- I've been so busy dealing with the aftermath of the kitchen fire and with some tax thangs, that I haven't had much time/energy to write. Turns out that even the small fire in the kitchen will probably end up costing around $4000.00, since the stove and the counter and some tiles will need to be replaced, the walls etc. need to be painted, and all that. (I seem to have gotten a pretty cool insurance adjuster, so I assume all reasonable repairs etc. will be paid for.) I guess the flip side is that I can finally ditch the funky orange countertop that's been in there since before I moved in. Anyone have any experience with a countertop made of hardened glass? That looks pretty cool to me; I love glass. And I can get a new espresso machine. :-)
- The rib pain is getting better. Today I went to the barn again and did some basic work grooming Horse etc. Friends are still helping me do the stall and exercise her. I hope to start up again "for real" sometime next week. And I hope she won't throw me off ever again.
- Yesterday I did have a lovely day. It was my birthday, and Man was here most of the day (and night). We went out and got cake, and I opened his presents (a very interesting book and a dvd set of Jeeves and Wooster! Woo-hoo!) and my Mom's presents. Later we went out for Indian food and came back for a couple of episodes of Jeeves. Just a lovely day. As an added bonus, one of the groups I work with (we can guess which one it wasn't) sent me a huge bouquet to cheer me up because of the rib thing. Just a princess kind of day!
- Just have to lighten up a little here before I make myself crazy. Check these out! Though preferably not with a full bladder (or bruised ribs)....
Enjoy!
- I've got less pain now that I have better medication (1000 mg acetaminophen/paracetamol, plus diclofenac, three times a day). It lets me move around more, which is good for the muscle cramps in my back. And it makes me more human instead of some kind of amazingly crabby creature obsessed with its own problems. Luckily I've got a few good people who are taking care of Horse this week. Mucking out the stall and giving her exercise...not yet an option.
- The kitchen fire did more damage than I first thought. It's not that things are all burned up, but there was smoke, and the stove and exhaust fan are damaged, I had to have someone come in to clean, there'll have to be new paint, the coffee machine is slightly damaged (luckily only slightly!), etc. Thursday I'm getting an estimate for the painting and Friday someone from the insurance is coming to estimate the damage. I hope there won't be any problems with that.
- The telephone line is being changed next week, kind of scary, because I just do not want to be without internet for even an hour. Pfff.
- And I need to call a plumber for the kitchen sink, which drains slowly despite the use of different kinds of drain cleaner (and sticking a wire in the pipes and moving it around).
- Looks like it's the month of Acting Like a Grownup. It seems like I'm doing things I don't really feel equipped to do. Winging it. I've read that this is a pretty normal thing, doing things you don't totally think you can do. Acting like a grownup when you don't totally feel like one. Thoughts on that?
- Check out the video of Neil Pasricha of "1000 Awesome Things". Personal, honest, moving. We can all learn from him.
- So this afternoon I forgot to turn off the stove after I had melted some butter in a small pan. After doing some e-mails I decided to get a letter that was in the kitchen. And the pan had caught fire. There is some damage, and the apartment is cold because I had to leave windows and doors open for a while. Luckily Cat and Border Collie and I are OK.
I think I need to start the new year over.
- During our free time between Christmas and New Year's I made a list of what I had done in 2010. I used my calendar to jog my memory. (Now that I'm using Remember the Milk and the tasks disappear when I complete them, I don't know how this will work for 2011.) I was really amazed at how much I had done in my personal life. And I realized that I had not done much as far as friends are concerned. There are a few people I want to see or have more contact with, so I'm going to make it a point to do that.
I shared my list with Man, who even suggested a few additions to the list. Maybe something for you to try?
- Speaking of that week, we had a wonderful time in a rented, well, cottage, I guess I'd call it. Border Collie was along for the first time; usually he stays with a friend if I'm away. We didn't do much because of the snow and ice. We stayed in, watched dvds, and read lots. What we didn't do was hear lots of noise. We heard almost nothing outside the house, and it really did us good. Border Collie thought the whole situation was bizarre but settled down pretty well except for when he heard fireworks.
- Put a few things on eBay today. I earned a couple hundred dollars that way in 2011, and since I'm downsizing anyway, selling what I can is a perfect fit.
- Feeling a bit less sore today. Hope I can sleep through tonight. Have to keep finding people to take care of Horse until the soreness is pretty much gone.
- What did you do during your free days, if you had them (I'm hoping you did!)? Did you do anything to take stock and/or make plans? I'd love to read about it. Let me know!
- Still here, hurting all over. It took me half an hour to get into position in the bed. Had to slowly lie down on my stomach, try to turn over, and hooch up into the right position, groaning and panting all the while. Half an hour. And when I got there I discovered I could hardly breathe because of the pain around my shoulder blade. Ended up calling Man in a panicky, hyperventilating voice, and then cutting the call short because I couldn't do anything except try to deal with the pain. Slept for two hours in a chair. Took more painkillers and some valium (to relax the muscles) and slept some more in the bed.
- Going to go to bed now. Did manage to do the dishes, but I'm really cranky from the pain and not being able to do much (almost exploding if something falls on the floor or the cat meows) and can't deal with anything else at the moment. I know. So sue me. Tomorrow's another day.
- I did have some success practicing my "take two" rule. If things are really a mess and I can't (for whatever reason) put everything away, I just take two things out of the room I'm in and put them where they belong. It really helps.
- Hi everybody! Hope you had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you the very best for 2011! I'm hoping to share lots more with you this year, and hope that you will share with me. Comments! Ideas! News!
- Just a short post today, because I got launched from Horse this afternoon and I hurt all over. Nothing broken, apparently, but everything hurts. More later.
