What's on my mind

My first follower told me I was always interesting.  That meant a lot to me because I had gotten so lost.  I didn't know who I was any more.  But having a follower say how much he enjoyed my blog, well, that caressed my flattery bone enough to inspire me to keep this stupid blog alive.


I was so excited about blogging when I first started because I got all my "aha" moments as I was writing. And then it seemed like there would be no more "aha" moments, so blogging lost its appeal.  But all I ever did was talk about what was on my mind, and I can still do that.  My journey isn't over.  Stuff is still on my mind.  (Huh?  Did I say that out loud?)


What's on my mind now is stuff like "wow, squeeze fresh lemon on [I forget, a too green mango?], sprinkle stevia granules, salt and cayenne pepper, and it's really delicious."


Oh, I just lifted up a bottle of water to drink from and it really hurt.  First, I've been suffering from muscle pain in my left arm and back, which thanks to my roommate (who knows everything there is to know about bodily maladies) asked me if it was because of the recent moist weather?  Aha moment!  I connected the dots for the first time Duh:  muscle pain = probably raining or in a moister environment than body is used to.  I am so glad to know it will go away when it stops raining.  I mean really, it's time I learned these things.  (This would be the same Roommate Ted that pointed out to me that I was autistic - you really should know these things by the time you're 60.)  I'm serious, I was really upset that I was getting old and decrepit, but I have a Jewfro for the first time in my life because my environment is so moist.  I've got to move!  Have I mentioned yet how much I have wanted to move? I've been wanting to move pretty much since I started this blog.  Which is why I force myself to love where I live because I may never live anywhere as nice as here ever again.  Second, I just received 2 shots (flu & pneumonia) in one arm, and a tetanus combo in the other arm that already hurt (I didn't want to have TWO arms I couldn't sleep on).


Yes, I saw the doctor today, my first time with a new primary care physician in my new neighborhood.  I will soon be visiting a baby cousin whose mother wanted me to get my shots first before meeting the baby.  The doctor recommended all these shots (it was the first time I heard about the pneumonia one), and I took him up on it even though I hardly ever get sick, because I do want to start traveling and exposing myself to all sorts of germs.  And I peed in a cup and had blood drawn and everything else he recommended.  This doctor's office was FAST.  The receptionist handed me 2" of forms to fill out and said my doctor was fast and he was ready for me before she finished her sentence.  The doctor sent me right into his nurse who immediately did the weight/blood pressure thing, I barely got a line in a form filled when the doctor was back (nearly colliding in the doorway with the nurse on her way out), he saw me and talked with me and did not seem rushed at all, fully and patiently answered all my questions about all his recommendations and sent me to get my blood drawn where the nurse was IMMEDIATELY available to give me excellent service IMMEDIATELY.  I managed to finish up the paperwork just as I was escorted back out to reception, where my forms were reviewed and everything put in order and I owed nothing!!  Which was another reason I went through this hell - if I lose my job for any reason, my insurance goes with it, so I may as well take advantage of our free annual preventive care doctor visits, and was quite pleased (if pained) by how quickly I got all that taken care of.  Having said all that, I didn't like my doctor, and hope to find another one in the same medical group there that will suit me better.


I also had a full dental checkup this month.  I get my twice yearly appointments with the hygienist, and it was just time to see the dentist, I think it had been over a year.  He took x-rays and everything - and was particularly proud of using a tiny camera to take digital close-ups of one particular tooth to avoid more x-rays.  It was such a simple idea, but he's the only one doing it.  He's telling ears-nose-throat doctors about it, because they could do the same thing.  Genius. There was also a new patient that day who told me that where she lives "dentist" basically means "guy that makes teeth pretty but doesn't give damn about teeth."  Well, my dentist told me 36 years ago he could save my teeth and I've never seen another dentist, so I was incredulous at what I was hearing.  I told her, "well, you've come to the right place." And she said, "that's what I keep hearing!"  I would have talked to her further, as I had barely even touched on the dentist's photography, when the dentist's wife grabbed me to show me his new scrapbook (he has a racing car that brings him all over the world, and he draws and writes in scrap books about the trips).  On this particular visit, however, I was entranced by the slide shows in the exam rooms.  Dr. and wife explained to me that their son happens to be very good friends with the queen of Bhutan, and I learned as well that my dentist has written the very first cookbook of Bhutan cuisine ever in the whole world, and the slides were pictures of the queen of Bhutan with his (my dentist's) son.  But, I digress.  Promptly that evening (unfortunately Friday), my crown falls off!  I was uncomfortably squeezed in on Monday to have the dentist put it back on.  It promptly fell off AGAIN on Thursday!  Guess where I was first thing Friday morning driving through Friday morning rush hour traffic??  Oh, and because of all my backaches I also saw the chiropractor this month, who told me my back wasn't out, that it was just muscle pain (he failed to mention anything about moist weather, however).


So, as you can imagine, I am sick of seeing doctors this month!!  Oh - and more, my new primary care doctor's office was ready to schedule me for my NEXT annual checkup!  Can you believe that?  I couldn't.  I confirmed, "I can make an appointment for a year from now today?"  Yes.  I told her, you know, I have decided to never again see a doctor in the month of December.  I probably won't get another physical until 2012.  "Ok, I'll mark your file for that," she said brightly.  I asked, "you mean you can make an appointment for me now in 2012?"  Yes.  I told her I would call her anyway.  But, I digress.  But that's how I think.  One digression after another.  Isn't that what life is?


So, as sick as I am of seeing doctors this month, the good news is I'm all caught up on my shots!! And I'm not growing older, I'm growing moister.  Oh - another "aha" moment.  Skyping for the first time with Kathy on Christmas Eve (we've only been trying to for a year or so), I was surprised to learn she has basically the same texture hair that I do, meaning she was also surprised to find out her hair was curly (she also just returned from a stint in moist weather, herself).  And she commented, "sometimes I brush my hair out just to get rid of the mess."  For me it was like, "wow, you can do that?"  I haven't brushed my hair in years, other than just before washing it.  But never as an actual hair style.  But yeah, I could do that, just like my mother did when I was a little girl.  Duh.  It will make it straight and get rid of the mess!  Well, my mother died when I was 10, and I pretty much haven't brushed my hair since then.  But I have cleaned my room.  I even make my bed.  Today Lulu helped me make the bed.  She likes it her way.

This was Christmas (R and J's house).  In the first shot Roommate Ted is "flashing" my camera.  In the second shot he has sat down with a self-satisfied grin.  The camera basically did this by itself while sitting haphazardly on the kitchen counter as I tried to figure out what the lense was seeing (which is why I am not in the picture).  But I couldn't see anything until I got home and found this little gift from Santa.