Made reservations to fly back to Boston in a couple weeks to visit with my dad and his side of the family for 10 days. It's been more then 5 years since I last flew on a plane and I'm feeling a little apprehensive about it in light of the recent raised awareness levels for plane hijackings in the Autumn months. Should be interesting to see how drastically security checks have changed since I was last at an airport.
I made arrangements to get picked up at home and taken to the airport by a Super Shuttle service. The drawback is that they will be picking me up at 3 am to get me to the airport for my 6 am flight even though I am only 20 miles from the airport. :( Beats paying $7 bucks a day parking or $50 for the taxi though. Super Shuttle is only $21 from my city. Think I'm going to just stay up all night and catch up with sleep on the plane.
A few weeks after my return from Boston, I'm planning to drive to Albuquerque to visit my mom in her new home. Figured it would be best to drive since I'm pretty confident I will be leaving there with a lot more then I arrive with. That is a standing tradition and joke about visiting my mom. My brother and I never leave empty handed. She's always thinking about us and buys things she thinks we'll have use for or enjoy then loads us up with them when we visit.
Welp, I better get to bed. I have some groceries being delivered in the morning. Anyone else making use of the online ordering and delivery service that grocery chains are providing these days? I find it very convenient and a vital tool in budgeting my grocery expense. Once a month I go shopping down the aisles of item inventory on their website, picking and choosing what I need and doing all the impulse buying that always gets me into trouble, then at the end I review the shopping cart and remove all the impulses and non-necessities until the total is under my monthly budget limit before checking out. It only costs $5 for the delivery fee and is worth every penny as I watch the young muscled guy carry those bags of veggies and fruits up my apartment stairs. :D
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Monday, July 28, 2003
Okay, guys, this one you might wanna skip. ;) This is for us wimens to discuss.
It is amazing what a little chemistry can do to make you feel like an entirely new person.
I've suffered from heavy bleeding and severe anemia for several years. Currently, I am without medical coverage and no money to spend on tests, doctor visits or hormone therapy.
I saw a Dr. Phil show on natural remedies for perimenopause, ordered progesterone cream and a book to read further on the subject. Almost immediately, I felt a difference in my body. As I described to my mom, it felt like there were cells in my body that were waking up after a very long sleep. I was almost tingling. My skin cleared up, the hair on my upper lip stopped growing as thickly or as rapidly, my blood pressure and heart aren't constant worries anymore, my spirits were uplifted and I have a lot more energy. I eagerly awaited my next period to see if it would be different too.
I have learned that progesterone is the hormone that is supposed to be dominant in the second half of our cycles. Estrogene gets the first half. Progesterone is the one that has control over preparing our bodies for pregnancy and maintaining it until birth. If you're interested in further information, here's one of the many websites with information.
Facts and Myths
It is as if I am in a completely different body. No more extreme pain and cramps from passing very large fibrous clots (sometimes it felt like I was giving birth), no more stained furniture, bedding and clothing, no more feeling my heart struggle to overcome the excessive bleeding. No more spending all that money on products that just get flushed down the toilet and the freedom to be more then a room away from a bathroom! I am a much different woman today then I was three months ago.
This month I am also cutting way back on the amount of carbs I eat in the form of breads and pasta. No, I'm not doing Atkins, but I am incorporating some of his science into my diet. And, I do feel a whole lot better because of it.
The biggest benefit is the energy I now have. I'm making progress on getting back into physical shape. Starting from a point of having to pull myself up the apartment stairs one leg at a time and then collapsing onto the couch to catch my breath, I'm now climbing the stairs with both legs and no hands (look ma, no hands!) and just this morning I reached a new point in my swimming efforts. I swam 4 continuous laps of breast stroke without having to take a break. The weight and inches are falling off of me! I think I'm just about ready to wear a smaller sized pant (wouldn't be caught dead in public yet though, it's too tight for my tastes).
I'm so damned proud of myself! If this progress keeps up, I'll finally be in good enough shape to start looking for work again.
It's been so hot around here, that swimming is a real treat I look forward to in the mornings. I'm usually the first one there and have to kick mama and her ducklings out of the pool. The ducklings are starting to get their adult feathers so they will probably be leaving soon to start their migration. I have a ball watching all the insects in the area; bumblebees, butterflies and dragonflies abound. Those dragonflies can be ornery suckers. They like to dive-bomb or buzz around my head when I come up for air in the pool.
The finches on my balcony are still fornicating. This crop will be the fourth one of the season. I swear their baby manufacturing rate rivals that of rabbits! I feel sorry for the mama birds. They are starting to look really scrawny and ragged. Motherhood is taking a toll on them. I'm glad I can help them out with the bird feeder and bath I have for them.
It is amazing what a little chemistry can do to make you feel like an entirely new person.
I've suffered from heavy bleeding and severe anemia for several years. Currently, I am without medical coverage and no money to spend on tests, doctor visits or hormone therapy.
I saw a Dr. Phil show on natural remedies for perimenopause, ordered progesterone cream and a book to read further on the subject. Almost immediately, I felt a difference in my body. As I described to my mom, it felt like there were cells in my body that were waking up after a very long sleep. I was almost tingling. My skin cleared up, the hair on my upper lip stopped growing as thickly or as rapidly, my blood pressure and heart aren't constant worries anymore, my spirits were uplifted and I have a lot more energy. I eagerly awaited my next period to see if it would be different too.
I have learned that progesterone is the hormone that is supposed to be dominant in the second half of our cycles. Estrogene gets the first half. Progesterone is the one that has control over preparing our bodies for pregnancy and maintaining it until birth. If you're interested in further information, here's one of the many websites with information.
Facts and Myths
It is as if I am in a completely different body. No more extreme pain and cramps from passing very large fibrous clots (sometimes it felt like I was giving birth), no more stained furniture, bedding and clothing, no more feeling my heart struggle to overcome the excessive bleeding. No more spending all that money on products that just get flushed down the toilet and the freedom to be more then a room away from a bathroom! I am a much different woman today then I was three months ago.
This month I am also cutting way back on the amount of carbs I eat in the form of breads and pasta. No, I'm not doing Atkins, but I am incorporating some of his science into my diet. And, I do feel a whole lot better because of it.
The biggest benefit is the energy I now have. I'm making progress on getting back into physical shape. Starting from a point of having to pull myself up the apartment stairs one leg at a time and then collapsing onto the couch to catch my breath, I'm now climbing the stairs with both legs and no hands (look ma, no hands!) and just this morning I reached a new point in my swimming efforts. I swam 4 continuous laps of breast stroke without having to take a break. The weight and inches are falling off of me! I think I'm just about ready to wear a smaller sized pant (wouldn't be caught dead in public yet though, it's too tight for my tastes).
I'm so damned proud of myself! If this progress keeps up, I'll finally be in good enough shape to start looking for work again.
It's been so hot around here, that swimming is a real treat I look forward to in the mornings. I'm usually the first one there and have to kick mama and her ducklings out of the pool. The ducklings are starting to get their adult feathers so they will probably be leaving soon to start their migration. I have a ball watching all the insects in the area; bumblebees, butterflies and dragonflies abound. Those dragonflies can be ornery suckers. They like to dive-bomb or buzz around my head when I come up for air in the pool.
The finches on my balcony are still fornicating. This crop will be the fourth one of the season. I swear their baby manufacturing rate rivals that of rabbits! I feel sorry for the mama birds. They are starting to look really scrawny and ragged. Motherhood is taking a toll on them. I'm glad I can help them out with the bird feeder and bath I have for them.
Saturday, July 19, 2003
Email sent to family at 4:50 pm on Friday:
Just letting you know ahead of time so you don't worry...the huge chemical fire in Sacramento is not near me. I'm about 9 miles to the northeast of it. Am down wind from it but far enough away to not need to worry about it. So far evacuations are limited to a half mile radius.
They don't know yet what is burning, the container explosions are keeping fire fighters and helicopters away from the scene. It has been burning for about 20 minutes now. It is 105 degrees and climbing at the moment so it is going to be a very hot fire for the firefighters to put out.
Email sent to family at 5:05 pm on Friday:
Was just announced on TV that it is a hospital and industry gas tank supply company that sells tanks of propane, oxygen and that type of stuff. Supposedly one of the largest such companies on the West coast. So there shouldn't be too much danger as far as the fumes go.
Email sent to family at midnight Friday:
http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/2344177/detail.html
This is channel 3's story on the fire. It seems to be mostly out. I am having to keep my doors and windows closed tonight because of the fumes blowing our way. Thank goodness my air conditioner does not draw air from the outside, it gets it from the return vent in the house. At midnight, it is still 84 degrees here. We set a record high for low temperatures today. The low was 74 degrees. We're hoping we don't beat last year's record of 19 continuous days of heat over 100 degrees.
What amazes me is that just yesterday I went up to Orchard Supply Hardware and bought new air filters for the furnace/air conditioner. I got the extra fine ones that cost nearly $20 each instead of the usual $5 ones. Wonder how I knew that I'd be needing the extra filtration of air 24 hours later.
Folks closer to the scene who are still without power must be very miserable. No air conditioning and not able to open windows.
Ah well, just more butrfly wonderings about the odd coincidences in the ebb and flow of my life...
Just letting you know ahead of time so you don't worry...the huge chemical fire in Sacramento is not near me. I'm about 9 miles to the northeast of it. Am down wind from it but far enough away to not need to worry about it. So far evacuations are limited to a half mile radius.
They don't know yet what is burning, the container explosions are keeping fire fighters and helicopters away from the scene. It has been burning for about 20 minutes now. It is 105 degrees and climbing at the moment so it is going to be a very hot fire for the firefighters to put out.
Email sent to family at 5:05 pm on Friday:
Was just announced on TV that it is a hospital and industry gas tank supply company that sells tanks of propane, oxygen and that type of stuff. Supposedly one of the largest such companies on the West coast. So there shouldn't be too much danger as far as the fumes go.
Email sent to family at midnight Friday:
http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/2344177/detail.html
This is channel 3's story on the fire. It seems to be mostly out. I am having to keep my doors and windows closed tonight because of the fumes blowing our way. Thank goodness my air conditioner does not draw air from the outside, it gets it from the return vent in the house. At midnight, it is still 84 degrees here. We set a record high for low temperatures today. The low was 74 degrees. We're hoping we don't beat last year's record of 19 continuous days of heat over 100 degrees.
What amazes me is that just yesterday I went up to Orchard Supply Hardware and bought new air filters for the furnace/air conditioner. I got the extra fine ones that cost nearly $20 each instead of the usual $5 ones. Wonder how I knew that I'd be needing the extra filtration of air 24 hours later.
Folks closer to the scene who are still without power must be very miserable. No air conditioning and not able to open windows.
Ah well, just more butrfly wonderings about the odd coincidences in the ebb and flow of my life...
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Interesting analysis of the known falsehoods about the Iraq war.
Americans are learning a good lesson: to find out what our government is up to, DO NOT go to networks like CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc. In the evening you can surf the channels during network news time and hear almost the exact same story repeated by each "news" agency. The networks just read the copy as it comes off the news wires word for word.
Even the internet's Drudge Report is becoming more and more selective in the news reports and rumors it chooses to highlight from the day's news wires.
Americans are learning a good lesson: to find out what our government is up to, DO NOT go to networks like CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc. In the evening you can surf the channels during network news time and hear almost the exact same story repeated by each "news" agency. The networks just read the copy as it comes off the news wires word for word.
Even the internet's Drudge Report is becoming more and more selective in the news reports and rumors it chooses to highlight from the day's news wires.
Monday, July 14, 2003
Thursday, July 10, 2003
Living in the Sacramento Valley, I'm usually awake to see more sunrises then sunsets, either from waking early or staying up all night. Around here the dozens of nesting birds and birdettes start chirping away at 4 am just as the first bits of darkness are dispelled. Then the turkeys and ducks chime in around 4:30 and the bluejays come a cawing around 5 am followed by mother finches in a hurry to stuff food into the chirping mouths of their babies so they'll shut up. If I'm not already awake by then, the jays insist I wake up and watch them feed at the food I set out for them the night before.
I am in what I call premature retirement and enjoying every minute of it. I've been off work now for 3 years (recovering from a bacterial lung infection and severe anemia), living off the proceeds from selling my home and moving to an apartment. When the money gets low, I'll start looking for work again. I estimate I probably have about another year before that happens. In the meantime I continue to look for work I can do from home. Right now I earn an occasional $50 here and there doing copy editing and answering consumer surveys. I have a few investments that help pay the grocery and utility bills so that helps quite a bit.
Ever since I moved to the new apartment, I've been working on decorating the place on a budget. It gives me a great excuse to work on some crafting projects. I'm also on a kick to win back my health and take long walks every day around the community here. I'm slowly getting some strength back, the endurance is a little slower in improving but it is happening. I neglected my health for a very long time so it is going to take quite awhile to recover it.
I have several families of finches and a family of bluejays that have set up housekeeping on my balcony. Last winter I set out a bird feeder but they pretty much ignored it until I added a bird bath. Now they fight so much over territory on the feeder that I added a second one just to cut down on the squabbles. They're great company and a lot of fun to watch. I'm slowly inching up on them as they get used to my presence and hope to soon be able to sit out there and have them feel comfortable to come munch seeds while I'm out there. Right now they are nesting and busily feeding all those gaping mouths. I figure it is a good time to try to make my presence there when they have more important things on their bird minds then that lady that keeps watching them. :::grin:::
After my trip to the swimming pool this morning I decided to take a few pictures around the apartment complex. You can see the new pictures here.
I've been doing some baking in the early morning hours before it gets too hot. These are a couple of the recipes I've made recently: Next time I make the muffins I think I am going to substitute the regular raisins for a mixture of golden raisins and dried cranberries. The banana bread was some of the best bread I've ever tasted. I substituted Banana Cream Pie flavored yogurt for the plain yogurt and used half the amount of walnuts and added raisins.
Harvest Muffins
2 cups unbleached white flour (white flour is fine)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar
4 tsp baking soda
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
4 cups shredded apples
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (any cooking oil is fine)
1/2 cup milk
4 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk together both flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt & cloves. Stir in apples, carrots, coconut, raisins & walnuts.
In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, milk, vanilla & eggs, just until blended. Add to the flour mixture and stir. Do not over mix.
Fill muffin cups 3/4's full with batter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Check with a toothpick, if the toothpick comes out clean the muffins are done. When done remove muffins immediately from pan.
Depending on the size of your muffin tin, Makes about 24 muffins.
Cool completely, Enjoy!!
For a lighter version, substitute:
1 cup of applesauce for the oil.
Skim Milk for the whole milk
Use eggs substitutes
The Best Banana Bread
(from America's Test Kitchen)
Greasing and flouring only the bottom of a regular loaf pan causes the bread to cling to the sides and rise higher. If using a nonstick loaf pan, on which the sides are very slick, grease and flour sides as well as the bottom.Makes one 9-inch loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts, chopped coarse (about 1 cup)
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of regular loaf pan, or grease and flour bottom and sides of nonstick 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.
2. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
They're forecasting temps of 108 and higher here for tomorrow. Do butterflies melt?
I am in what I call premature retirement and enjoying every minute of it. I've been off work now for 3 years (recovering from a bacterial lung infection and severe anemia), living off the proceeds from selling my home and moving to an apartment. When the money gets low, I'll start looking for work again. I estimate I probably have about another year before that happens. In the meantime I continue to look for work I can do from home. Right now I earn an occasional $50 here and there doing copy editing and answering consumer surveys. I have a few investments that help pay the grocery and utility bills so that helps quite a bit.
Ever since I moved to the new apartment, I've been working on decorating the place on a budget. It gives me a great excuse to work on some crafting projects. I'm also on a kick to win back my health and take long walks every day around the community here. I'm slowly getting some strength back, the endurance is a little slower in improving but it is happening. I neglected my health for a very long time so it is going to take quite awhile to recover it.
I have several families of finches and a family of bluejays that have set up housekeeping on my balcony. Last winter I set out a bird feeder but they pretty much ignored it until I added a bird bath. Now they fight so much over territory on the feeder that I added a second one just to cut down on the squabbles. They're great company and a lot of fun to watch. I'm slowly inching up on them as they get used to my presence and hope to soon be able to sit out there and have them feel comfortable to come munch seeds while I'm out there. Right now they are nesting and busily feeding all those gaping mouths. I figure it is a good time to try to make my presence there when they have more important things on their bird minds then that lady that keeps watching them. :::grin:::
After my trip to the swimming pool this morning I decided to take a few pictures around the apartment complex. You can see the new pictures here.
I've been doing some baking in the early morning hours before it gets too hot. These are a couple of the recipes I've made recently: Next time I make the muffins I think I am going to substitute the regular raisins for a mixture of golden raisins and dried cranberries. The banana bread was some of the best bread I've ever tasted. I substituted Banana Cream Pie flavored yogurt for the plain yogurt and used half the amount of walnuts and added raisins.
Harvest Muffins
2 cups unbleached white flour (white flour is fine)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar
4 tsp baking soda
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
4 cups shredded apples
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (any cooking oil is fine)
1/2 cup milk
4 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk together both flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt & cloves. Stir in apples, carrots, coconut, raisins & walnuts.
In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, milk, vanilla & eggs, just until blended. Add to the flour mixture and stir. Do not over mix.
Fill muffin cups 3/4's full with batter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Check with a toothpick, if the toothpick comes out clean the muffins are done. When done remove muffins immediately from pan.
Depending on the size of your muffin tin, Makes about 24 muffins.
Cool completely, Enjoy!!
For a lighter version, substitute:
1 cup of applesauce for the oil.
Skim Milk for the whole milk
Use eggs substitutes
The Best Banana Bread
(from America's Test Kitchen)
Greasing and flouring only the bottom of a regular loaf pan causes the bread to cling to the sides and rise higher. If using a nonstick loaf pan, on which the sides are very slick, grease and flour sides as well as the bottom.Makes one 9-inch loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts, chopped coarse (about 1 cup)
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of regular loaf pan, or grease and flour bottom and sides of nonstick 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.
2. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
They're forecasting temps of 108 and higher here for tomorrow. Do butterflies melt?
