There’s nothing more frustrating than getting the call from the doctor’s office that they have your lab results…and getting the message just after they close the phones so you can’t call back till the following day. ARGH!
At least they called in my Rx refill today, for which there is finally a generic available!
Better living through pharmacology…..
First, thanks to elements for squeezing us in for a last minute, leisurely, lovely dinner in the cube Saturday night. It was TRULY appreciated and very much needed. Mattias, thank you for the swizzling! Thank you, Justin, for helping me to understand why my greatly appreciated french toast for brunch was tasting like bacon. You have no idea how thoroughly disconcerting it was. The Husband’s cardinal rule is no greens in the eggs, mine is nothing that tastes like bacon. As much as he loves it, I can’t stand it.
Next, the farmers market continues to disappoint. Maybe it’s still too early in the season (I didn’t think so), or maybe it’s that one of the vendors I’ve come to depend on doesn’t seem to be there yet this season, even though all the materials and emails say they should be. I’ll continue to go, of course, but it was a disappointment to walk away this week with just two boxes of blueberries. We’re not big veggie eaters much of the time, especially if I’m not cooking a lot which I haven’t been. I’ve still managed to pick up some good fruits between the Amish and Griggstown, but it’s just not what I’d been hoping for. I do also have the farmers market near the office on Tuesday, which is always good for strawberries at the very least and hopefully some more shelling peas this week.
We’re starting to plan a real vacation for August. A long weekend at someplace with both a spa and fine dining. It’s hard to find some place to meet all our parameters. Maybe we’re just too picky? No, I think I just need to refine my search a bit to find what we want- and are willing to pay. We looked at the Inn at Little Washington, but to stay on site was just a bit more than we were willing to splurge for.
After that, we’ll be planning a trip to Vermont. The 3 year plan involves a move, and VT is one of the first places to consider. Aside from the ski areas. Need to find places away from all that. Otherwise maybe New Hampshire. Need land, water and solitude. Pretty much the rest is negotiable.
Well life has been a little busy lately and it seems that everything has slipped to the side again. I’m still getting used to the new job, both the work and the commute. It seems that Friday is also the busiest day so there’s no slow down at the end of the week to look forward to. But I did finally get the long overdue elements Mangalitsa post up. It’s a lazy Sunday morning; the Husband is sleeping in. I’m contemplating what to do, cook, bake, etc, and I’m not coming up with much today. I’m lacking motivation. If I could just do like Tabitha in Bewitched and just snap my fingers, or have replicators like in Star Trek, things would be ever so much easier. Either that or unlimited budget with which to go out and eat. But alas, I’m not that blessed yet. Yet.
Apropos of nothing. I got a really great custom messenger back from a company called Timbuk2. I think I’m going to be getting myself another one as soon as I can in good conscience afford it. It’s a damn fine bag, the only thing wrong with it really is that it’s too small to carry everything I might need in a work day. It doesn’t fit a 5 subject spiral 8 1/2 x 11 notebook, umbrella and cane very well. I may also look into their smaller bags to take the place of a purse when I don’t need to schlep that much stuff.
Health update behind the cut
Dang it, has it really been a week again since I posted? Ugh….real life, and it’s habit of interfering in my time of leisure, rather sucks. The last week or so has been kinda sucky again. But it’s looking up, at least I’m trying to.
So the updates on the ice cream front- I’m currently freezing a batch of pumpkin pie ice cream made with coconut milk. I’m not sure how I like the flavor or texture right now, but we’ll see once it chills some more. Peach sorbet has been the hit of the season here. I think I’m on batch #4 right now. Tomorrow, apricot ice cream- I’m looking forward to that one. The bananas are taking their sweet time to ripen for their next batch. The last batch was (is) too sweet, and I’m not quite sure how to fix it. My current thought is to rechurn it with a couple of tablespoons or dark rum.
No real adventures in cooking. I made pork tenderloin again. We grilled burgers and chicken. We ordered chinese food (my comfort food when I don’t feel well). I think I had PB & J one night for dinner too, with orange marmalade.
We’re having company on Saturday and again on Monday. Saturday, a pair of vegans. Monday, a sous/pastry chef and his wife who is also the FOH manager. It’s been a bit of a struggle for me to plan menus. I made marinated mushrooms today. That should go well for both, since the Husband won’t eat them. If the vegans are staying for dinner, I’m going to make the quinoa, peas and asparagus dish again, with chicken for the Husband and I. Otherwise we may go out for dinner. Some veggies, pita and humus, chips and salsa, maybe buy some mini egg rolls I can heat in the toaster oven. Maybe make gazpacho, another thing the Husband won’t eat, but I can’t really make just for one.
On Monday, the plan is to grill, if the weather permits. As of right now, the weather says we should be ok, but I don’t yet have a plan B.
On the health front
I was supposed to go into NYC and meet the girls tonight and can’t because I have a nasty headache. Bugger.
It’s gonna be one of those busy Fridays. So far I’ve already gone to the Dr for my magnesium infusion (which thankfully didn’t hurt as much this month!) and to the supermarket. It’s the newest Stop and Shop and they have the scan-as-you-shop which I love, love, love! Not only does it appeal to the geek in me, but you don’t need to deal with anyone at the checkout and it takes much less time than the self check out. Although I have to admit that scanning 30 cans of cat food is a pain in the ass.
Came home to gents cleaning my gutters. Better them than the Husband, which is worth every dollar.
The chocolate sorbet finally froze on the third churn. I don’t give a dang at this point, it can become chocolate sauce if it doesn’t freeze well. I’m so over the chocolate sorbet.
A new farmers market opens today at 2 just up the road. Supposedly they will have much more stuff than the market on Saturday, which I can’t wait to see.
I did buy peaches at the supermarket for another batch of peach sorbet and I have bananas ripening for more banana ice cream. Ok, so I have two batches of bananas, one to use when ripe, one when overripe. I want to see what makes a difference. I really do, to a certain extent, want to keep making ice cream instead of sorbet since I could use the calcium. I find myself eating much less of this than I would a pint of store bought. Plus there’s less crap in it. And I have a malted milk one on my agenda as well.
After all this, I’ll dress and head into the city for dinner, drinks (only one for me since I’m driving), and raucous laughter with my girlfriends. We don’t get together all that often any more, and I’ve missed the last couple ’cause of my health, but I cherish them deeply and miss them lots.
Tomorrow, up for my little farm stand, potentially, then off to the Amish since I didn’t get there yet this week and need food.
My pain levels have been through the roof the last 24 hours or so. Better now but last night was really, really rough. Vicodin wasn’t much cutting it. Am hopeful that as the weather moves out of this damp and dreary dreck that it has been, my body will decide to stop rebelling and like me again. Feh.
Someone on my FB friends list asked: how do you get used to living with chronic physical pain?
You get used to it because you have no choice but to. Your body no longer allows you to live a pain-free, thought-free life. Everything you need and want to do needs to be planned and thought through. I can’t just get up in the morning and blaze through my day and the to-do list of my life. All activity, down to whether or not I need to shower that day, needs to be thought about ahead of time and coordinated with everything else that needs to be done. Schedule everything for the week and make sure you leave wiggle room for when you just can’t. Because there will be days and times where you just can’t. Whatever it is. Sometimes it’s just making it up and down the stairs one more time. There’s only so far you can over-tax today before you pay for it tomorrow, or the day after.
As I mentioned, and you may have read, I suffer from chronic headaches, in most cases migraines. So far, this year has been MUCH better than 2008, thank the Gods. This past week, though, not so much.
In general I’m on a supplement called MigreLief (that you can get from Amazon) that contains magnesium, feverfew and riboflavin which I take twice a day to help prevent or minimize the migraines. I also have a prescription abortive, which I take once a headache starts, but can only take two pills in 24 hours. If those fail, I have another Rx rescue medicine. Past that, it’s the urgent care center or ER. Fortunately, I’ve managed to get by without that option so far.
Today, I’ve already taken both doses of my abortive before noon. At least for the moment it feels like the second one is finally loosening the vice grip on my temples.
I once had a best friend who also suffered from migraines. Her husband didn’t so he couldn’t understand when he told her to ” muddle through” why that was nearly an impossibility. I’m grateful that the Husband -does- understand what I’m going through.