I signed up to host, and forgot all about it because we woke up to a whole lot of smoke this morning. The many fires are 40-50 miles away, but massive -- and our area also remains under a high fire danger warning because it is dry, warm, and somewhat windy. (Much windier last night.) Things are very chaotic in the areas affected.
My SIL is in care in one of the affected counties. The phone line to her place is out -- there are lots of outages, even outside the fire zones -- but the director of her place responded to an email and said they're OK for now, and they have an evacuation plan if needed. Crossing fingers.
Anyway, distracted...
AW: My son and DIL came for dinner last night, and it was great. They got to meet Clyde. The dog was wary of my son for some reason, but son got to feed him treats, and Clyde signaled acceptance by grabbing the shirt my son carelessly left in reach, and slobbering on it.
Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian Pixies!
Wishing Liz good luck as she starts her new job!
What else is going on?
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The Wednesday Whining Community is diverse, and strives to be safe, welcoming, and supportive. To this end, comments that are personally abusive or otherwise disparaging [regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation] will be deleted by moderators, along with spam and self-promotion.
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A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
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A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
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A: The Playdough Violin
A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
Q: Awards? Really?
A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
Q: Can I whine about someone who just does not "get it"?
A: The Cluestick Posse is on hand for persons in need.
Q: Is there a mascot?
A: Ralph is the mascot.
Q: Are there other traditions I should know about?
A: The passing of virtual refreshments is appreciated.
Q: How did this all get started anyhow?
A: Phantom Scribbler was our muse and host for two years.
Q: What was the first prize ever awarded?
A: The Playdough Violin
Moderators
75 comments:
After another (W) dreadful day, behaviorally speaking, at church yesterday, Mini and I set off on a shopping expedition for her latest creative scheme. Then we did lunch and ice cream. It was so nice to just have fun with her without having to nag and/or correct her constantly. Beginning to think that perhaps separating the Baboos on Sunday morning might be a viable, though unpopular, solution. After much middle-of-the-night mind-fireplacing of the matter, I don't think recruiting someone (paid or not) to sit with them is going to work. When one of us is present, they want to be glued to our sides. But something has got to give. Status quo is untenable.
That was unclear. Yesterday was dreadful. Today was delightful.
W: Blogger could benefit from a comment-edit feature.
Yay for a good day!
It would be good to be able to edit here.
I'm so sorry about the untenable.
So sorry to hear about the fires, kathy. I hope your SIL is okay and that you can make contact with the facility soon.
Sorry about the rough day yesterday, esperanza. I’m glad you had such a great shopping expedition with Mini today!
Quiet around here...
I hope the fire situation is starting to get under control soon, kathy. It's horrifying how quickly it's been spreading.
Still no symptoms from my (apparent) infection. Doc will no doubt call later today. So odd, this.
AW: We had my in-laws over for Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. My MIL was weak but in good spirits. Hubby, FIL, and I were amazed at how much she ate. She's always been so particular, and so... proud, of how very little she could eat and still survive. It's been a point of pride for her for as long as I've known her (over forty years). I've never, ever seen her take seconds. Of anything.
She had three helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy. Then she ate a whole piece of apple pie - even the crust (which she always sets aside and says, "Oh, I've had enough.")
She's forgotten her own rules, which is a good thing. We'll be having them up for more meals, as she seems to do better when we're all together.
Sue, what a wonderful dinner! It sounds like your MIL is doing well, all things considered. (Sometimes, one of the "losses" is a thing nobody will miss, like the picky eating.)
The smoke is thick again this morning, and there are some bonus fires today. It's a little cooler, not as windy. We could use a modest little monsoon, though, if anybody has a spare they could send over.
SIL is still out of harm's way for now.
I kept the house closed up yesterday and only spent a few minutes outside, because the air quality is so bad. Still had to use my "rescue" inhaler twice (hardly ever need to use it).
So. We had a bag of green beans, and my sweetie got carried away at a produce stand and brought home another huge bag. I'm considering a green bean casserole, from scratch (*not* with the condensed soup and fried onion things on top). Y'all want some fresh green beans?
Yum - I love green beans!!
Sorry to hear about the crappy air quality. It's all so horrible. It's good your SIL is still out of range of the worst of it too.
Yes, yes I do want fresh green beans. Casserole sounds good; I like to crunch on them raw, too! I'll trade you some okra.
Sorry about the fires.
Long day today. Doctor appointment (annual physical; everything looks fine pending bloodwork). Then to other Big City for a meeting. Then back to my Big City for a hospital visit. Then home in traffic. Bleh.
Yesterday was teacher conferences. News from Sweet's was discouraging, in the math department in particular. We have some plans to tackle it. The most frustrating thing is that I think she has a really math-oriented brain, in terms of spatial thinking. Jigsaw puzzles, complicated Lego constructions, sense of direction. But straight up arithmetic, especially in the bizarre way they're teaching it, is incredibly hard for her--conceptually as well as just doing it.
Kathy, I'm thankful that you and yours are continuing to be out of harm's way, but I'm sorry about the terrible air quality.
Esperanza, is there any way to adapt the math learning to a way that she can conceptualize more easily? And hugs about the frustrating parent-teacher conference.
Sue, your dinner sounds like it was lovely, and I'm glad that your MIL had such a good time and ate so well.
W: SO TIRED. I didn't have a moment to myself during the long weekend. And now I'm coming down with a bit of a cold (at least it was a preschool day, and I had a couple of hours of rest today). Also, something in all the plentiful and rich food (we ended up having three dinners this weekend) is bugging E's tummy: three poo accidents in four days, all very suddenly. She's only going once a day, but she averages every two or three, and this keeps happening shortly after supper. (I did a supper that was very different from the Thanksgiving food, but apparently it was too rich, and it happened again tonight. She was so horrified, and said that today is now the worst day ever.) We're going to something close to a BRAT diet for the next couple of days, to see what's going on (I'm especially going to avoid dairy and cut way back on the meat).
AW: we really did have lovely Thanksgiving dinners! Although right now I'm too exhausted to really think about it.
QWP, we're making some adjustments so that she is pulled out for more minutes for extra instruction/help with the special ed people. The trouble with letting her conceptualize it differently is fireplacing standard tests want her to do it the way they're teaching it. Special ed students are not exempt from the fireplacing standardized tests.
I hope you get some rest.
Fireplacing fireplacing standardized testing. It makes me so angry, especially in how it inhibits effective learning for students with learning needs. But also when funding, etc., is tied to test scores, which just increases disparity. (Sorry, sorry, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I'm part of a household of educators, and Mr. Q is working on his MEd.)
W: now my tummy is feeling terrible. This might be a mild bug. Or I did something weird to tonight's supper.
Advance W: I'm chugging water tonight, so that the phlebotomist will be able to find my vein in the morning. I'm presuming that means I will be up going to the potty all night long.
Oh man, I've been there. I hope you get a good sleep tonight, esperanza.
Hugs everybody!
First day of work was terrific. They put me straight to work on a project. Now heading into dc to visit the customer.
Liz on iPhone
Success. She still had to use the tiny needle, but it's done. I didn't have to get up too much and was able to coordinate my potty breaks with Sweet's restlessness (sigh).
QWP, I hope you and E are feeling shipshape very soon, and that you can get some rest. Holiday weekends are rough in terms of getting some quiet time alone.
Sorry to hear about Sweet's math troubles. I struggled with math from day one at school and still do. My brain just doesn't work that way - too many yes/no, right/wrong answers. I like me some grey area for discussion. :) Unfortunately, when I was going to school that meant I just wasn't very smart. There was no sense of "Gee, maybe this student is better suited for the arts!" Nope. If you flunked math, you were a poor student. Thankfully, that has changed, and teachers understand that kids learn in different ways and at different rates. I hope Sweet is helped by the extra teaching time.
Doc wants a repeat urine test. He didn't want to comment on anything until he gets those results.
Liz! So far, so great at the new job!
Glad that test went reasonably smoothly, Esperanza.
With Sue on different styles of learning, and hoping that Sweet's special time with somebody more understanding will help.
QWP, hope everybody's feeling better soon.
And Sue -- well, sometimes a test is borderline, and that one was days ago and you're still not sick. So, peeing in a cup is not my favorite thing, but it could clear up the entire mystery.
Passing some green bean casserole! It turned out decently. This friend on the book of visages took my mention of the casserole as a challenge to a "classic" of his misspent youth, which was pretty entertaining considering the subject involved a vegetable, and you can't even buy the necessary canned goods for his version at his favorite local market. (He lives where my daughter moved; the market he recommended is one block from her house. Small world!)
* Probably can't buy... I admit, didn't spend enough time there to know for sure. But the market stresses local products, fresh products.
Yay, Liz!!!
kathy, the casserole looked delicious!!
Holy cannoli, the smoke is so bad here today. It didn't smell of smoke in the early morning, although the sky said it was there; and now, this is the third day, and the worst so far. More fires, and the winds are picking up just to make everybody's day.
My sector of the state is not going to see a whole lot of relief in the next few days, I fear. But it's not just my sector having fire problems -- there are fires all up and down the state. The temps have dropped locally, so that's something.
Kathy, watching the fire and smoke is so worrying. Hoping for better conditions, and soon.
W: I'm not usually one to be wistful about my kids growing up. With Sweet in particular, I'm usually glad to see her hit a milestone, because they are all hard-earned. But Baby's First Bra is hitting me kinda hard.
OMG! First Bra! (I mean, already?) But having that one makes it all easier. xoxo
Ahhhh esperanza! I'm even feeling choked up about Baby's First Bra, and she isn't my kid! Hugs, Mama.
Kathy, I hope that you all get relief from the smoke and the fires very soon.
AW: we took things slowly today (gentle food, lots of rest), and I think we're doing a lot better. E insisted on wearing a pull up all day, just in case, and didn't need it.
W: tomorrow is busy. We'll see how we do.
She doesn't need one all the time, but yes for light colored and/or thin and/or too small shirts. For her, it's easier just to say wear it every day than trying to figure out if she needs it or not. Her questions were so innocent and curious: do I wear it all the time? Do I wear it when I'm sleeping? Do I wear it when I'm swimming? Do boys wear them? And she kept calling them "brays," which lets me know she's seen the word in print somewhere.
And Mini is jealous, of course.
My daughter liked camisoles with a shelf bra thing inside -- easy to wear under other stuff, or by itself. Which I assume is still a thing, but don't know for sure.
Oh, I hate those so much that I didn't even consider them, though they might have worked. (I hate them for my own use--the shelf part is not nearly supportive enough by itself. And wearing them a bra is ridiculous, plus the shelf part is never big enough. If I buy a shirt with a built in bra--even an exercise-ish shirt, I cut them out. Bah.)
Apparently I needed to rant about something. That was a good suggestion though, kathy.
This is not an item I could ever wear personally. But it worked (still does, I think) for my more petite daughter.
Oh my goodness, it's First Bra Time!! I can see how that would be cause for some tears. So grown up!!!
I agree 100% on the shelf bra icky-ness. Best place for them is on the shelf. I would no doubt feel differently if I were less generously endowed.
The bra experiment will be ongoing. We discovered horrors along the way, such as underwire in the 26-28 AA range. Underwire! Daughter eventually discovered that she hates underwire and doesn't need it anyway. And so on. She mostly wanted bras for nipple coverage, and so those camis worked pretty well for her.
It's still smoky as heck here, and the evacuation zones expanded overnight again. Fortunately, knock wood, things are not headed in the direction of SIL. My own hillside is under an extreme fire danger warning all day, again. All the local schools are closed due to the bad air, as well as rec programs including the swim center. I woke up at 4 a.m. because I smelled smoke, despite having the house closed up. Apologies for being a broken record; this is a not good week on the worry and weather fronts.
That is truly a milestone, and a cue to have the baby’s first period talk before baby has her first period.
Liz on iPhone at work
(((Kathy)))
Liz on iPhone at work
Yes, Liz. I'm letting the bra conversation sink in for a bit, but I'm planning on addressing the period issue soon. You'll be happy to know that the pediatrician made the same suggestion at her regular checkup.
Kathy, whine about the fires all you need to. We're plenty far away enough to hear your concerns without being overly burdened. We're all worried and concerned about the fires, and you, and SIL, and everybody, but WW is the perfect place to bring the whines.
OMG, the first period. Daughter started at 11, but one of her classmates started at (don't faint) 8 or 9. Daughter was super-prepared, though, and we laid in supplies well ahead of time. Plus, reassuring books meant for girls.
The kids' school had PP come in and do presentations on all the everything (age appropriate, with parents there) for 4th graders. That was truly great. (And, I know that doesn't happen much; but it is one of the reasons I love PP.) The girls peeled off to a separate room for a little bit to talk about menstruation, see the products, etc.
Might have been 5th graders, not 4th.
Yeaaah, pretty sure the PP thing isn't happening at a public school in this state.
I can't remember at what age I started, which is not so helpful right about now. I *think* I was 11, almost 12. But I'm not totally positive.
I remember clearly, I was 15 -- the last in my class -- and at the dentist. My mother apparently never thought I might start someday, so she reacted by declaring me a woman now, and sending my father out to get feminine supplies. I *strongly* recommend against that method.
I think I was 12.
Results from repeat urine test are all clear. Yay! Not sure what happened with initial test, but this one was 100% negative for everything. It makes sense - the blood results should have had some indication of infection (increased white cells) or wonky creatinine (kidney trouble) if anything was wrong.
Also, I had chicken pox at some point, so I’ll be getting the shingles vaccine.
Yay for good blood results. Smart doctor to repeat them.
W: I'm taking a meal tomorrow evening to a friend/colleague whose wife has the same brain tumor that John McCain has. She's deteriorating rapidly. She had an MRI last night, and they'll be getting the results from the doctor tomorrow afternoon. So I'll likely be the first person they see after the results. I'm trying to prepare myself to be there for them. I don't think meatloaf is going to make up for bad results, but at least they'll have supper.
AW: I called and double checked that they still wanted food tomorrow night. The conversation included this exchange:
Me: I also have some fresh okra from my church gardener. Do y'all like okra?
Him: Do we like okra!!?! I'll fry it up and share my secret recipe with you.
Me: (I had been thinking *I* would cook it) So you just want me to bring it uncooked?
Him: Yes please!
(Do non-Southerners even eat okra? It's delicious if prepared properly. Otherwise, it's slimy and disgusting.)
Go, Sue! Good doctor. And the shingles shot's not bad.
Esperanza, you are a good egg, taking dinner / supper over there. And if your friend wants fresh okra so he can do it his way, all to the greater food! (I really dislike okra, but okra lovers are particular about their okra, so I know he considers this a wonderful gift.)
Here's a thing: just because it's the same kind of cancer as somebody else's, that doesn't mean it will behave the same way. These beasts just do their own thing. Sending lots of love. xoxox
((((esperanza))) Hope tomorrow's visit goes as well as can be hoped for. I know that they will appreciate the food and the company and the thoughtfulness. I love okra when it is done well-- don't like it when it is not!
(((kathy a)))) keep thinking of you and your family with these terrifying fires. Hope you stay safe!!
((((Sue )))) yay for the retest results!
(((QWP))) hope your household is feeling better!
:) Neighbor Lady
Did y'all see KLee's post on the book of faces that she is being evaluated for thyroid cancer?
W: Nothing like your second grader's perfectionism making you confront your own.
Esperanza, that sometimes happens...
I hope KLee is OK. It sounds like she was getting blood work done to rule things in or out, which is a great first step. xoxo
KLee, if you're reading, I hope you're doing okay, and that your tests are clear.
Kathy, I'm glad to get your updates. I'm watching the news and fretting about you all.
Hugs for you, as you visit your friends, esperanza.
AW: E and I were both much better today. We had normal meals with no ill effects, and got through a long day fairly well.
Whoops. Figured out that I have not been taking my full daily dose of a preventive inhaler. And therefore, I have taken more of my rescue inhaler than any time -- although, still under the 2 puffs per 4 hours Rx. The rescue one really perks a person up, which isn't what a person necessarily wants in the evening after waking up at 4 a.m. This will go better tomorrow....
Just checked on here, guys -- and I am being seen for a possible case of thyroid cancer. I have 9/10 of all the hallmarks and (pardon for the horrifying imagery) threw up blood on Sunday and have had an intermittent voice since. I had blood work done yesterday, and should have that back in about 48 hours. I have appointments galore -- one for an ultrasound on the thyroid, one to a GI doc to see if it's a gastric/esophageal issue, and one to an ENT in case the vocal chords are damaged.
I am terrified, especially with my family histories of cancer and thyroid issues. But, if I have to have cancer, thyroid is a very treatable, survivable disease. It could also be Graves Disease or Hashimoto's Disease, or just a bad freaking reflux episode.
I am looking forwardto answers, no matter what form they're in.
I appreciate all good thoughts and wishes. My love to all, and I will keep you posted.
Hugs to you in the uncertain time, KLee.
Hugs, KLee. Thanks for checking in, and we're standing with you as you wait for the results.
((( KLee ))) Please let us know how it's going. Sending thoughts and lots of love. xoxox
Thinking of you and your friends, esperanza. That's so sweet of you to take a meal for them. I'm not an okra fan either, but it's not around here much - mostly seasonally in the bigger grocery stores.
(((KLee))) Thinking of you and sending so much love. xoxoxo
Oh, wow. I just got an email out of the blue from an elementary school classmate! Talk about a blast from the past. I can't quite remember when she left for another school, but probably before 7th grade. She had those little 2" turtles in an aquarium setup (don't think those are sold any more), and I'm pretty sure both her parents were doctors -- not a lot of female physicians back in the day. Anyway, what a great surprise.
((((((Klee)))))
Thoughts and prayers for you as you figure this out! Sending love, and thoughts for a calm, rejuvenating birthday.
xoxoxo
Neighbor Lady
In anticlimactic news: the friends weren't even home when I got there--Friday afternoon traffic in Big City is horrible, and they were stuck. I'll call to see if I can go visit sometime next week.
Oh, no, Esperanza! Did you leave the okra? xoxo
Yes, they gave me the garage door code, and I left the okra in the fridge and the meal on the counter.
Job well done, Esperanza! Even if you did not end up doing pastoral stuff on the spot, this was how you could help and you did.
People who have just gotten results might not want to talk yet, anyway. It takes time to absorb. They don't have to worry about the evening meal today, and he can do okra just how he likes, which is all good. And, he'll talk to you later. That's OK. xoxo
You did a good thing, taking food there, esperanza.
It feels like so little in the face of all they're dealing with, but I know it made a difference for them yesterday.
I think that the reverberations of a gift of kindness like that actually make a difference long after the actual meal is eaten.... It gives a person hope in humanity. That's big. Every bit of hope is big.
:)Neighbor Lady
Hope in humanity -- how very well put, NL!
Broken record, part 58: The air's still bad, but you can't see it as much today, so far. Expected to worsen later. W: More evacuations and more fires. W: Wind is supposed to shift today, which makes me nervous about fires going more in SIL's direction. W: Continuing high fire danger at our house, with a bonus alert about evacuation notices if the tiniest thing gets going in our hills. Bleah, I tell you.
Ugh, kathy. This kind of uncertainty for days on end is...well, not good for a person. So sorry.
And thanks, NL. It does seem an opportune time to share whatever love we can.
Esperanza on the phone
((((kathy a.))))) Fingers and everything crossed for your SIL and for you.
--Neighbor Lady
Major neighborhood excitement: a tortoise was wandering around on our street. It was huge, like the kind you see in the zoo. Turns out he belongs to our across-the-street neighbors.
Wandering Tortoises would be a great band name! Glad he didn't get too far from home.
This is how you get to meet the neighbors, isn't it? Something odd happens. A tortoise on the lam is a *much* better reason than some. Plus, now you know where to visit a tortoise, should there be a burning need.
Your neighbours own a giant tortoise? Like, the creatures that live longer than humans do? Individuals who aren't zoos can own them? I have so many questions now. (Like, how giant? The size where a small child could sit on the shell?)
Yes, like a small child could sit on its shell. I, too, have questions. It was one of these: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Geochelone_sulcata_-Oakland_Zoo_-feeding-8a.jpg/1200px-Geochelone_sulcata_-Oakland_Zoo_-feeding-8a.jpg
It...did not look very friendly.
Oh, that's a fabulous tortoise! You don't see a lot of friendly expressions from a tortoise, but now you have an idea of small gifts for the big guy. They do like veggies.
My elderly neighbors got a ride back from something, and Mrs. Neighbor left her cell phone at home, and her car keys in the driving friend's car -- so she came to borrow our phone. It all got sorted out! Mr. Neighbor (with dementia) did not want to go to my house to wait, but he was good with me standing and holding his hand and rubbing his back a little and saying it was OK. And the driving friend came back in 10 minutes or so.
Mrs. Neighbor was wearing the most beautiful sari! Deep blues and purples, touches of green, some gold highlights. This must have been a special occasion. She always thinks she is putting us out, asking for any little thing (our phone and 10 minutes is not a biggie at all), but I feel lucky to be next door.
I still have so many giant tortoise questions. Where do you keep a giant tortoise? Do they have something special in their yard? How did it escape?
Kathy, that's wonderful that you could help your neighbours.
W: don't look now, but it seems like all three of us are coming down with something, again. Well, E and I are both run down, with the beginnings of cold symptoms. Mr. Q is complaining of a queasy stomach, which makes me suspect that he's getting what we had earlier this week.
I think they keep him in the yard? He apparently got out the gate. They were surprised, because he usually isn't adventurous. Surely they make some sort of arrangements for him when it gets cold? I have no idea.
QWP, y'all have got to get well and stay that way! I'm so sorry you feel bad again.
Kathy, so glad you could help your neighbors! It was Diwali this weekend.
The Great Tortoise Adventurer!
Sending healthful thoughts, QWP
Liz on iPhone
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