Saturday morning I went all Betty Crocker-y and bought groceries, browned hamburger, and put together a big pan of lasagna for supper Saturday night—after having been awake all night at work the night before. And then, because I was obviously delirious from lack of sleep, I texted Reed: "I made a big pan of lasagna. Supper at your place tonight before I go to work. See ya about 4:00." Four? What was I thinking??
Then the cats and I snuggled up in my flannel sheets, I donned my little sleep mask (the one that has GO AWAY in big letters on it), put in my ear plugs (hey, the neighbors are noisy) and fell fast asleep. Without setting an alarm. Louis Cat woke me up at 4:40. Oops. I took the quickest shower ever, threw on some clothes, and ran out of the house carrying a big foil-wrapped pan of lasagna before me and holding my cell phone between ear and shoulder. Reed lives next street over—down the alley, around the corner, cross the street, and you're there—which is mighty convenient when you're running almost an hour late and the lasagna's still unbaked. I arrived on the front porch of his house, a little breathless, and full of apology.
"I'm so sorry. I know I said four, and you probably packed up early at work and everything for me and now we're gonna have to rush to eat before I leave and I can't believe I forgot to set my alarm so it's a good thing Louis woke me up, and I forgot the salad at the store too so this is all there is, and did you turn the oven on?"
"It's alright," Reed grinned. "I'm just glad you got your sleep on."
Thankful...Friday?
I usually do this on Thursdays, but time got away from me yesterday. This list is different—and much longer—than in previous weeks. That's because this week's list is a "homework assignment" my friend Jill gave me, which began as an assignment her counselor gave her. I appreciate her challenging me to do this.
Things I am thankful for:
FAMILY
Having my own child, who is the only blood relative I've known all of his life
My beautiful daughter-in-law Sarah, who loves my son so much
Being adopted by parents who did their very best to give me a loving, safe, happy home
Having the chance to meet my birth brother, probable birth father, and to learn more about my birth family
Being able to hold the hand of my father as he died
My cousins in Illinois who made my childhood so wonderful
Having my grandmother with me until I was 19, and all the things I learned from her
STUFF
My 1887 or so Queen Anne cottage and the ability to restore it mostly on my own
Living in a National Register Historic District
Having beautiful houses around me to look at when I go for walks
My Kia Soul with the houndstooth seats
The antique furniture my mom gave me
My grandmother's pearl ring
FRIENDS
Having two friends (Jill & Travis) who really "get" me
People I've known since I was a child
My friend Michelle and her two boys, who always make me laugh
Stacy, who is the sister I never had
My boyfriend, who is always supportive and kind
Three cats: Marie, Christopher & Louie
Bob, who helps me on my house when I get in over my head
Milah, who convinced me to give church another try and gave me the phrase "spiritually fed"
WORK
Having a job with great pay and good benefits that allows me to afford my house, my bills, and still have some money left over for fun
A few co-workers who make me grateful that they aren't like the majority of the people there
A consistent schedule, which is rare in emergency services
The added projects that the Division Chief has given me
MEANING
Finding not just one, but two, churches that spiritually feed me
UCC Prayer Chapel, so I can go to church online (when I remember)
Having a job that can save someone's life
A son who is a police officer and truly believes in the adage "protect and serve"
Working for preservation of historic structures in my hometown
Discovering that Sean's sudden & unexpected death taught me lessons about love & loss and may be the most terrible and important thing that's ever happened to me
BOOKS, ETC.
Willa Cather
John Steinbeck
Smithsonian magazine
Ernest Hemingway
The poetry of Sylvia Plath
Walt Whitman
Old House Journal
Any book about the Trans-Mississippi front during the Civil War, women during the Westward movement,
Jesse James, or the period of history from about 1850 to about 1890.
FUN
Taking a long drive to nowhere
Browsing antique stores
Laughing with John
Netflix Watch Instantly
Walking around town in the middle of the night
Playing with the cats
Debates with Dylan
Crossword puzzles
Games on King.com
Front porch sitting
MY BODY
My intelligence
The ability to restore the exterior of my house without seriously injuring myself
My recovery from the illness (still undiagnosed) that made me sick for 14 months
The tat on my left wrist that reminds me of Sean
Things I am thankful for:
FAMILY
Having my own child, who is the only blood relative I've known all of his life
My beautiful daughter-in-law Sarah, who loves my son so much
Being adopted by parents who did their very best to give me a loving, safe, happy home
Having the chance to meet my birth brother, probable birth father, and to learn more about my birth family
Being able to hold the hand of my father as he died
My cousins in Illinois who made my childhood so wonderful
Having my grandmother with me until I was 19, and all the things I learned from her
STUFF
My 1887 or so Queen Anne cottage and the ability to restore it mostly on my own
Living in a National Register Historic District
Having beautiful houses around me to look at when I go for walks
My Kia Soul with the houndstooth seats
The antique furniture my mom gave me
My grandmother's pearl ring
FRIENDS
Having two friends (Jill & Travis) who really "get" me
People I've known since I was a child
My friend Michelle and her two boys, who always make me laugh
Stacy, who is the sister I never had
My boyfriend, who is always supportive and kind
Three cats: Marie, Christopher & Louie
Bob, who helps me on my house when I get in over my head
Milah, who convinced me to give church another try and gave me the phrase "spiritually fed"
WORK
Having a job with great pay and good benefits that allows me to afford my house, my bills, and still have some money left over for fun
A few co-workers who make me grateful that they aren't like the majority of the people there
A consistent schedule, which is rare in emergency services
The added projects that the Division Chief has given me
MEANING
Finding not just one, but two, churches that spiritually feed me
UCC Prayer Chapel, so I can go to church online (when I remember)
Having a job that can save someone's life
A son who is a police officer and truly believes in the adage "protect and serve"
Working for preservation of historic structures in my hometown
Discovering that Sean's sudden & unexpected death taught me lessons about love & loss and may be the most terrible and important thing that's ever happened to me
BOOKS, ETC.
Willa Cather
John Steinbeck
Smithsonian magazine
Ernest Hemingway
The poetry of Sylvia Plath
Walt Whitman
Old House Journal
Any book about the Trans-Mississippi front during the Civil War, women during the Westward movement,
Jesse James, or the period of history from about 1850 to about 1890.
FUN
Taking a long drive to nowhere
Browsing antique stores
Laughing with John
Netflix Watch Instantly
Walking around town in the middle of the night
Playing with the cats
Debates with Dylan
Crossword puzzles
Games on King.com
Front porch sitting
MY BODY
My intelligence
The ability to restore the exterior of my house without seriously injuring myself
My recovery from the illness (still undiagnosed) that made me sick for 14 months
The tat on my left wrist that reminds me of Sean
Very Nearly Done
The kitchen wallpaper is done! I finished it up yesterday morning and then spent the rest of the day browsing through antique stores with my mom.
This means that the kitchen, after almost eight months, is very nearly done. I just need to put on four more cabinet pulls, fix the piece of backsplash that one of the cats worked loose, paint both sides of the door white, and hang up the cool vintage (1940s-1960s) ads I bought yesterday. Oh, and take photos of the finished kitchen since it's the one room in the house that is just the way I want it.
Next up? I seriously need to deal with that pee-pee carpet...
This means that the kitchen, after almost eight months, is very nearly done. I just need to put on four more cabinet pulls, fix the piece of backsplash that one of the cats worked loose, paint both sides of the door white, and hang up the cool vintage (1940s-1960s) ads I bought yesterday. Oh, and take photos of the finished kitchen since it's the one room in the house that is just the way I want it.
Next up? I seriously need to deal with that pee-pee carpet...
Chickens Marching
I almost finished the kitchen wallpaper today. Just a couple more strips to put up tomorrow. I might've finished today were it not for the two-hour nap I took in the middle of the day. Kinda cut into the productivity.
Now it's off to my mom's for supper.
Now it's off to my mom's for supper.
Better Days
The past couple of days have been better as far as the peripheral vertigo's effect on my balance, but it's been such beautiful weather that I just couldn't bear to be stuck inside doing projects. So, I played outside Saturday and Sunday and am forcing myself inside today to get something accomplished.
Here's where I am right now with the kitchen wallpaper:
I hope that by quitting time today, more of the walls are chicken-covered. Progress photos to follow.
Here's where I am right now with the kitchen wallpaper:
Thankful Thursday
My latest list of five things I am thankful for, in no particular order:
1. People who have a sense of humor. When I say I'm a fire and EMS dispatcher, I think what leaps to most people's minds is those terrifying, life-and-death calls you hear on the news sometimes. We do get those every once in a while, but the majority of our calls are what we call "bread and butter"—ordinary medical calls like difficulty breathing, general illness, and chest pain. Tonight a quite elderly man called 911 and when I said, "Sir, I'll just stay on the phone with you until the paramedics arrive," he replied calmly and politely, "Oh, that's not necessary. Surely I'll live at least until they get here." I love my job.
2. The superhero that is Reed. If y'all can stand just one more mention of the boyfriend....Last week I learned I might possibly have a chance to bid day shift at work. I've worked nights for almost four years, but the possibility of working "normal" hours is tempting, so I debated the pros and cons with myself for a few days before telling Reed I was thinking about it. He works days, but we haven't been together that long and I was unsure what he'd think of my even counting him among the reasons to turn my work schedule upside-down. So, I laid it all out to him over supper. He thought for a few minutes and said, "Of course I'd love to see you more, but the truth is that you have to do what's best for you." Of course. And now I know I'll have his support no matter what shift I bid. I call him a superhero for good reason.
3. My mom's inability to keep really good Christmas presents a secret until Christmas. For years and years, my mother has started her Christmas shopping about mid-August. When she finds something really good, she can't just stow it away until Christmas, try as she might. Yesterday it was my turn for the early present. I cut the tape on the box she hadn't even wrapped yet and inside...a Breadman bread maker! Hooray! I baked a loaf of bread as soon as I got it home.
4. Baby Chase. My daughter-in-law's sister had a baby girl two months ago, and one of my son's best friends had a baby boy just a few days later. Dylan and Sarah have been baby-sitting a lot lately, and along with that has come a certain amount of baby fever. I admit not being immune to it, either. (Babies are just so cute and cuddly and sweet, aren't they?) Monday night Dylan called me and asked me to come over. When I got to his house, there sat he and his wife on the sofa, looking exhausted and a little shell-shocked. "Um," I said, "I hear a baby crying." Sarah looked at me a little tearfully. "I know," she said, "and no matter what we do he won't stop crying." I picked up Baby Chase and rocked him (it's amazing how these skills come right back to you) so Sarah and Dylan could eat supper. As Sarah grabbed a second slice of pizza she remarked, "At least we can give him back in a couple hours when his mama gets here." And Dylan said, "We are so not ready for kids of our own." Lil Chase, I'm sorry you had such a bad tummy-ache, but thank you.
5. Netflix Watch Instantly and FeedFliks. I got a Netflix account because I am completely unable to return a video on time and the monthly fee for Netflix is cheaper than my late fees at the video store. However, I'm unable to return a Netflix DVD right after I watch it, either. It lays around my house for days, sometimes weeks, before I remember to mail it back. It became questionable whether the Netflix account was really saving me money. Then along came Watch Instantly, and I started watching movies on my laptop during down times at work and when there's nothing on tv at home. Last week I learned about FeedFliks.com, a website that calculates your per-movie cost with Netflix. Thanks to Watch Instantly, mine is down to 58 cents a movie. Can't beat that!
1. People who have a sense of humor. When I say I'm a fire and EMS dispatcher, I think what leaps to most people's minds is those terrifying, life-and-death calls you hear on the news sometimes. We do get those every once in a while, but the majority of our calls are what we call "bread and butter"—ordinary medical calls like difficulty breathing, general illness, and chest pain. Tonight a quite elderly man called 911 and when I said, "Sir, I'll just stay on the phone with you until the paramedics arrive," he replied calmly and politely, "Oh, that's not necessary. Surely I'll live at least until they get here." I love my job.
2. The superhero that is Reed. If y'all can stand just one more mention of the boyfriend....Last week I learned I might possibly have a chance to bid day shift at work. I've worked nights for almost four years, but the possibility of working "normal" hours is tempting, so I debated the pros and cons with myself for a few days before telling Reed I was thinking about it. He works days, but we haven't been together that long and I was unsure what he'd think of my even counting him among the reasons to turn my work schedule upside-down. So, I laid it all out to him over supper. He thought for a few minutes and said, "Of course I'd love to see you more, but the truth is that you have to do what's best for you." Of course. And now I know I'll have his support no matter what shift I bid. I call him a superhero for good reason.
3. My mom's inability to keep really good Christmas presents a secret until Christmas. For years and years, my mother has started her Christmas shopping about mid-August. When she finds something really good, she can't just stow it away until Christmas, try as she might. Yesterday it was my turn for the early present. I cut the tape on the box she hadn't even wrapped yet and inside...a Breadman bread maker! Hooray! I baked a loaf of bread as soon as I got it home.
4. Baby Chase. My daughter-in-law's sister had a baby girl two months ago, and one of my son's best friends had a baby boy just a few days later. Dylan and Sarah have been baby-sitting a lot lately, and along with that has come a certain amount of baby fever. I admit not being immune to it, either. (Babies are just so cute and cuddly and sweet, aren't they?) Monday night Dylan called me and asked me to come over. When I got to his house, there sat he and his wife on the sofa, looking exhausted and a little shell-shocked. "Um," I said, "I hear a baby crying." Sarah looked at me a little tearfully. "I know," she said, "and no matter what we do he won't stop crying." I picked up Baby Chase and rocked him (it's amazing how these skills come right back to you) so Sarah and Dylan could eat supper. As Sarah grabbed a second slice of pizza she remarked, "At least we can give him back in a couple hours when his mama gets here." And Dylan said, "We are so not ready for kids of our own." Lil Chase, I'm sorry you had such a bad tummy-ache, but thank you.
5. Netflix Watch Instantly and FeedFliks. I got a Netflix account because I am completely unable to return a video on time and the monthly fee for Netflix is cheaper than my late fees at the video store. However, I'm unable to return a Netflix DVD right after I watch it, either. It lays around my house for days, sometimes weeks, before I remember to mail it back. It became questionable whether the Netflix account was really saving me money. Then along came Watch Instantly, and I started watching movies on my laptop during down times at work and when there's nothing on tv at home. Last week I learned about FeedFliks.com, a website that calculates your per-movie cost with Netflix. Thanks to Watch Instantly, mine is down to 58 cents a movie. Can't beat that!
What's That You Say?
The reason why there haven't been any posts about the progress on the interior projects is because...there hasn't been any progress.
And there hasn't been any progress because I have been diagnosed with something called Peripheral Vertigo.
Huh? What?
I went to the doctor because, three weeks after recovering from a cold, I'm still dizzy quite often. Sometimes it's mild; sometimes the room spins around me like a Tilt-A-Whirl and I have to hang on to something—a table, a nearby superhero, a chair—to keep from falling over. The doc says it's usually caused from an inner ear injury or an untreated ear infection. And sorry, but medicines don't seem to help much. And, oh yeah, it's permanent. What?! I have to be this way forever?! Unsatisfied with that prognosis, I googled it...and didn't find much. Anyone know anything about this stuff?
So anyway, the past couple of days have been Tilt-A-Whirl days. Not conducive to standing on a ladder to hang kitchen wallpaper, which by the way is what I've decided to do first. After reading everyone's comments, it seems to make the most sense to start with the smallest unfinished project. And I will...when I can stand on the ladder without feeling like I'm in the eye of a hurricane.
And there hasn't been any progress because I have been diagnosed with something called Peripheral Vertigo.
Huh? What?
I went to the doctor because, three weeks after recovering from a cold, I'm still dizzy quite often. Sometimes it's mild; sometimes the room spins around me like a Tilt-A-Whirl and I have to hang on to something—a table, a nearby superhero, a chair—to keep from falling over. The doc says it's usually caused from an inner ear injury or an untreated ear infection. And sorry, but medicines don't seem to help much. And, oh yeah, it's permanent. What?! I have to be this way forever?! Unsatisfied with that prognosis, I googled it...and didn't find much. Anyone know anything about this stuff?
So anyway, the past couple of days have been Tilt-A-Whirl days. Not conducive to standing on a ladder to hang kitchen wallpaper, which by the way is what I've decided to do first. After reading everyone's comments, it seems to make the most sense to start with the smallest unfinished project. And I will...when I can stand on the ladder without feeling like I'm in the eye of a hurricane.
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