Monday, August 17, 2009

Faulty Thermostat

Most everybody has a thermostat in their house. Although it doesn't keep the house at the precise temperature you set, it notes when the temp is off and makes minute corrections to bring it back. If you set it at 80 degrees



then the thermostat turns the air of furnace on when the temp reaches 81 or 82 and runs until it is 78 or 79 degrees.

Our bodies have thermostats also. This is centered in the hypothalamus (part of the brain) when we are too hot or too cold. What most people don't know is that fibromyalgia messes with the thermostat control.

Today, I woke up with a migraine. This is nasty in itself. Most people know about migraines, so I won't detail.

While suffering with this, I was laying or lying (I can never remember which is correct) on my bed, I had the fan on. This is always on, btw. Then the temperature problems started.

With probably minute cycles, I went from hot to cold to hot to cold, etc. I dealt with this by flipping the sheet on or off. It would be too much bother to get up and turn the fan off and on. As I'd get hot, I'd have the sheet off. I'd start sweating. The fan blew the sweat off. I got cold, really really cold. I'd flip the sheet on. I'd shiver. I'd get hot. Rinse and repeat.

It was like the thermostat set at 97 went to 100 to 94 and back, constantly overshooting the target temp.

As I said, this would cycle in minutes time, but went on for hours till I finally fell asleep. It was soooo frustrating! I remember yelling out, "Knock it off!" "Stop it already!" and various other expletives (all g-rated, I assure you).

I just wanted to share my (*&%*%#$&%&) day. Thanks for listening. Peace, out.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Cycling

No, not bicycling.

Part of this guaifenesin protocol is to keep a symptom journal. It helps you see trends that might otherwise go unnoticed. I keep weight, weather, meds I took, and how I felt or slept in it. Except, I didn't keep it out west. The notebook kept getting buried or used for scrap paper (:)). Then, I didn't start when I got home.

Today it was soooo hard to make myself swim. My legs ache. My sleep is not refreshing. While swimming anyway (just 3/4 of a mile instead of a mile), I thought that I felt like this yesterday. And on monday (when I only swam 1/2 of a mile). I can't remember Sunday.

OH!!!!! I am cycling my legs. That is what is going on. It won't be forever. I have cycled depression, sleep (many times), even migraines (like 6 in 2 weeks, then none). Now that I know what it is, I can deal with it.

Cycling, BTW, means that the fibro as it helps, works on different areas. They get better and worse. Eventually you will be done with that area. It can last a short time or a long time, but it is a sign that this protocol is working. Also, eventually, the good times are longer than the bad times.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

pests


We saw one (1) japanese beetle on the underside of a grape leaf. David crunched it. I bought a beetle trap. After only a few hours we had more than 30-40 beetles. Yuck.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

The beard




So, I don't like the beard. I really REALLY didn't like it. Besides making him look older, I had this strong repugnance. I finally figured it out. It makes him look like this guy
. This guy, who presented this (See #7).

The beard is gone.

Some Portland Pictures

This is Jacob. This is Sammy, getting ready for an overnight campout. They went fishing and he caught a crayfish and a trout. Ryan came home with all the makings for sword fighting. It reminded me of Kevin. Also of monty python: "I cut off your leg" "Tis only a flesh wound."

Home, Sweet Home

I know that you are aware that I got home on July 4th. I thought I'd send you a few pictures to illustrate my journey.



This is the Las Vegas airport where I spent nearly 3 hours. In case I was bored, the slot machines are everywhere. I did not partake.



When I got to Cleveland, this fellow was waiting in Baggage Claim. I am not sure what possessed him to meet me in full Scot regalia, but I was glad to see him.




Some of our bounteous garden--what the deer haven't eaten.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Airline/Airport/Airplane Ruminations

So the people watching was pretty fun traveling from Sacramento to Portland. These were the observations I made, in a stream of consciousness ala Holden Caufield, but without the swearing.

In the airport:
Wonder what the protocol is for where one sits while waiting. Usually, one tries to leave a seat between you and anyone else. Do you respect a piece of luggage or a purse guarding a seat?? Stay away from freaky looking peeps. Or ones who don't look like they've had a bath in a while. I thought all those peeps were at the greyhound station. What about eye contact?? Man, I feel sorry for the moms with a toddler who is tired of traveling all day and can't feel comforted. Maybe it's because I have been there before, but I don't get upset, I just feel sorry for them. I made eye contact and commiserated. Is the gray haired lady traveling with her 10 year old granddaughter or is she prematurely grey?

About the airline:
Yes, I got a good fare, but the threats of death and dismemberment if you have ANYTHING more than 2 pieces of carryon are old. I realize that sometimes people really abuse this, but c'mon already. Is the dayplanner a third item? How about the water I am carrying? The woman who is carrying a baby? does she have to send the kid to the cargo??

The airplane itself:
A 737. Didn't I hear once that these guys had problems?? Oh, well, too late now. God knows when I am gonna die so worrying about it won't help. Oh oh, looks pretty crowded. Normally people sit in the aisle seat or the window seat. Looks like we are going to have to use the middle seat. So, who looks like they won't take up 1 1/2 seats? Who looks non-scowly (yes, I made up that word)? Okay, here's a couple taking up the window and middle seats. She is all over him, so maybe I can have 2 armrests. Oh, and they look older than me. I wonder if they are newly married--her head on his shoulder, holding hands, other hand on upper inner thighs of the other person. Hmmm, she has a wedding ring but he doesn't. Maybe they are on their honeymoon. Maybe he doesn't believe in wedding rings? Some older guys don't. Oh WAIT!! Maybe she's married to someone else and this is a rendezvous with her LOVER!. Oooh, yuck. Well, if it gives me more seat, I can just ignore their goo-goo eyes.

Here comes a mom with a daughter and a small (say 2 month old) on her shoulder. Poor mommy. As she comes by me I notice that there is another baby IN THE BAG she's holding in front of her! Oh, wait, that's a doll. Pheeeww.

Look, the guy two rows ahead is wearing a redsox cap. Maybe he knows Ryan? No, that is just dumb. The sox have lots of fans. The two little redstockings on the back are cute.

I think this flight crew is tired. I have never heard the warning spiel so quickly done. I know not many people listen, but the words should be comprehensible.

The captain just made an announcement. Is it dad??? I can't even hear him. Hope it wasn't something I needed to know, like, say, THE PLANE IS CRASHING!! Repeatedly he makes announcements that I can't hear. He must be tired.

Who uses airplane bathrooms? Doesn't everybody watch their liquids and go in the airport just before getting on?? It's only a 90 minute flight. Well, most of them were men, for whom peeing at a hole in the plane is no different than peeing at the airport. Still, there were some women. Maybe the older woman needs to have the Detrol discussion with her dr? And I could understand if a woman was pregnant, or if someone had a bladder infection, or took a diuretic just before boarding (but who would do that?), or had high sugar.

That guy diagonal to me is drinking beer. He looks too young. Wonder if they card on airplanes. Sorry to stereotype, but Asians tend to look young for their age.

The 3 girls in the row opposite mine are discussing getting a master's degree. One really likes Ohio. But no one knows where Ohio is. It's in the midwest, I think. It goes Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, I think. Maybe Jenna can help them. Even with the napkins from the flight attendant with the states outlined on them doesn't help. And they wanted to go somewhere where they won't have to take the G.R.E.---Or did they actually say M.R.E.??

They are offering peanuts for a snack. Who does that anymore since the peanut dust carries all through the plane and so many people these days are allergic to peanuts. I mean, anaphylactilly allergic. I look in the seat back in front of me. I see a bag of peanuts and a bag of wheat thins. Wonder how long they have been there?? Last flight?? All flights today?? Last month? When they collect trash, I throw them out as my good deed for the day. When they are collecting trash, I see a kid up ahead give the flight attendant some origami. Makes me think of David. And Ryan.

When we are descending to Portland International, for some reason the pilot keeps rolling the plane like a new driver overcorrecting. I am getting seasick. I don't think I will look out the window anymore. It keeps up. I think I will just assume that there is a lot of turbulence rather than a new driver. Whoa, that was bad. Then comes the landing. Pretty rough.

Let's do this again in 9 days or so.

love to ya guys.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Learning at my age

I just started using Mozilla Firefox.  Braden is giving me lessons.  Here's a link to lds.org and facebook.com

Friday, June 19, 2009

Katie

I don't know why this picture is sideways--it isn't that way in "my pictures". Katie has the cutest high watt smile. Her face just lights up.



In the bath this morning.


Recognize the doll?


During her crawling around she got entangled in this styrofoam puzzle. It looked pretty funny.





My goal has been to initiate Katie to solid foods while I am here. By today, she was lunging for her oatmeal, and opens her mouth ready for it. Success. But messy.


You have to kind of look close in to see the mess.

Of course my other goals have been to assist in the move and spend time with the kiddos. Success there, too

Jenna

Jenna has this funny expression of complete bemusement and surprise. I was trying to get her to replicate it for me. Note the crazy hair in the face.



Okay, got the hands up anyway.



This is almost it---but has a "Home Alone" aspect to it.



Jenna trying some oatmeal after seeing me feed Katie some (pics to follow). She only took a couple of bites. Yea! for the haircut. Now you can see how cute she is.



I tried to clean Jenna's high chair, since the outer covering looked dirty. I got the cover off to reveal an encrusted black padding. I managed to remove that and wipe it down only to discover below THAT layer was this:



So that's where all the food went!!

The thing I love about these particular grandchildren

is that they act like sitting in Grandma's lap is the best thing that could ever happen to them. While it is annoying to not be able to sneak a potty break (or some ice cream) without hearing, "What doing grandma?", I have to admit that having a fan club is kinda neat.

Katie Beeyah

I love learning new languages. I am presently being schooled in Toddler. One of my favorite words is beeyah. or beeiah. It means spit-up. Jenna coined this when Katie was born. Whenever she saw spit-up she got very upset and yelled "Katie beeyah!!"

So now all of us use it. when we hear Katie beeyah, we come running with a burp cloth. Or is it a beeyah cloth??