Quik Update

Recovering from the surgery has been slower than I'd like & I've been doing a whole lot of sleeping.  But I am feeling better every day, and am almost back to normal.

Scott & I went to Wendover for Thanksgiving (I know it's a strange thing to do).  Went to a Joe Nichols concert Saturday night, with ear plugs due to the incredible decibel level.  Played dominos, spoiled Oscar, slept in, ate good food, read, relaxed, won a tiny bit of cash at the spinny slots.  It was enjoyable.

This afternoon I have an appointment with a spine specialist.  I'm both dreading and excited.  I really hope that he's able to see from my MRI what's going on and come up with some sort of treatment or at least pain management plan for me.  Haven't been to a spine Doc in 7 years.

Times up, gotta go.

I have created AMAZING

Home made microwave popcorn with brownsugarcayenegingercinnamon seasoning.Amazing!  Started off with this recipe and did a heavy butter to olive oil popping fluid, then seasoned right after popping.  AMAZING.

Doing my best to distract myself from the subtext of this week.  Went for blood work tonight, as usual they had to stab more than once to find a vein, and it went very slowly after that.  I really hate my veins!

Bring on Friday!
~m

Arches was amazing

Our Halloween getaway was a success.  We spent the first night sitting on the roof of the camper (this is now traditional when camping at Dead Horse cuz the view is so much better from up there) bundled in blankets with our toes tucked into the interior of the camper where it was warm.  The stars were amazing.  We did a bit of touristing in Canyon Lands Sunday, cooked french toast at one of the overlooks, visited my favorite store in Moab where I spent more money than I should have (just as I planned to).  Halloween day we had a campfire (excellent hardwood) & roasted biscuits.  I made raspberry honey butter which immediately set up like rock when I took it outside.  With our little propane heater warming our backsides, & the fire warming our frontsides it was a comfortable pleasant evening.

The drive home was a little scary.  Our tradition of traveling over soldier summit in the worst possible weather  went just like it always does.  Fortunately we were not one of the vehicles to end that day upside down in the ditch.

I got little crafting done this trip, but did do quite a bit of reading.  That's always a pleasure.

Strange

Tonight as I was climbing out of the now winterized camper with Oscar's kibble bag (shoulda grabed it 2 days ago before it was so cold & dark in there), I was heralded by a rather distressed Meow.  Being the well trained Meowess that my kritters have trained me to be I went into full on code fuschia (that's between copasetic purple & worry red).  When I reached the ground I saw a familiar looking brown tabby.  Sider is a brown tabby.   Said kittah was unhappy, wanted attention, and though needy very distant.  Much like Sider when he knows he isn't supposed to be outside & isn't excited about staying out or being in trouble for getting out.  So I sat down, coaxed the kittah to me (not hard if you get kittah speak & offer unqualified loves).  & then despite minor objection captured the cat whom I  thought was Sider & carried it's not entirely squirming self to the front door.  Where I was greeted by Sider...on the inside of the glass waiting for me.  HUH?!?  I then sat down, interviewed the kitty in my arms, & discovered that it was not at all one of my cats.  Just a docile, unhappy, needy newcomer.  I'm calling him/her (daylight will tell) Outie.  Since Sider abandoned the prefix of his name when he moved inside, and this new cat is so much like him but cannot come inside.  Outie has something serious going on with his/her eyes.  I'm hoping steady food, a warm place to sleep & people who give a sh*t will improve his/her odds.  Real glad Sider was at the door or I'd have turned Outie loose inside without realizing he/she was an impersonator.  Really don't want to contaminate my sheltered spoiled indoor babies with scary germs.  So I hauled Royla's outside house out of the back yard (her new people have gotten their sh*t together and didnt' have to abandon her back to me, so she's still a happy girl in her new home YAY) set it up on the porch and Outie seems quite pleased with the offering.  I always say things happen for a reason, and who else would have accidentally snuggled, cared about & had a ready built shelter available along with some spare affection & general give a sh*t for this animal?  Outie can't come in (Sider already has us running at 150% capacity prolly forever), but that doesn't stop me from helping.  Tonight he/she has a full tummy & a warm place to sleep.  Tomorrow I'll research antibiotics.

Having surgery next week.  Trying not to freak out about it.  Supposed to be an in an out thing without an overnight stay in the hospital.  I really hope so.  Realizing that some of the pain I've been blaming on my back for years has actually been my gal bladder.  Hopefully that means I'm much happier without it.

Gonna go tuck myself in and begin the wondering of how I'll do without ibuprofen for a week...do they have support groups for that?
~m