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Monday, March 30, 2009

Happy Stress-Free Edition


Since last we whined, I've been running through my options and concluded that all my problems would be solved by becoming a house kittie*, and adopting the motto, "Don't worry, be happy." Apparently, the position is unavailable for someone of my species, however.

So instead, I've been in a positive frenzy, running down my list of things to consider, things to research, choices to make, trying some new routines, etc. And shopping for useful stuff to address some issues. Some friends and my fabulous Aunt Janie have been really helpful. [My aunt takes yoga!] All progress, even if it turns out I'm just the tiniest bit obsessive, and a total worry-wart.

Which brings me to a wall: part of the program has to be reducing stress, and I'm really in favor of that for other people, but a complete doofus at doing it for myself.

Therefore: special prizes this week for disclosures about what makes you laugh, and what helps you with the stressy stuff. Much encouragement of submissions for Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], Old Skool, and the ever-popular but sadly neglected Style awards!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* These are not my current cats, but a purrfectly wonderful set of foster kitties from a few years back.

44 comments:

Miranda said...

OMG! Blinded by all the kitteh cuteness!! I can't whine with all those cute kitties on my screen.

:)

kathy a. said...

oh, noes! please do not let the cuteness deter you from whines of all stripes.

Madeleine said...

I'm not even a cat person, and that is a whole lot of kitteh cuteness. I think I am mostly interested in curling up on that comforter for a nap.

Medical whining: Had my turn on the crinkly paper yesterday, which was mostly fine. I like my doctor. But he should probably take my advice (which he says he's heard from other people too) and take BP *before* asking me to get on the scale. I don't have HBP, but I don't know if he's getting a normal reading when I'm all AURGH about the scale.

Medical advice anti-whine: We had a polite chat about that fact that I might want to get some exercise once in a while. But no major pressure.

Advance whining: It's time for my first mammogram.

Anti-whine that explains why that is advance whining: His favorite place to send people usually has a 3 month wait. So I should make the call, but I won't be getting smooshed anytime soon.

Liz Miller said...

Thursday is my visit with the breast surgeon to find out if there is a reason why I'm still leaking 6.5 years after my final pump session.

I'm still thinking, "woo-hoo! C-cup!" I want that outcome so bad, I've been holding off buying new bras even tho biggerbras.com is having some great sales.

Anonymous said...

I am whiny.
Due to a colon0sc0py tomorrow, I am currently having a day of consuming only clear liquids, to be followed by an evening (and very early tomorrow morning) consuming extremely evil clear liquids which will "clear my system". Ugh. Apparently, this is a perfect time to get my peri0d too. Wah.

Daughter home today with pink eye, while still on antibiotics for strep. She was very upset about missing music at school, and missing a play practice tonight. Which means entire family will be around while my system gets cleared, since our schedule got cleared too, due to aforementioned pink eye. Also? I can't take advil for monthly woes, due to procedure tomorrow.

Antiwhines: it is sunny here and fairly warm, pink eye ain't so bad on the spectrum of things that keep kids home, Brady Bunch reruns rock, and I am mid-way through a good book to keep me distracted during the evening's festivities.

Hugs to pixies who need them!

--Neighbor lady

JenR said...

Our night of no sleep last week was apparently due to a double ear infection... which led to two perforated eardrums. Yipee. This is the last straw, and now my baby boy will be getting tubes in his ears. I am nervous, but glad that it will at least hopefully put a stop to the endless ear infections in our house. At least for him - I will still probably get them since the tubes aren't going in MY ears.

Anonymous said...

Anti-whine of Massive Proportions: my number one job choice just called and OFFERED ME THE JOB. I was all prepared to negotiate, but they offered more money than I would have asked for.

Wow.

kathy a. said...

madeleine -- the comforter is in daughter's room which is closed to cats until june, but open for anyone needing a snuggly nap.

liz, best with the quest!

omg, neighbor lady! i'm going to have one of those colonoscopies in a bit. you have all my sympathies. not to mention the pinkeye and aunt flo. geesh! please let us know you have survived. xoxo

jenr -- my girl had tubes as a little bitty, and i cannot say enough about how much better life was, after. the day of will have its ups and downs, but it was a miracle. no more infections. her speech was affected because she couldn't hear, but that cleared up, too. xoxo

kathy a. said...

WOOT! hooray, dr. redzils!!!!

Madeleine said...

Three cheers for a job offer! At a good salary! Hooray, hooray, hooray.

Much sympathy for Neighbor Lady. My mom said the procedure itself was a breeze compared to the prep. May you come through with good news and good appetite.

Ditto on the tubes being a good thing, from my second hand knowledge.

And one more cheer for Dr. Redzils, because I'm so happy for you!

esperanza said...

Dr. Redzils!!! Yippeee!!!

Will be back later with whines a-plenty, but I had to cheer!!!

Liz Miller said...

Dr. Redzils!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!! Is this the one in home state or boot state?

Liz Miller said...

Neighbor Lady, you get the Morton Salt award this week.

JenR, my friends with kids who've had the tubes report great success.

Sue said...

yay Dr. Redzils!!!!!!

good luck with the boobage issues liz!

I'm colonscopy-bound sometime in the next year Neighbour Lady. My doc insists on it when a patient turns 50. He SO won't believe me if I lie about my age - not that I would, you know, do that or anything....

Hubby had to do the sh*t-a-thon before his procedure last year, and the first thing he said in the recovery room? "Next year - your turn." Nice. Thanks for that.

Anyway, hope it all goes well for you. I'll be thinking of you.

Whine: Snow. Lots and lots and lots of snow.

Sue said...

Forgot to mention the uber-cuteness of the picture. I could not be a foster-mom to kittehs, though I deeply admire those who can. I would end up owning 30 cats. Srsly.

kathy a. said...

daughter and i did well with the first 7-8 batches of baby-kittehs -- got them all friendly and adoptable and back out the door. failed with the last 2, who are just the cutest housecats, but a little touchy on small issues like Giant Weird Humans Lurching Up And Petting Them. so, spottie and polly are our pets now, and i'm retired from the foster kitten biz.

BTW, my doc said i don't have to go back for 10 years if all is clear on the colonoscopy. also, there will be sedation.

Sue said...

Best wishes kathy a. - and thank goodness for sedation!

Majorly and Most Excellent Anti-Whine: SNOW DAY!!!!!!! My 7:00 am breakfast meeting - canceled because of blizzard. Admin Assistant and I conferred via phone tonight and agreed to take snow day tomorrow.

I'll be darned if I'm taking my new car on those dangerous roads just so some jackass in a beat up truck can run into me. (People around here drive like idiots during blizzards....sad, but true).

SNOW DAY!!!! eeeeeeeeeee!!!

Sue said...

Two weeks. Only two short weeks from now I will be on study leave in a very warm place. No snow anywhere.

Crappity, but we have a lot of snow here today. All great because I get a snow day, but I'm SO over winter.

In the meantime, the Stoopid Breakfast meeting planned for today was cancelled. Yay.

In rescheduling, the dates proposed were either next Wednesday (mid-way through Holy Week folks. Just sayin...) or the following week. I said they should just go ahead for the 15th and I'll catch up after I get back.

But nooooooo......it's next Wednesday. But don't worry, it's not like I have anything ELSE to do during Holy Week.

CRAP!!

Anonymous said...

Woohoo Dr. Redzils! Good luck for the doctor visit liz!Sorry about the ear infections JenR. And snow!? On April 1! Not fair, but a snow day is kinda fun?

And thanks for all the well-wishes to everyone.

Heading off in about half an hour to the procedure. So far, I can report that the prep is in fact, disgusting. So disgusting as to be almost comical. Almost. If I may just whine, anytime a bottle says "Pleasing lemon-lime flavor" you know it's a LIE!
Just saying....

Neighbor Lady

Liz Miller said...

I got cream cheese on my new brown pants.

esperanza said...

Can I get an award for *intending* to make a stylish whine?

Because I intended to do a "back in the stirrups again" whine, in honor of our return to the fertility clinic. With verses including wonky blood test results, fighting with the insurance companies, "prior authorization" requirements, ultrasound wands and, the aforementioned stirrups. But it is requiring brain power that I need for other things, like my job.

Also, because we don't have anything else going on (see above), the moving whine. We have gone and met the new folks and seen the new house (featuring the finest decor your 1978 dollar can buy). It will be fine, and it will become home, but getting from here to there is a lot of work, especially on my part. Not to mention it's emotionally draining to break it to my church that I'm leaving. Consensus seems to be that Hubby and I can move, but the Sweet Baboo must stay.

And, in antiwhine territory: the Sweet Baboo has developed a new skill: monkey walking. It is cute, cute, cute. She walks on the soles of her feet, legs straight, arms straight with palms flat on the floor. She looks just like a little monkey.

And I am in solidarity with Sue on the oncoming onslaught of Holy Week. Yikes.

Sympathies to all experiencing body-part inspections.

esperanza said...

In good conscience, I should also antiwhine that I am grateful that our insurance provides very good coverage.

JenR said...

My husband and I have a tradition in our jobs - rotating corporate takeovers. It seems that no matter where we work the place gets sold... it was his turn, and today it happened. No word yet on what that means for keeping his job, although rumor has it that his department should be safe. I'm not convinced, especially since the rumor is based on nothing more than a few people's opinions. Ugh.

Unknown said...

Dr. Redzils, WOOT WOOT WOOT on the job! So happy for you, and delighted to know you will be rich beyond your dreams. :-)

Esperanza, Monkeywalking. Must. Make. Video. Now.

Whine, while we are talking tushie, I only have one word: hemmerhoids. Or however you spell the damn ass grapes. Ouch!

Whine of huge proportions: My bff, who I have mentioned countless times, is married to the meanest man in the world. Who just happens to have stage 4 colorectal cancer (so do those colonoscopies, people). It has spread to his brain, lungs, liver, and now bones. Last week he complained of leg pain, went to primary care doc, leg actually snapped IN HER HANDS during exam, sent down to ER for Xray and bone scan, found TWO 5-cent. tumors, operated next day and put rod into his femur, DID NOT cast his leg!!!, and then sent him home over BFF's pleas. She can't take care of him, works full time, nobody home all day long. First day home was last night, this morning he fell in shower and was rescued by his 15 yr old daughter who had to see him naked WITH his bag (gag). Back to ER where they are now going to listen to BFF and send him to rehab. BUT... because he is a total asswipe, he decided that he doesn't want her as medical proxy because he (wait for it) doesn't trust her and does not want her to know about his medical details. Her husband of over 20 years. HATE HIM.

Anti: Worthless pet has decided he likes me. I feel like Sally Fields. He has actually snuggled several times and last night he slept with me. I know! It only took him about 6 years to determine that I'm not the ferocious kitty beating monster he's made me out to be. And now that he can go out anytime, pee accidents have abated! It's a feline miracle.

Whine: Son called me the C word yesterday,which was a huge mistake on his part. So freaking grounded. But...

AW: He actually apologized, which is big.

Whine: Troll site was on me bigtime last week, but....

AW: No they have moved on to attack a big A-list blogger.

Whine: They'll be back!

Whine: Passover. I wish it would just pass over me.

Sue said...

Ugh indeed JenR - so sorry.

Oh my esperanza - I don't know how you're managing with all of this especially during lent. (((hugs))

Liz gets votes for Old Skool - no question.

Anti-whine: Smart hubby suggested I call my massage therapist whose office is right across the street (and therefore within walking distance) on the assumption that the snow would mean canellations.

Yay!!!! She had a cancellation so I got a bonus pre-Easter massage.

kathy a. said...

esperanza: the awards committee duly notes honorable intentions, as well as the period stylin' of the new place. monkey walking has to be the cutest thing!!

sue: omg snow! condolances about the dreaded breakfast meeting being rescheduled to a full-to-overflowing week.

oy, jenr, about the rotating corp. takeovers. what's next, locusts? frogs?

neighbor lady: hopefully the worst is over, and your family can spend the rest of the week fanning you, bringing restorative snacks and liquids, and renting every funny movie ever made. [not that i expect you'll be bedridden for the rest of the week, but you've earned the right to be a diva for a while. in our opinion.]

kathy a. said...

margalit: yeesh about BFF's husband. glad he is off at rehab; he's got way too damned much going on for home care. sigh about the medical proxy. i'd cluestick him, except he's pretty much doing a job on himself. very sad.

sue: i'm beyond jealous about the massage.

Genevieve said...

WOO HOOOOOOO for Dr. Redzils!! That's a truly, truly awesome antiwhine. Yahoo!

Neighbor Lady, at least the pre-exam part is over . . . . but definitely deserving of a whine.

Sue, yay for the snow day, but mega cluesticks to those who rescheduled for Holy Midweek.

Liz said, "I got cream cheese on my new brown pants."
I say: better than chocolate on your new cream-colored pants.

I wanna see the cute monkeywalker!

Anonymous said...

I am back home, and comfy lying in bed, while wonderful husband made me a delicious rice dish, YUM!
Exam was good, vaguely stressed prior to starting sedation one moment, waking up sleepily in recovery room the next. Nice.
Thanks for all the wonderful thoughts....they definitely helped!
You guys are the best!

--Neighbor Lady

Madeleine said...

Genevieve has a good point re: pants.

Neighbor Lady, I'm glad you are home and comfy.

I have to whine that the newfangled cloth grocery bags have ruined one basic truism of my life as a parent:

Go to the store with X items on your list* and you will leave with X bags of groceries.

But now we use these reusable bags and they hold twice as much. X/2 bags just isn't a satisfying truism.

*Where X is less than a big shopping trip

Liz Miller said...

Glad you're home and comfy, Neighbor Lady.

Margalit, I'm sorry.


Continuing with the minor whine theme I've got going: The Danskos I ordered from Zappo's are too big. Danskos never work for me, but I had dreams.

kathy a. said...

madeleine, i hope the grocery bag thing starts working for you. i'm pretty blah about the standard canvas bags, but LURVE this sturdy thin ripstop nylon one that just crunches into my purse with ease, slips over my shoulder so sweetly...

oh, liz. maybe they'll exchange for a better size, or something more reliable for you? i'm so devoted to clogs that it isn't funny -- but they can run big and loose, which is part of the attraction for my widish feet.

Liz Miller said...

Alas, my feet are odd, so no.

Sue said...

NL - glad you're home and feeling okay.

Margalit - your friend's husband, sick or not, is NOT a nice guy. For your friend's sake and their daughter's, I'm glad he's no longer at home.

Votes for Margalit for Risk of Mullet for "I wish Passover would just pass me over" Amen sistah!!!

I can haz monkeywalking video too??? Just the image of it makes me smile. That is SUCH a cute stage.

esperanza said...

If I could catch her on video, I would! She is maddeningly elusive with it. Da-da hasn't even seen it. She monkey-walked all day yesterday, and today it was back to boring old crawling. Go figure.

kathy a. said...

antiwhines! [1] we owe less in taxes than suspected. [2] i got a check! and [3] my chill pillow arrived today!! i am readying it for duty, because if tonight is not better than last night, we are looking at spontaneous combustion, with possible cat involvement.

amy said...

*big boobie gratitude to liz for the biggerbras link!
*jenr - wishing you and your little one a lot of relief post-tubes!
*sue - blizzard on april fools just feels like a giant cosmic prank. jus' sayin'.
*risk of mullet vote for esperanza's "featuring the finest decor your 1978 dollar can buy".
*how about them bodily fluids again this week? as my mother would say, "hoooo doggie!"

amy said...

i admit i've been a little short tempered lately because i feel overwhelmed having a second child, working part time (teaching a bunch of dumb@ass plagiarizing composition students), AND keeping house, but i don't think i'm the one who dropped the ball here.

i'm so far behind on laundry that i had to do what i call "emergency loads" last weekend. i did four - that is how bad it is. but! i'm buried under a ton of papers to be graded and a fussy teething baby, so i folded the clothes but did not get them put away. in these loads are underwear for my husband. the basket is literally five steps from our bedroom door.

on sunday, i told my husband to get his underwear from the basket because i hadn't put stuff away yet. last night, i thought i'd play underpants fairy and put a pair in his dresser so as to save him the effort in the morning.

i challenge you to guess how many times he's changed his underwear between sunday and today. if you guessed "not at all," you'd be right. he says he didn't want to say anything about being out of underwear because he didn't want to cause me any more stress this week.

oy.

Sue said...

Holy moly amy - no wonder you feel overwhelmed! As for the underwear situation - well, ew.

Late-breaking Thursday whine: Nauseous today. Not sure why, but my garbage can at the office isn't far away. Bleeeeeeehhhhhhh. I despise barfing, but it may happen yet today. It just feels like that, you know?

*reaches for gravol*

amy said...

sue - in my book, barfing trumps the underwear situation any day.

i think the thing that bugged me the most was that he expected me to put the underwear away. normally i do, but once i showed him where they were, i think he's big enough to fetch more from the unmined source if he discovers none in the usual place. or maybe i am teh crazay. maybe there is a contractual obligation i overlooked that states that once i start putting underwears away, i must always do so, every single time even when the underwear's owner is aware of an alternate source.

is there a lawyer in the house? i'm going to need one to help me decipher this one...

Madeleine said...

amy, just to be clear -- on Sunday, you told him to get a pair from the basket and *he did* but by Monday he had no idea there were clean undies in the basket? If this were my house I'd say extreme sleep deprivation was involved, 'cause that's just odd.

I sometimes confuse My Love by putting the undies away in the dresser. He's actually more accustomed to the basket approach.

Liz Miller said...

Amy, time for cluesticking of the husband. I recommend putting him in charge of all laundry from now on.

Sheesh.

Sue, I hope that you feel less nauseated.

Now, for the post-breast surgeon visit report:

I am both relieved and disappointed.

Relieved because she's certain that I haven't got cancer and that the leakage and ever-expandingness of the ginormous tatas does not mean an increase in cancer risk.

She thinks it's a hormone problem (too much progesterone) and that it will require a hormonal fix.

I am disappointed because not only will a breast reduction NOT fix the problem, she won't do one until the problem IS fixed because there's a high likelihood that the damn things'll just keep growing.

I really wanted a breast reduction to be the solution. I really really really did.

Madeleine said...

liz, :-( sorry to hear that.

Eyes on the prize. You will get where you want to go eventually.

Sue said...

((((liz)))

the gravol helped, so I guess I can anti-whine about that.

Now - lunch.