleep. That's why I have to get up when the alarm goes off...

We each left for work. I arrived safely to Jackson in the dark, thank you God, and the shuttle was there in the parking lot waiting. We got a ride over to the front door.

We had a nice day, and looked like we might even staff down. We never got the opportunity to consider it much further. An increasing number of women coming to labor and delivery, with a couple of admissions on The Unit, and a couple of deliveries, ensured that our census was going back up. Yup, it's a workday, and we had a good group with a good crew.

Daniel was able to leave his job early today. That was a nice change for him. He stopped in Jackson and traded vehicles with me, so he could take the G6 to the body shop for an estimate. I received the fax with the proposed work--total cost, $123.55. I called them and planned for Wednesday if the mirror arrives, Friday if not.

I drove the Honda Insight home, took my things inside, got the keys for the G6, and went to CVS to pick up my prescriptions. I waited in line; every customer seemed to have a need, not just a simple transaction. And when it was my turn, only one of my two meds was ready. I asked about the other one; she took the time to look it up, resolving whatever had happened. She went and filled that other med, and I paid and left after thanking her for her patience and kindness. She had a weary smile, looking at the 5 or so customers behind me to pick up medicine.

A family of 3 were in the store, each with a mask on, but pulled down around their necks. And one of them was hacking away. I hope I didn't get too near their bugs.

Back at home, Dan and I visited briefly. He's pretty tired tonight, and went off to bed. I am, too. I hope I sleep better.

Tomorrow is a workday for me, and a rest day for Daniel.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Sunday 10.25.2009

I slept pretty good again last night, waking in the morning about 9:30, dozing and getting out of bed by 10. It was a beautiful day--the sun was out, the wind quiet, and a lovely 42 degrees in the sun.

Diane had been up for an hour or so; I washed up and had breakfast. The lake was sooo beautiful, and so different looking along the shorelines with the foliage coming down. I knew she wanted to be on the road by 1pm, but I asked her anyway if she'd like to go for a paddleboat ride. She said yes!!

So we bundled up in winter coats and gloves, hoods up on our coats. The neighbor still has their dock in, so we pulled the paddleboat over there to "board" without getting wet.

We had a beautiful ride. We went into the wind, and it was a bit chilly, but we were able to stay closer to the shore without all the docks in, so we were mostly protected from the wind. Once we got down to the GC we were able to just drift back along the shore. It was quite fun. We got back to the dock, got out, pulled the paddleboat to our egress and put it back up on shore.

Now for getting ready to go. Diane was great help; while she cleaned the bathroom, I vacuumed the front rooms and bug sprayed the interior perimeter again. (I found a couple young spiders inside) Then I did the two inside bedrooms while she moved into the kitchen. I did the living room, and the kitchen last. And soon we were ready to go.

We were loading the car, and just on the last load, Mary comes over. We had a quick visit and hugs before leaving. It was 3:15.

Diane and I had a great drive to her house. The air temperature had risen to 54, but the clouds were more gray and were spitty light rain. We got there a little after 5, got her unloaded, and I had a bite to eat while she got going on her own weekend chores. I left close to 6.

I was enjoying my drive, in the construction zone, at 50-55 mph or so, single lane orange barrels on each side, with an on-ramp on the right that had a stop-to-merge sign. The large sedan stopped, then pulled out right as I got next to it. Hey, um, didn't you see the headlights?? If not the pretty white car?? I moved over as close to the left barrels as I could, because I'd rather hit a barrel than a larger vehicle. And I did. Next thing I knew, the driver's side mirror popped off. OFF!! 3 wires left waggling in the breeze. Hm. Where's that car. Behind me. Must not have hit it. Good. I'm not going to stop and see about picking up the mirror; there's no place to do that. So, I guess I'm ok. Surprised. An inconvenience to get it repaired.

Several minutes later and out of the construction zone, I call Dan to tell him I'm on the last leg, home soon. And oh, by the way...

I stopped at Meijer to get gas in the car, and also to pick up another of the area rugs I had found on clearance. I had hoped for 2 of them, but there was only one more left. So I got it.

And home. Dan came down and looked at the car--some black screech marks along the front side of the car, some odd scratches on the door window glass. I don't think it's a big deal, but I don't know much about auto body stuff. We'll see.

He carried a load of stuff up for me, and I had the rest. I put a load of laundry in, showered, put it in the dryer, and Dan has gone to bed. I'm on my way, too.

I had a wonderful weekend. Thank you God for keeping us safe, even with a "minor" mishap on the e-way.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Saturday 10.24.2009

I slept pretty good last night, overall, waking about 10 o'clock again. I realized where I was and smiled. Thank you God. Even though it's only 64 degrees in the house. Diane and I each tried at separate times to go through the lighting instructions. Once, the pilot lit, and stayed lit for 20 minutes or so, but the fan didn't come on. So, I don't know what's wrong with it. The pilot won't stay on any more without holding the button down.

We breakfasted, fooled around with the furnace, then decided to make a scarecrow. We had a cardboard tube from a rug that was about 4 feet long, a small lampshade for a head, a soft cloth hat, t-shirt, a wire hangar, and lots of grocery bags to stuff it with. (about 20) We straightened out the hook of the hangar and taped it onto one end of the tube. The lightbulb clip on the lampshade held right onto the top of the tube. Then we went into a shoebox in a drawer that was Germaine's (Dan's Mother) sewing box and found lots of interesting little craft pieces and fun surprises. An hour later, this is what we had.

Diane chose the name Larry Long Lake, or Long Lake Larry, or LLL. We took LLL over to meet the neighbors, Evelyn and Bob. We could see in the side window that Bob was sitting with his back to the window. I put LLL's head up into the window, looking this way and that, tapped on the window, and we heard Bob guffaw and call for Evelyn. She came out and laughed and exclaimed, too. We had a lot of fun, walking around B & E's yard, as we're getting turned around for winter. They have yet to get the dock out, but all else is done. Looking good.

We went inside for a bit to warm up, then went across the street to Mary's. LLL knocked on the door, but Mary had been out in that porch area reading, waiting for company, so she kind of saw us coming. But she laughed with us, hugged us, and we visited ever so briefly before her visitors arrived. We hugged again and the 3 of us left.


Back at the JC, we took pictures of the three of us. Diane went inside to fix her lunch; I stayed outside and raked/moved some of the piles of wet leaves so they will either dry a little or blow away. I checked the inside of the shed. Looks like there might be a leak on that roof. Bummer. I picked up some things off of the floor, hanging them up, then went into the garage and put away some things that had been left out when we were here last time. That done, I went back to the leaves, that had now drained and dried a little, moving those. Good till next time. Back in the garage I put the rakes, then went inside myself. Diane was ready to go outside, so she went out on the front deck and swept that off and the side cement. I have a tree that has no leaves left, and another that the other half are about ready to drop. So there are quite a few leaves down.

Now that our chores were done, and there was still daylight, we drove into Hale, going around Little Long Lake. We enjoyed looking at the thinning foliage, and at what it's revealing. It's a whole different view.

Into Hale, there are many scarecrows tied to the benches and street signs and poles. When there wasn't any traffic we could go slow and look at them, but there were a few blocks we missed, so...we went back and looked again. I'm glad we did, it was fun.

Diane cooked up taco stuff, and we had a yummy dinner. We cleaned up the kitchen, then went out for a flashlight walk.

The clouds were breaking up, and the stars and the half moon was glowing through the foggy clumps of clouds. It was a totally awesome walk. It's getting cold--we both had on winter coats, hats, gloves, and boots. The water is really clear at the shore. The rocks and vegetation are pretty easy to see. I didn't see anything exciting really, other that how the vegetation is establishing itself in a different area of new rocks. We went inside for the night.

Diane had brought with her a photo compilation/slide show with unintended but beautiful background music of Sue and Dave's wedding of August 15, 2009. It was very nice, and we were able to talk about the pictures as they were scrolling through. It was almost 50 minutes long. Very beautiful, Sue, and Congratulations to Sue and Dave.

We visited and enjoyed each other's company. Diane finally wandered off to bed about 11; I wrote here after then, and am off to bed soon.

Tomorrow we'll clean up and go. The goal is 1pm.

44 degrees today, windy, spitty rain that finally stopped. The lake is kind of quiet right now.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 10.23.2009

I finally felt like I slept well. Ahh. I woke at 10:00, feeling like it was time to get up. And I did.

I washed up, breakfasted, started collecting things to go to the lake, piling shirts, pants, unders, etc., on the bed. I thought I would see what I am wanting to take, then choose the size bag to put it in.

I ended up using my suitcase, and that I wasn't taking a lot, I got my pillow into the bag, too. Winter coat, hat, and gloves went into another bag. A few foodstuffs, and I was ready.

I called the hospital to see if they were busy, as I was "on-call". There was still one other person to call ahead of me if they needed more help. Yippee!! I carried stuff down to the car.

I loaded up and got on my way. It was about 2:30. Windy, gray, foggy, misty rain alternating with other amounts of rain.

I got to Diane's about 3:30. She called a few minutes later, and shortly after that she was home. Cool.

We enjoyed each other's company, and Diane played a couple pieces on the piano. Very nice.

We got loaded up. I had to shift things around from the trunk to the back seat, which wasn't a problem, other than it was "snaining". Really coming down heavy. Cold, large drops, almost frozen.

When we took off from her house, we were both quite wet. We opted to stop at Bob Evans for dinner, which very near by. That was a good choice, because we not only got fed, we got warmed, and our coats almost dried.

On our way again. It was a mostly uneventful drive, other than the weather. We arrived at the Jacque Cabin about 8:30 and unloaded.

Even though it was about 48 degrees, gray, and precipitating, it was really nice. There was one mouse in a trap; other than that, all seemed to be ok. I talked with Daniel; all seemed well there, too. We went out for a flashlight walk, looking at the foundation of the house especially, and all looked ok.

We enjoyed good conversation and each other's company. Diane went off to bed; I wrote here.

No plans for tomorrow.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Thursday 10.22.2009

I was asleep when the radio came on; it was 6:11. I wondered why it was on, then remembered that I have a physical this morning. I thought I had set the clock to 6:30, and turned the radio off. I woke again at 6:35. I got up, and checked to see what time I had set it for. 0600. Hm. And I didn't wake for 11 minutes. Oh well, I'm up now, and have just enough time.

I cleaned up and left. I had a safe drive down in traffic and got to the doctor's office at 7:50.

When I got called back, we had to stop at the scale. I know I've gained some weight. Last year at this time I was 146 pounds on that scale. Today I was 156--AND A HALF!!!! Geesh!!! I weigh more now than when I was full term pregnant with each of my children!! I am not liking those numbers. Doctor thought it might be related to 1. the hormonal change in my body 2. thyroid imbalance or 3. too much food/not enough exercise. Yeah. I think my activity level has increased this past year, and I'm not sure I'm eating all that much more. We'll see what the blood test shows.

Everything else was good, though. Dr. Taylor had a suggestion for a different hot flash medicine that I will need to talk with Dr. Williams about when I see him in December.

One of the nice girls drew four tubes of blood, I checked out, and I was on my way.

I had a safe drive home, thank you God, and fixed my breakfast and ate. After a bit I went out to Meijer for fresh food, stopping at the library on the way to exchange materials.

Back at home, I started dinner, so that when Dan got home we would be ready to eat.

We visited some and had supper. I was kind of tired still, but the water aerobics was at 7:30. I put my bathing suit on and went over to the pool.

It was really nice. I decided that I would try to push myself a little more than what the instructor does, and I did. I also found out what happened when one gets a hot flash while in the pool. Ohmygosh--I splashed some water onto my face and kept moving. It was a very odd feeling, like the water changed temperatures. And when it had passed, my body wasn't any more wet than it was.

Back at home, I showered again and moisturized. That chlorine really dries out my skin. Dan was still awake (surprise) and didn't go to bed until almost 10. I wrote here.

I'm scheduled to work tomorrow, but our census is low. I offered to be "on call" so I could leave earlier in the afternoon to go to the lake. (Of course, I can't be more than an hour away, so I can only leave about 4 or so. I'll call them in the afternoon to see how business is)

I'm trying to stay awake, so I'll be off to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wednesday 10.21.2009

I feel like I didn't sleep very well last night. I've been just a little tired most of the day. Dan got up and went to work; I dozed on and off until 10.

I got up and had breakfast and showered. When I was finished "grooming" I picked up the house some, and it was time to leave for my hair appointment.

A lovely drive to Jackson. The sun was out and it was hovering at 70 degrees. Lauretta did a great job on my hair. It's pretty short this time. It's amazing how much she cuts off after just 4 weeks. I had a safe drive home, too, thank you God.

Dan was golfing this afternoon. I fixed our food and ate, then sorted some paperwork. He got in just before dark.

He ate, and it wasn't long before he was snoring in his chair. I suggested that he just go in to bed, and do I bother him at night, being awake so much?? He said no, that when I'm sleeping I snore. I'm wondering if I need a sleep study done. He did manage to make it to bed at 9 o'clock. I wrote here and will be going to bed myself soon.

Tomorrow morning is my "annual" physical, so I'll be up earlier than I'd like to be. Dan has to work.

My breast hasn't been as bothersome today, but the hot flashes have been. Ahhh, the sensations of being alive...

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tuesday 10.20.2009

It seemed like it was a long night. And that I was awake frequently. And that I slept pretty good during the short intervals that I was asleep. And then the radio came on. When I was sleeping.

I got up and got ready for work. Dan and I had breakfast and we each left for our respective places of employment.

It was pretty dark this morning. On the entrance ramp to the freeway, just off to the right in the grass, was a deer. He turned away from the highway and walked into the foliage. I saw a small rack of horns, maybe a 4- or 6- point. I watched for more the entire way to Jackson, but I didn't see any more. That's way ok.

The shuttle got to the parking lot a couple minutes after I did, so we had a ride over to the hospital. We had had a couple more babies during the night, so we had a few more patients than we left them with yesterday. We were kind of busy, but we had a good group of co-workers which made the day better.

I was asked to attend a "train the trainer" session for the respiratory masks that we will all need to wear if/when needed. These masks are considered respirators, not unlike the ones painters wear with the cartridge filters on them, in that they filter out particulates. And the airborne viruses are large enough to be filtered by the paper-y masks. Kind of like surgical masks, but they need to form an air seal around your mouth and nose. It takes almost a half hour to test someone with the different types and sizes to get the proper fit. And there are OSHA guidelines and requirements that must be met and documented for everyone involved in patient care. Nursing, housekeeping, dietary, etc. Oh yeah--the mask that the majority of our employees were tested with successfully is not available from the manufacturer due to high demand. So everyone (80% of the those tested) will need to be retested, because OSHA sees each style of mask as an individual piece of equipment that needs to be tested for the appropriate air seal. Quickly, so we might be more protected against this flu stuff that is going around.

We were meeting in a room that had another meeting scheduled behind us, and we weren't finished when we were out of time. I don't know when we'll get the rest of the training, but they'll notify us. Soon, I hope.

I had a safe drive back, too, thank You. Dan was home when I got home. He's gone to bed. I'm kind of tired tonight and will go to sleep soon. I had a nice phone call, and wrote here. My breast is having those sharp achy pains that are yucky.

Tomorrow I finally get my hair cut.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Monday 10.19.2009

After Not Much Sleep the radio came on. Ok, out of bed. I got ready to go to work; Dan got up a half hour later and did same.

A safe drive down, thank you God, and I was watchful while driving. It seemed that there were lots of stains on the road. There was also a car crossways in the median, each bumper wedged into the sloped sides. The lights were on and the ?male driver was standing beside the car. I think he must have gotten out of a door window, because as I write this, I don't recall the door being open. I don't think it could open, the way the vehicle was crumpled. Anyway, not too far from that was an "authorized vehicles only" turn around thing, where a pick up truck in front of me turned into and stopped. Maybe going to help the guy. I didn't see a deer, but that kind of median landing is common when it's slippery. I said a short prayer.

The shuttle was there to take us over. The census was surprisingly low today, with just one unit open. Most of those patients went home, and I was able to clock out at 4 pm. I went over to the closed unit into an empty room, put a sheet over the bed, and laid down for a rest. To my surprise, I woke up a half hour later, just in time to get myself together and get to a meeting that is "strongly encouraged".

The meeting was good. The president of the hospital does this quarterly to keep us up to date on the status of the hospital. It seems we are weathering this financial challenge fairly well, all things considered. She cited a statistic that Jackson has the second most uninsured people in Michigan, (about 20% of the population); the first being Flint.

I left for home about 6:45. It was nice to get home by 7:30. Dan had just gotten in from golf. He hadn't eaten, and neither had I, so I fixed scrambled eggs/ham/onion/cheese for us. It was yummy. And, of course, it wasn't much longer than Dan was snoring in the chair. I woke him about 8:20 to go to bed.

I've checked email and written here. Tomorrow is another workday for both of us.

I had some pretty strong breast pains today that kind of surprised me. Sudden onset, burning aching stabbing, mostly in the wound bed, quite intense, lasting maybe 10 or 15 minutes. Almost like spasm-y stuff. A couple different times. And of course hot flashes, and the arm is bothersome, too. Itchy on the inside, aching in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.

It's all minor stuff, right?? I'm cancer free and thankful to be alive.

And thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Sunday 10.18.2009

Dan had set his alarm this morning for another possible golf date, depending on the weather. When it went off at 0800, the sun was shining. He got up and did his morning stuff then came back to bed. It wasn't too much longer until his phone rang. He would be leaving in about an hour.

I got up and had breakfast, not sure what I was going to do today. After a while I decided to try the bike rack on the G6. It didn't take much re-adjustment to attach it. Then I put the bike on it. I looked around the outer garage and finally found a long bungee cord that ended up working well to secure the bike to the rack. I had lunch, then went over the Burchfield County Park.

I had never been there before, but had been to the website. It showed that there are marked trails for biking, hiking, and cross country skiing. So I went to check it out.

It's a large park that is along a river. Lots of picnic shelters (pavilions). The trees were beautiful in their yellows, oranges, reds, and greens. The leaves are falling, almost like snow.

I parked and got the bike unloaded, strapped on the helmet, and took off on the "easy" trail. Well. It may have been "easy", but I discovered a few things: 1. it's really bumpy, going over tree roots, bumpy trails, and fallen branches 2. one needs to look down at the trail in order to follow said trail as it curves around trees and such 3. on the few occasions the trail did not need my full attention and I was able to look around, I was going too fast to look around 4. biking is noisy--I couldn't stop fast enough to see what was scampering in the leaves (probably a squirrel) 5. it was a lot colder outdoors than I thought it was, and 6. the bumpy trail really aggravated my left shoulder. So, after doing the "short loop" I parked the bike back at the car and went back out on the trail on foot. Much better. I saw several squirrels and could stop and watch them, I could look up into the trees or down at the river, go up and down the steps of the boardwalks, shuffle step through the fallen leaves, and put my gloved hands in my pockets if I wanted to. I saw that the trails do seem to be marked well, and came across a stationary map, which stated that the trails are groomed for cross country skiing. Cool! I hope that's still true, what with budget cuts and all.

Anyway, I'd been out long enough. I loaded my bike and headed home.

Dan called not too long after I got home and he arrived shortly after. I had made a grocery list and went out to Meijer while he showered and warmed up and rested. When I got back I had a bite to eat, visited with him a bit, and he went off to bed. I took tylenol/motrin and wrote here. I was so hot when I got back from the store. Dripping like it was 90% humidity. Ugh.

Tomorrow is a workday for both of us.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Saturday 10.17.2009

I slept ok, overall. Dan got up at 0500 to go north, golfing in Grayling. I ended up getting up about 10.

I had breakfast, waited a while, then went out for a jog. The sun was very nice, but the wind was nippy. I came in, cooled off, and showered.

The rest of the afternoon was kind of quiet. I cleaned out a couple of junk drawers. I would like to put the screwdrivers and miscellaneous screws and such down on the workbench, but it's Dan's house too, and he likes that stuff up here. Ugh.

He called about 6:30, saying they were done and on their way home. I had supper.

I'm finally feeling mostly better this evening. I've had lots of water the last couple of days.

Dan got in just before 11, while I was writing this. He's showering, and off to bed.

Tomorrow is unplanned, I think.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Friday 10.16.2009

The alarm came on at 0800 this morning. Ugh. If it were any other kind of optional appointment, I would have opted out and gone back to sleep. But this was my massage appointment. I drug myself out of bed. Washed up, drank water. I wasn't going to have breakfast, but then I saw I had time, and I was starting to get hungry. I ate, and it was time to leave.

Leah did a good job, as always. She is working more and more, bit by bit, on the fluid in my arm and around back over my ribs. When she was doing the back/rib area, the tissue felt like a wet sponge to me. She said it was visibly full. Great. My appointment with Ike isn't until November 2. But, this helps.

Back at home, I was just going into the house when the phone rang. It was Penny from the rehab place. She received the prescription for therapy, and would I like to schedule sooner? I responded that we weren't able to coordinate dates any sooner than what we did. She told me that she had a cancellation with Ike at 1:00, it was an hour time slot, and would I like that appointment??

Would I??? Oh, Yeah!!! Yes, please. Thanks. Thank you God. I must really need this appointment if He made it happen for today. Good.

So I showered, drank more water, and before leaving had a half sandwich and milk, and left for therapy.

Ike was happy to see me, and I her. She smiled and hugged me, and we went into a treatment room. She looked me over, saying that the fullness was very visible from the back, across the scapula (shoulder blade) and ribs, and the back of my upper arm. She mentioned that the arm was even dimpled or pucker-y. Great. Then she took several measurements around each arm, from the mid-upper arm on down to the breadth of each hand. And guess what--we have measured proof that the left arm is larger than the right. So I feel validated. I guess it bothers me that when I feel the fluid collecting and I get uncomfortable and achy and punky feeling and itchy in the tissues and I communicate all of that, that I have to wait until the measurements prove it. I don't want to wait until I puff up. I want to have that fluid moved out of there before the measurements increase, when I feel it happening.

Anyway, after the assessment was done, she started working on me. I think she was surprised at just how much fluid was in my back and side areas, as well the arm and breast. It was a bit uncomfortable during the process, but even with only a half hour treatment, I felt a little better.

Back at home, I'm really feeling punky now. Lymph fluid is another one of the processes that removes waste from the body, and it's been puddling. Now that it's been moved, that crud is circulating and trying to be excreted. I ended up drinking another 32 ounces of water, and of course, water out. And it was smelly. Eww. I decided to lay down for a nap before Dan got home.

Just as I was going in to use the restroom before my nap, Dan called to say he had been able to leave early (which is good, because as a salaried person he doesn't get overtime--he's got lots of time "banked") and he would be home soon. I decided not to lay down until after he got here.

We visited a bit, but I wasn't much company. He had made plans to "hit some balls" with another guy, and he left. I went in and laid on the bed.

When I woke it was 6 pm. Dan was home. Hm. I had slept over an hour. I felt just a smidgen better. More water.

We talked about dinner, and decided to ask Bre and Nick to meet us somewhere. He made the arrangements. It seemed like forever, and after a while I asked when we were leaving. He said, "when they get here". Oh. They finally showed up about 7.

Dan drove us to the Olive Garden, which is on the northeast side of Lansing. And there was a 35 minute wait. Ugh. We signed in and got our pager. I suggested we walk over to Dick's Sporting Goods to pass the time instead of standing around in the crammed foyer. So we did.

We browsed. I tried on a pair of shoes, which didn't fit in any of the three sizes I tried on, and Bre found some "warmwear" running clothes--jacket and tights. By then our half hour was up and we headed back.

And we were seated 5 minutes later. That worked out well.

We had a great dinner, came home, Bre and Nick went up to the clubhouse to work out, and Dan went to bed.

When they came back, they visited a bit before they left to go home. It was good to see them.

I wrote here. I still feel a little punky, but I expected to. It will get better. My next appointment with Ike is the November 2 one. But at least we got started.

Tomorrow Dan is going to Grayling? to golf. He's got his "warmwear" out and ready. I'm hoping to feel better.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thursday 10.15.2009

Early morning, up and at 'em. We got ready and left for our J.O.B.s. Just north of Jackson, I saw a large white bug in the headlights. Then a few more. I was wondering about seeing bugs--I was surprised to see bugs. They should be going into the ground, but maybe this species feeds some type of bird. HEY, THOSE AREN'T BUGS!!! It's snow!!! Hm. 39 degrees out there. I could see the wet drops on the windshield. I've seen my first snow of the season.

The shuttle was in the parking lot when I pulled in, and took us over to the hospital.

We had a very busy morning, with a good crew. We were able to staff down after lunch. The rest of the afternoon was long, steady, and do-able. One of the best parts is the visitor restrictions. It is so nice to be able to take care of the patients without their "guests" coming in and out (and our patients seem to have lots of visitors), and I think the patients are more relaxed and rested without worrying about "being ready" for visitors. You know, baby fed, mom showered, mom fed, mom napped, pain medicine/rest, etc. The whole atmosphere--not only on our floor, but the entire hospital--seems to be less hectic. And quieter. Very nice.

We were able to leave in a timely manner. I had a safe drive home, thank you God. Dan was home when I got home. I put my things away, washed up, changed clothes. We visited a little, then he turned his attention to the television, and it wasn't too much longer before he was sleeping in the chair. He has since gone to bed.

Tomorrow he works, I have a massage in the morning. I'm looking forward to it--my shoulders are sore, and I know she'll work on my arm and rib area where the fluid is collecting. As an aside, I have called the Oncologist office for a prescription for therapy, and have an appointment with Ike scheduled for November 2, as she is out of town until that week. I'm looking forward to that, too.

And to hearing from you.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wednesday 10.14.2009

I feel like I didn't sleep much last night. I got up when the radio came on at 0430. Dan got up at 0500. We went our separate ways into the dark morning.

I had a safe drive to Jackson, thank you God, avoiding the many clumps of fur that could almost form a rug on the highway. The shuttle was in the parking lot and delivered us to the front door of the hospital.

We had a good day with a good group. The hospital has implemented a guideline for staff, that if anyone has symptoms of the flu, don't come to work, and if you have a fever along with it, you are automatically off work for 7 days. Period. One of our staff is off, with Monday being Day 7, and another was sniffling, coughing, and sneezing today, saying she still doesn't have a fever. Great. We encouraged her to go home, but she didn't. That irks me. I hope she is either better tomorrow or stays home. Or someone higher up sends her home. Geesh.

After work I went to the Okemos Branch of the library where one of the computer guys had a workshop for downloading the eBooks. I went to one before, but have been unable to complete the download process, with a message box appearing. I've followed the directions, and Dan doesn't know what to do either. So this guy, Eric, goes through the steps (on my laptop) and was also unable to solve that particular problem. We did get the second of two programs downloaded and functional, so I did make progress. Very convenient to download audiobooks without physically going to the library.

I got home about 9:20. Dan was up, but tired. We chatted briefly but he was dozing off in the chair. He finally went to bed about a half hour later.

Tomorrow is a workday for both of us.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tuesday 10.13.2009

I slept pretty good this morning, finally waking close to 10. I got up, had breakfast and a claritin.

About 1:30 I headed out to the Aurelius Branch of the library for what turned out to be a very nice presentation about Michigan's Ghost Towns. One of the definitions of a ghost town is a community that had a post office at one time. We were there for about an hour and a half, and only touched on a small percentage of the abandoned towns on the west side of the state. I found it very interesting.

Dan got home shortly after I did, and we went to Los Tres Amigos for supper. We each tried something different from the menu, and each of us would have rather had our preferred choices. We didn't leave hungry.

I went out to "splash aerobics" at the local school pool at 7:30. It was only 45 minutes, but it was fun to be in the water. I'm not sure I had much of an elevated heart rate, either. But we did do lots of movements, and the resistance of the water is supposed to be good. What I was surprised about was how heavy my body seemed to be as I climbed the steps to get out of the water.

I came home and showered. Dan had a movie in, I wrote here. He's gone to bed now.

Tomorrow is a workday for both of us.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Monday 10.12.2009

I slept pretty good last night; you know, the usual. The best part is that I didn't have to get up early this morning. After Dan left for work I went back to sleep. Ahhh. And then it was 9:00.

I got up a little while later and started my day with a claritin and breakfast. I enjoyed playing my piano, and went out to Meijer in the afternoon. As I was leaving the parking lot I saw my previous Sebring. I drove by to see if it really was. Yup--scratches, wear spots on the soft top. I hope the new owner likes it.

Dan golfed after work. I fixed dinner--broccoli, acorn squash with ginger, ham, and apple upside-down cake. Yummy. We chatted a bit, and he has gone off to bed.

Tomorrow I'm going to a presentation at the Aurelius Branch of the library at 2:00 about Michigan Ghost Towns. Should be good. And water aerobics at 7:30 pm in Holt. Joiners??

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sunday 10.11.2009

Dan got up and ready for work; my phone didn't wake me to tell me I needed to come in to work. I went back to sleep.

I woke about 8:15 with the sun trying to get through the gaps in the blinds. I dozed again before getting out of bed about 9:30. My head was still full. Yuck. This is a cling-on virus...

I took a claritin, washed up, had breakfast. Hm. No energy or ambition. And since I didn't have to go anywhere or do anything, I took tylenol/motrin and a sudafed to see if I could feel better, just in case I did get called in to work.

I felt a little better in a while, and decided to fix scalloped potatoes and pork for supper. While I was putting it together, Dan called, saying he got out of work early and was going to golf.

While the food was in the oven, I went in to take a shower. The water felt good. Dan got home just as I was finished and the oven timer was going off.

We ate and visited, then he showered. A little while later he was sleeping in the chair. He has since gone to bed.

He works tomorrow; I'll go grocering.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Saturday 10.10.2009

I thought I slept pretty good/fair last night. I got up when the radio came on and got ready for work. Dan got up about a half hour later when his alarm chimed.

We had breakfast and left. I had a safe drive down, thank you God, in the pretty thick fog. As I came into Jackson a raccoon darted out into the highway and I crunched it. Eww. In the rearview mirror I saw the vehicles behind me moving over in the lane. Ick. I will say I'm surprised at how fast it was moving. I guess I had thought that they were slower moving animals.

We had a good day with a great group of co-workers. Since we now have H1N1 flu in the community and have inpatients testing positive for it, the hospital has restricted visitors to "no one 18 and under", and on our floor, "must be well; parents, grandparents, significant others only". No friends, no children. Sounds drastic, but the halls and rooms were sure quieter. And no one is fussing about the restrictions.

Dan was home when I got there. He said some of the "patrons" are coming in sick. We reviewed "hand hygiene" and he said they've got the hand sanitizer stuff all around. And to not touch your face--eyes, nose, mouth. We'll see what happens...

He's gone off to bed. I'm sleepy, too, but I probably won't work tomorrow, as we left the night shift with only 5 patients. WooHoo!! But I will have to be available "on call".

So I'll be sleeping in.

Thank you for reading. Masked hugs.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Friday 10.09.2009

I was awake at sunrise, where I saw nothing other than heavy gray cloud cover over a gray-blue lake ruffled with a steady light wind. The drizzle alternated with light rain throughout the morning. I dozed back off--Dan got up at some point; I got up shortly after 9.

I breakfasted, showered, cleaned, and packed. Dan helped with the vacuuming and loaded the car, and we were on the road at noon.

An uneventful trip in the rain, thank you God. We arrived home about 3:15.

We unloaded and unpacked. I was going to start food prep, but Dan suggested that we go out for dinner. Oh, ok. We ended up going to a Greek restaurant where he had a gyro and a baked potato (odd combination?) and I had baked tilapia, salad, baked potato, broccoli. Overall it was fair for restaurant food.

Back home, he's watching some Stargate DVD that came in the mail; I'm on the computer. We both work tomorrow, and I'm feeling like I'd like to go to bed pretty soon.

I enjoyed my time at the JC, and I'm looking forward to being able to go again, though I don't know when.

Want to go??

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Thursday 10.08.2009

Although I didn't sleep much, it was incredible to be lakeside. The moonlight lit the lake so that the majority of the time I was awake I could lie there and look out. I didn't see anything interesting, like giant fish arcing out of the water or anything. I dozed for a short while and it was dawn; I dozed again, and as the sun was over the treetops the lake started "steaming". The soft S-shapes of translucent fog were oozing up from the mirrored lake. But then a slight breeze stirred up. As the water became more rippled from the breeze, so did the foggy stuff disappear. That was pretty cool. I went back to sleep.

When I woke next time, Dan was just waking, too, and it was 8:45. We got up.

I washed up and had breakfast; he had already eaten.

We had a busy day today. The mobile marine company that I had been referred to and seen lots of signage for called back this morning and left a message, "we don't do I/O's". (doesn't work on inboard/outboard engines). Ok, plan B.

I called Long Lake Marine, and even though it was during business hours, no one answered. I ate breakfast while waiting for them to call back. Since they didn't, Dan and I went up there. Yes, we can do the boat, today is fine. Great!! We went back to get the boat.

We dropped that off, went back to the cabin, got back into Dan's car, and went into Hale. We had a list, stopping at the hardware first. We got a few things that we need, but had to go to the Building Center for the other two.

That done, we went back home. It was so beautiful out. We put the rowboats away and covered them, I sprayed rodent/chipmunk deterrent around the perimeter of the JC. Dan went indoors while I moved the larger chunks and strips of grass embedded lily of the valley down by the side edge of the seawall where the soil is settling and shifting. I may regret having that particular vegetation there, but we'll see. I raked the side yard of sticks, acorns, and oak leaf clusters and put them in the neighbor's burning area (Dan had dumped our burn thing and left it turned over). I raked their yard a little, too, of the oak tree debris. A little more raking in the back yard, then I swept the cement.

It had been a few hours, and the shop had called saying the boat was done. Wow, that was quick. I was just finished with my chores, too. I went to get it. $65.00 for the winterization, and another $23.00 for some product to remove the rest of the algae stain from the bottom of the boat. The guy says it works. Ok...

I got the boat back in the garage, and Bob and Evelyn next door said they were ready to go out on the pontoon. WooHoo!! Although it's become overcast and a little breezy, I was excited to go. We got our warm coats and went for a lovely ride around the east half of the lake. Lots of oranges, reds, and yellows in the foliage, but another 2 or 3 weeks or so will be peak color. Maybe 70% of the docks and boats have been taken out. I was surprised at how many are still in, mostly the pontoons. It was so beautiful. I really enjoyed that ride.

Coming back up the lake, though, the wind had picked up a little. It was only about 50 degrees now with the cloud cover, and with the wind it was quite chilly. In "our" bay there were even occasional whitecaps--Evelyn declared it was time to go in. So we headed across the lake to the dock. It was still a lovely ride.

Back ashore, we walked around the yards, checking out each others' seasonal progress (we passed their inspection). I had to get in and start dinner.

Daniel had some DVD playing, I cooked, and we ate. It started a light rain outdoors. I cleaned up the kitchen, then re-arranged the outer front room where Dan had brought the outdoor items in, "neatening" it up. (is that a word?)

Daniel wasn't awake much longer, and has long since gone to bed. I'm about on my way, too.

I'm finally feeling somewhat better this evening--the pressure in my ears doesn't seem to be as great. I still have an occasional cough.

Tomorrow we'll clean up and go home.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wednesday 10.07.2009

I was hoping I would sleep better than I did, but I got up about 8:30 with that yucky head pressure. I took a claritin, had breakfast, put a load of laundry in, took a nice warm shower. I started to feel a little better, but "fatigued" would be a good description.

So, I sat on the sofa and read a little. Oh yeah, I had wet clothes in the washer. I put them in the dryer and started packing to go to the lake. I hope the tylenol, motrin, and sudafed help me feel better.

I was ready by noon. I filled the gas tank on the way to the freeway, and I was on the way.

The sun was breaking through and it turned out to be a very nice drive, thank you God, other than the wind. But the further north I got the wind lessened. By the time I got to the lake, the sun was out and it was just occasionally gusty.

I was happy to see Daniel. He had gotten the majority of the chores done already, and Tom and Kathy Sue had been over in the afternoon. The guys got the dock out of the water. I appreciate that Tom helped. It's always easier to have help for that chore.

The UPS truck finally showed up about 4:30 to pick up the Sunsetter awning that we are returning. We just couldn't find an installation method that we were comfortable with. About the same time the truck arrived, I saw Ann walking her dogs and went out to visit with her. She's going back to Ohio for the winter, leaving Sunday morning. Big hugs.

We met T & KS at Big Bob's in Hale for supper. It was good to visit with them. They went on their way home after we ate.

Back at the lake, we moved a few things around outside and talked about what we could do tomorrow. We've got evidence of mice inside, and chipmunks outside are under the foundation into the crawlspace, as we watched one go into a space we discovered while we were outdoors. So a trip to the hardware store tomorrow.

Dan had a movie in and has gone to bed. He called me out to the front room to view the huge harvest moon rising directly out in front of us over the lake. Totally Awesome.

My head has somewhat cleared up, but I'm still a bit fatigued. Tomorrow I'll be better.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Tuesday 10.06.2009

Another workday. I felt like I was awake a lot during the night, but was sleeping when the radio came on this morning. Ugh. I got up; Dan stretched out and resumed snoring.

A safe drive to work in the rain, thank you God, with a shuttle to take us over. The first half of the day was better, but the last half kind of blew up, and I was glad to be done.

I had another safe drive home, thanks again.

Dan had left for the lake this afternoon. He says it's raining, cool, and windy, but he's got a movie on and is comfortable. He also said he thought I rested better during the night. Hm.

I thought I was feeling better, but during the afternoon while the pace had quickened, I had a few really obnoxious coughing spells. The tickle that doesn't quit until my eyes are watering and everyone on the unit is convinced I've got the "pig cough". No--just how a cold often affects me at the end of it. Cough drops, hot tea, plain water--nothing really helped. Time is the healer.

At home, I put my things away, and realized I was hungry. Oh yeah, I didn't have time to eat again this afternoon. So I heated up the food I had taken.

Now that I've eaten, I'm getting sleepy. So I'll go to bed soon.

Tomorrow I'll head north for a couple of days.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Monday 10.05.2009

I thought I had slept pretty good at intervals, though I did wake about 2:30 with a coughing spell. I was sleeping when the radio came on at 0430. Up time. I dozed back off inadvertently for a few minutes before resurfacing.

Ready to go, we each went on our way.

And right at the end of the entrance ramp to the highway was a large amount of creature pieces. Fresh. Right where I needed to merge. Ewww. The larger chunks were over in the lane; I had room to continue over to the right a little further before moving onto the highway. Yuck.

Having avoided the majority of the debris, I thanked the angels for watching over me and to let me get to work safely. I did.

The shuttle came and scooped us up, leaving us at the front entrance of the hospital.

We had another amazingly busy day today, with a great group of co-workers. I did pretty good, though mid-morning I started coughing, and had a tickle a few times during the day. Tonight, though, I haven't coughed. And my nose isn't running any more.

Dan was home when I got home. We visited a little, and of course he's gone off to bed. He's got a couple things to do tomorrow, then will probably head up to the lake tomorrow late afternoon/early evening. I have to work and will be going up on Wednesday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sunday 10.04.2009

I slept a lot last night. From 8 pm to 9 am. Of course, with many periods of wakefulness, and I got up every 3 1/2 - 4 hours to take another sudafed.

I had breakfast when I got up, then took a most lovely shower. The warm water felt so good on the back of my neck. When I was done and dressed, I was fatigued. Ok. I rested, dozing maybe 20 minutes or so. I have to get out and get more sudafed.

I had a one-bread sandwich then went out. First to the library and picked up a couple more books on cd, then to Meijer. I picked up the things on the list and was happy to be back at home.

Dan got home about 4:45. I was still a little tired, but he offered to go out and pick up food--gyros for him, spinach pie (spinakapita) for me. I ate most of it.

I haven't had a sudafed since 1:30, and my nose isn't dripping!! WooHoo. Just head pressure.

I think I'm over the worst of it, and plan to go to work tomorrow.

By the way, Dan says he got 51 miles per gallon this last tank of gas. Honda Insight. He seems to like it.

I'm going to take my hot flashing self to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Saturday 10.03.2009 Drip. Drip...

I felt pretty good when I woke up, although it was just after 8 and felt that I was done sleeping. I washed up and had breakfast.

It was all downhill from there.

Throughout the morning my nose started dripping that clear watery stuff, and hasn't slowed down. I've tried the claritin, sudafed, and thera flu (at appropriate intervals) and have soaked through tissues. Without a tissue at my nose, it just drip-drips that clear watery stuff. And after I took the thera flu (which is supposed to help coughs) I started coughing. Great. My eyes are dripping, too, at intervals. New stuff for me.

I'm glad I'm not scheduled to work tomorrow, because you know I'd have to stay home. Hopefully I'll be better.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Friday 10.02.2009

I slept pretty good, considering, and got up when the radio came on for work. Dan got up when his alarm came on, and we each went on our way.

It was raining and dark this morning. The shuttle was there and came by and scooped us up, delivering us at the hospital.

We had another extremely busy day, with a great group of co-workers. The population of Jackson County has to be growing; certainly not that many deaths occur each day...

And after 12 1/2 hours we were able to leave. The shuttle was there to take us back over to our vehicles.

The rain had stopped and the pavement dried up, and I had a safe drive home, thank you God. Daniel had gotten home just before I did. Our evening was short, as he has showered and gone to bed.

Tomorrow is a workday for him, a rest day for me. I'm still feeling the effects of this virus, with a little bit of congestion, clear drippy nose when the sudafed wears off, occasionally my eyes feel "wet", and fatigue that comes and goes. I hope that's as sick as I get with it. Time will tell.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Thursday 10.01.2009

I slept fairly well, intermittently as I do, and went back to sleep after Dan left for work. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had slept through until after 9:30. And I felt pretty good, too, when I woke, though still on the edge of this cold or whatever it is. I took a claritin.

I had breakfast and a cup of hot tea, then went in to shower.

I started dinner so that it would be ready not too long after Dan got home. I had been feeling ok, then all of a sudden I wasn't. Ick. My head filled up.

We ate, and I took a sudafed along with the tylenol/motrin.

I guess that helped--I do feel somewhat better.

I'm tired again, and will be going to bed soon so that I can get up for work in the morning.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.