halt stop forget relax

Recently, I shall say "Once upon a time" because of the story-like quality of the tale, there was a young girl. A rather, shall we say, precocious, young girl. I don't know exactly her age; She may be a young woman, but I'm told that information is forthcoming. This rather young girl/woman must have had something really going for her because somebody found her to be quite a catch, apparently. She's had six children already: aged seven, six, five, three, and a pair of twins that are two. It's nice that she lived with her Mom; also, her grandparent(s) were active in her life. I'm sure she appreciated their help. Otherwise how would she have found the time to, er, procreate! I mean, really. There has been no mention of the father/s however - perhaps that information is being saved for the book. There just has to be a book in this tale, maybe even a movie if they play their cards right, and I'm sure he'll want to come forth for his cut of the prof...

Yes, I wrote stolen. I meant stolen. Not the pastry with raisins and fruits, but taken without permission to use for my own purposes, in this case, to share a giggle. Listen, rather read: "Look, I only shaved half my face." Sure enough, Tyler -- ev er the trend-setter -- has started growing a beard only on the left side of his face. The right side is completely clean- shaven . "Wow," I replied, "That is blogworthy , especially if you let it grow." "Yes," Tyler agreed, "And to think it all started when I broke my mirror in half." _________________________________________________________________ Oh lucky me. I am going to help assemble 175 14" pizzas tonight. And like last year, I am in charge of the cheese; the measuring-out of the cheese, to be more precise. Also, in this case the cheese does not stand alone; There will be four other cheese-heads available, actually more than that, but not all of them will be handling the cheese...

It's the Year of the OX Yes, it's the lunar new year, commonly celebrated in China and Chinatowns all over the world. If I were well, e.g. easily able to get around, and had money to spend freely, I would have made plans to have dim sum in celebration. But, so far as I know, there are no dim sum restaurants in T-town so I would have to go at least as far as, um, Tukwila, to get some decent dumplings. Yeah, I know, it sux to be me. Good Night, TTYL and Be Well

I wish I could remember what it was I was going to write, but it has faded from my consciousness. These "MS Moments" are really annoying. I mean how the hell am I supposed to keep up a blog when I can't remember from afternoon until evening was has happened to me? Believe it or not, I do have a life. It may be small and it may be boring, but it's mine, and I'm content with it. Last Wednesday I had lunch with "the girls." We met at Wendy's II on Tacoma Mall Blvd. and discussed, among other things, the election, having a "MySpace" accounts, and blogging. No, I did not tell them the name of my blog. It's better this way, keeping it private, so I can feel safe to say whatever the hell I want to without feeling the need to filter it. You see, I swear in here, which I don't do (very much) in real life. I'm pretty well-mannered in real life. Plus, some of my friends are harsh with the judgments. That, I can do without, especially with ...

I forgot to mention that when I finally went to the store, I did buy myself a ham steak to satisfy my craving. It was enough for two decent sandwiches and two more big bites torn from it and eaten as is. It was quite yummy. And all for $5 -- I'd do it again. I called my sister-in-law, who used to be a flight attendant for United Airlines before she retired, to get her take on the "miracle on the Hudson." She concurred that it was, indeed, a miracle. She said that in her training she was always told that, in cases of flights that have to be aborted, the chances of survival are dismal at best. She said that if this happened over the ocean, where there would be swells, or waves, the plane would surely break apart upon "landing." That he was able to land it intact was miraculous, indeed, and probably due to his experience with gliders, which don't keep the tails elevated on landings, unlike regular planes which depend on their landing gear, which is under the fr...

Watching the Biggest Loser last night, I got attacked by a case of the munchies. But I fought them off - I went to bed shortly after. Slept like the dead. Perhaps this was because I had stayed up all night the night before, and then went to F.M. for pet food and Kettle Chips, then to Tr. Joe's for coffee and, er, tortilla chips. The cart thingy was in use at TJ's so I shopped with my walker, stood while I ground my four cans of coffee, searched two aisles for the pineapple salsa (they're always moving things around in that store - grrr.) then I checked out, only to realize as I loaded the car that I had forgotten crackers. Impressed that I still felt okay, and after checking my watch and seeing I still had time, I went back in and picked them up. I made it on time for my appointment at the urologist's office for a cath. change. Even that went more quickly and easily than usual, not that it's ever bad. On the way home I realized by the rumble in my tummy that I hadn...

I made a comment on a forum a few days ago in response to this: "I endured 90 mins of torture (well 30 mins was heat and rest, just 60 mins of pain) and I was let out. I wheel to the front door and there is 10cm of fresh heavy snow. I am in my manual wheelchair. My muscles are weak. My muscles are weaker and sorer from physio. My truck looks like it is 1km away. I had heavy snow gloves on and trudged my way to the truck. I had to stop every third push to clear the snow from my grip bar and wheels so I could grab something. I eventually resorted to sticking a finger in between the spokes to help with the grip (major no-no for chairs and fingers). My frustration level with MS, using a chair, being weak and in pain, and the fucking snow are just peaking!!! I know people can see me and I am embarrassed yet I want someone to come push me at the same time. When I finally got to my truck an elderly lady asked me if I needed help getting my chair in the truck. I smile "no thank you...

...and it snowed again today. Unfuckingbelievable! Okay - deep breaths. I went to bed at 10 AM - in retrospect I should have made myself go to the store - because it was actually a little bit sunny out. Frigid cold, but sunny. I think it was the frigid cold thing that kept me from going out. So I curled up under the covers and zonked out instead. I woke up at 6 PM, then laid there for another couple of hours. When I finally got up, I looked out the blinds and see that the streets are all snowy/icy and the yards are covered in white! This was not what I expected, or what was forecast. So, I'm a night owl. It's really not a problem, so I don't know why I'm making an issue of it. I lead such a simple life - I don't do much of anything, I rarely go anywhere, and I'm mostly content with that. It suits me. It suits my limitations, both physical and financial. Now that I'm watching the news, I see that the snow is falling region-wide. They say the rain begins to...

I did not get ham today. I did not get UP today. My schedule is so screwy that I went to bed at 9 this morning. Well, 9:30. And I woke up at 5. THEN I laid in bed until 7, and by the time I got dressed etc., it was 7:30. I know. It's weird. It's not a good thing. I blame my husband. This is his schedule, and he seems unable to change it to "a normal" schedule for more than a couple of weeks at a time. It used to bother me a lot, and now that I depend on him for everything (well, for meals. and for fire. and for love.) I have changed my schedule to mesh with his. Now that I have done that, I understand how difficult it is to change back. So I guess I will be up all night as has been my pattern lately. I'm not going to bother to try getting up early enough to go to the store tomorrow because it's supposed to rain all day. I'm counting on Monday, except -- I just realized that we need milk. Crap. Be well - or not. TTYL

When my parents were alive and hosted the family dinner on New Year's Day, Mom always served ham, so that's perhaps why, right now, I'm having a craving for some. It's an ingrained memory that the calendar has triggered. It's also a conundrum - I mostly eat vegetarian. So how should I satisfy my craving without making DH have to cook it, which he wouldn't? I suppose I could buy just a ham steak at Top's - that might do me for a couple sandwiches, and even gimpy ole me could heat it by myself. Or maybe I should go to HoneyBaked Ham and see what they have that won't break the bank. (Nah, I'm too lazy and it's too cold out for that.) I do have to get some groceries though - perhaps a stop at Top Foods instead of Fred Meyer. Ooh, ooh, and that way I could get something sweet, too! (I like their bakery.) New Year donuts, with some ham on the side. What could be better. [rhetoric, therefore no ?]

I'm going to try it again - to post daily for the month of January. Do not expect them all (or any of them, really) to be inspired, but I will try my best to get SOMETHING up every day. Even if it's just an emoticon.

It's the time of the year that I rarely looked forward to. I never dated much and didn't run with a party crowd, so I often ended up staying at home and made stuff for the next day - like cookies or fudge. My Mom and I would share a bottle of champagne, and at midnight we'd open the front door, bang pot lids together and yell "Happy New Year" to any and all who could hear. There was the year, 1968 perhaps?, that it snowed like it did this December, and blew 5' drifts in my n ext door neighbor's front yard. I was at her house, and we were, rather, she was drinking, and got it into her head that running into a drift that was taller than she was would be fun. So she did, and it was, apparently. A saner person, I didn't follow suit. One year we had a family get together (thinking back, I'm amazed that so many of my cousins actually made it) and it was a LOT of fun. It was the first year that I was with my DH to be, and together we actually got everyon...

This is my Christmas 2008 : I am going nowhere; I am doing nothing; No one has called me, so I don't much feel like calling anyone else (I am talking relatives). There is a big part of me that says, "Fuck them. Fuck them all." I feel sad and forgotten, and wonder why this is. I can't write any more. I just want to sleep.

You're right if you guessed more snow. Another 1 to 3 inches is predicted for the lowlands. DH has been able to get out to get wood, but he said the roads were pretty slick. It doesn't help that we have two bald rear tires. My cousin, who lives a few miles from me said she went to get groceries yesterday, and all was fine until she returned home. She got stuck turning into her driveway! Someone helped her by giving her a push, and she got the car out of the street and off the sidewalk back into the driveway - and this is on level ground. Then, when taking the groceries into the house she slipped on a patch of ice and landed softly in 10" of snow. She said she just had to lay there and laugh for a minute - that it brought back memories of her childhood. Because of the icy road conditions, everyone is staying home this year. DH's brother canceled Christmas Eve dinner because he's come down with a cold -- not that we could have made it there anyway. Cousin won'...

I'd like to hear about the experiences of those who have taken Low Dose Naltrexate (LDN). From what I have read, it sounds promising and has a low to no side effect profile. I see and feel myself getting weaker and want to try something that goes with Copaxone. Please post in comments. Thanks. Good Night, TTYL and Be Well

Which is exactly why I've been safe and snug in my home all day. The wood stove is still burning, and now the snow is falling (3 3/4" on the patio so far), and I ain't goin' nowhere. Not that I would if I could 'cause I don't like to be cold. However, a small snowman is requisite for the first real snow accumulation in 18 years, don't you think? The local news station has been following the "December Storm" avidly all day, going from one traffic trouble spot to another with glee. Now, I hear that Chicago is the next to be hit with severe weather, with that storm then moving east to the coast to include NYC and Philadelphia. I'm sure Seattle's storm will be considered small potatoes by comparison - but here's the thing: We. Don't. Get. Snow. Like I said - first time in 18 years. Also Seattle, Tacoma, and the eastside are all hilly! Cars + ice + snow + un-practiced drivers = One Big Mess. So I'm staying safe and comfy at home. He...

Friday, the day of my SG was rainy (in showers) and very windy. It was the day I missed the inurnment ceremony. Saturday afternoon the temperature took a nosedive into the low 30s daytime and 20s overnight. We had a little snow, but just a little. You could still see the grass. Sunday morning brought snow, big fluffy flakes of snow in the early afternoon, but a friend whom I haven't seen in two years was in town and wanted to get together for coffee. So we decided to meet at Panera, a bread, sandwich, pastry and coffee shop. Since it was snowing and the streets were covered with black ice, DH decided he was driving and came along. That was good thinking on his part, because I wasn't thinking about the driving conditions at all, and surely would have gone too fast or done something really stupid and crashed the car, or worse yet, crashed into somebody's car. We had a pleasant visit which didn't last long enough, as she is headed back to Yakima Monday morning. She's h...

Friday the 12th was the day of my SILs inurnment. I missed it. I had assumed it was settled the last time I talked with my local brother [J] that he was going to pick me up at 2 PM and we would go together. That was my understanding . However, at 2 PM I was sitting here with my coat on, having just returned from my SG meeting, waiting for him. He never showed up and I missed the ceremony, but called my niece and explained that I wouldn't be there. It turns out that J's understanding of our conversation was that if it turned out that I wanted to go, I would call him during the week. Apparently what he remembered was a comment I made early on during our conversation, while I was still angry about missing the funeral, that maybe I would just skip the inurnment. A spiteful comment I made out of my anger at being forgotten. That was what stayed with him, and not that he would come by at 2 PM to get me. Now, after J and I hung up, J called my brother [B] whose wife just died...

Directions: Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 21 random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 10 people to be tagged. Don't forget to tag them in the note. You can't tag the person who originally tagged you. 1. I went to Catholic school from Grades 1-10, then I talked my folks into letting me go to public high school. I don't know if that was a good thing or no; I think I benefited by having the experiences of both high schools. Catholic school was definitely tougher. When I made the switch, I was at least a year ahead of my classmates. 2. I took private piano lessons the whole time I was in a Catholic school. I was pretty good, too. Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Bach - oh yeah! 3. I met my husband through a personal ad I placed in the Seattle Weekly; best $25 I ever spent. 4. In the Fall/Winter of 1985-86 I took the massage licensing class at Brian Utting School of Massage and got my license in Feb. 1986. I never used my ...

Keiko's Memorial Service was Saturday, Dec. 6, and nobody called me. They were all, my cousins and family friends and my brothers, there saying to each other, "Where's Webster?" Is she feeling all right? Didn't anybody call her? Well, no. No one called me. And I am pretty upset about missing the service. My brother who lives here should have taken the initiative to call me, as we live in the same city - but he assumed my brother from Japan was going to do it. And he said he called, but got the machine, and was going to call back, and must have forgotten. He apologized, but it just pisses me off that I missed seeing the relatives who came from farther away, because they won't be at the ceremony at the cemetery which will happen Friday. Sometimes I think my family doesn't call me because if they do, they might have to deal with my disability. Accommodations have to be considered - the walker, or the wheelchair. Oh hell, I don't know. Maybe it was just a...