Jennifer Apodaca's Blog, page 115

Friday Five

I’m getting windburn from the speed of the weeks whizzing by! So here we are at Friday again, and it’s time to list five random things about our week. Here are mine:

Wednesday I saw my pain doctor. The second shot was not “magic” but it made a little progress. However the pain doctor said she could visually see I am still in pain and was not surprised I’m not sleep more than a couple hours at a stretch. So she a series of trigger point shots. I think it was nine or so, but I honestly lost track. A few of then really stung, and a few were just a pinch. They’ve already helping with some of the knotting and spasming. The pain doctor expects them to alleviate one more “layer” of pain, leaving what she calls bone deep pain. If that’s true, then we’ll switch to another shot treatment to address that. It’s truly that complex, particularly since I have RA What’s really good about this pain clinic is they hear what I say, and notice things like I’ve lost weight (mostly intentional) and my blood pressure is low (serious lack of sleep). The negative is the shots aren’t always easy. This shows one of the bruises two days after the shots. That one bruise is the worst.
Today I finally have my long-awaited appointment with the audiologist (hearing doc) for a full range hearing test.  I’ve been experiencing pretty significant tinnitus for almost a year now. There’s a slim chance it could be related to the nerve problems in my neck, a greater likelihood that I might be losing some or all of my hearing, or it could be something else. Once we have the results, then I’ll see an ENT. I’m so tired of doctors. I know they are all trying, but most days, I just live my life and ignore everything else.
 The new living room tables came Wednesday. They are a rustic wood, and we like then, but we want to try to whitewash them to a lighter, distressed finish. Wizard is doing all the research on that since he knows a little bit about refinishing. The tables weren’t expensive, so we think it’s worth a shot. Here’s the coffee table now: 
Wizard had his post op appointment and the stitches removed. He’s doing great. I won’t get into his details, but I want to say this–we often denigrate and make fun of cosmetic surgery and surgeons as frivolous and vain. But this highly-trained surgeon used a “cosmetic” procedure that dramatically improved Wizard’s quality of life that was being affected by a very rare and little known condition. I just want to give a huge shout out to the amazing people out there in the medical and research fields who ignore all the white noise of ignorant, and sometimes smug, criticism and make a big difference in lives every damn day. We are very grateful. Truly.
I’m seeing Biker Witch (my sister) today after my hearing test thing. I’m looking forward to that and inhaling some carbs. This weekend, I plan to hunker down with Maggie and write.

No real news yet on the Grandbaby watch yet:-)  It’s a bit early still, but we’re all jumping when the phone rings anyway!

Okay that’s my week, now it’s your turn to share your Friday Five! I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Wednesday Worthy: The Cranky Edition

I’m not exactly cranky, just…I don’t know. The weather is humid and icky. I made double chocolate chip muffins yesterday from a recipe off the internet and they were dry with an odd texture (I tossed them after trying them twice), and I have annoying appointments today, tomorrow, Friday and Monday. The only good news?

I’m plotting HARD on my book. I threw out a lot of the second half of SAVAGED DEVOTION and am really trying to hear the characters, and what they need for this story. I love it. And I’ll take that ray of happy writing sunshine!

Anyway, that’s the story of why, by the time I went looking for our Wednesday Worthy Hunk, I was cranky. I like this guy’s look but NOT his fashion sense. So is this a speedo? A thong? Or just wrong?

What do you think?

Weekend Roundup

I’ve hit the mid turning point of the book, and it feel like I’m in quicksand. This is normal, and I must keep going. I’m walking around the house repeating that to myself.

So…the weekend. Friday afternoon I took Maggie to the dog park, and she met two new friends. It’s the first time I’ve let her socialize off leash with dogs in the park, and she did pretty well. They were really nice dogs too which helped a lot. I hoping to do that more for her.

Saturday it rained and I worked. Sunday it cleared up and I worked some more (until I can’t with my nerve stuff).

I’m boring, but I don’t care right now. I’m trying to write when I can, and just keep going! And guys, it’s only about two more weekends until ETA on our grand baby!! I won’t be done with the book by then, but I’ll just work around the Big Arrival. I don’t even have the words to describe how excited we are!

How was your weekend?

Happy Friday

Who invited Daylight Savings Time to the weekend? Most years, I’m ready for it due to my internal clock waking me up ridiculously early, but this year, I’m not! For those of you in the U.S. who don’t change the clocks twice a year (I’m looking you Arizona!), I’m thinking you might be onto something! Okay time to go onto our Friday Five.

1. Wizard is healing well, but it’s been both a long and short week. (I don’t have to make sense, right?)

2. I’ve made some progress on Savaged Devotion.

3. Maggie and I set off for our normal walk Wednesday morning and were passing a house, when a big dog charged us. It was scary. I was able to hold the dog off and get him to back down, but it sheer luck that the dog was more territorial than vicious or there would have been bloodshed. I carry a stick, which I used to help push the dog back, but not hurt him. When the dog realized I wouldn’t back down, he ran back to his opened gate, and we got by safely. I’ve never seen this dog out unsupervised before, so I tend to think it was an accident, especially since it was trash day. They probably pulled out trash cans and didn’t latch the gate properly. Later, once we were to safe and I could think, I have to admit, I was proud that I was able to stay calm enough to get control of the situation.

4. And then this happened, LOL! Yesterday afternoon, Maggie and I were enjoying an uneventful walk when I felt something hit my chest and go down my shirt. OMG What if it’s a bug? No a bee. Or a wasp??? I was dancing around, plucking my shirt and trying to suck in my stomach so it wouldn’t sting me or bite me or something worse. Before I passed out from hyperventilating and doing the OMG-GET-IT-OFF-ME dance, a thought occurred to me: Why had the thing felt cold and heavy, not bug-like at all. I looked on the ground and sure enough, there was my earring. It’d slid from my earlobe, down my shirt and plopped to the ground. I picked it up, and glared at Maggie. “Tell no one this happened and I’ll give you one of your treat bones tonight.” I think she rolled her eyes, but she didn’t rat me out. So let’s recap: I stayed relatively calm facing a big scary dog charging us, but something touches my chest, and goes down my shirt, and I turning into a raving lunatic. Sigh…

5. Oh so we like our furniture, but we’re debating if we’d like an oversized ottoman rather that the coffee table. This has turned into another time-suck search trying to find the piece that would work. This is why I don’t take on these projects, I need to write! This should be a good writing weekend.

That’s my random Friday Five, now it’s time to share yours. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wednesday Worthy

Today my new couches are coming! I’m excited. I’ve found tables for both rooms too. I hope we like it Now the trick is keeping Wizard from helping or moving anything he’s not supposed to after his surgery. He’s being good so far.

Yesterday ended up being a marathon day of grocery shopping, laundry, picking Maggie up from boarding, taking care of Wizard….I swear my days are sucked up by random stuff and I hardly sit down. But I will spend several hours writing today. It’s going to be a good day   (If you noticed, I’m ignoring whatever pain I’m still feeling, it’ll either go away, or I’ll keep moving through the treatment plan until something works or I’m finally referred to a neurosurgeon. Dwelling on it doesn’t help, and I have a life to live.)

Now let’s moving onto Wednesday Worthy, this is the superhero edition since he kind of reminds me of Wolverine (or maybe that’s just me??):

So what do you think, is he worthy?

Weekend Roundup

Another weekend come and gone! On Thursday, my second epidural went very well. I’m sore but doing fine. Last time, it took awhile for the swelling/spasming to go away, so this time I’m not concerned about that.

And you know what? A couple of weeks ago I did a huge panel of blood work, and I got the results last week–I’m in pretty danged good shape as far as organ function, cholesterol levels, and my RA. My doctor and I are both very happy. All the walking/hiking with Maggie in the last four or five months has made a big difference.

This weekend, we finally bought new family room furniture. We are so tired of the endless debate about moving, or leather vs fabric, and just did it. The couch and loveseat come on Wednesday, and I’m not sure yet when the tables will arrive. We’re moving our current family room furniture into the living room, and getting rid of the stuff in there. All I need to do now is find new inexpensive tables for living room, then a few little touches here and there and that will be done. It’s a huge relief.

I was able to write a little, but I want MORE. Unfortunately, that’s not likely to happen today   I have to take Wizard in for some medical stuff. I’m debating taking my laptop as I might get a couple of hours of good writing time. I’m going to wait until morning to see if my neck/shoulder are up to carrying my laptop around a large hospital facility. (Wizard should be fine, nothing to worry about.)

That was my weekend, how was yours?

Wednesday Worthy!

Okay, guys, February is sneaky! The month is over and I’m not ready! Tomorrow I’m scheduled for my next epidural shot, which is done in an outpatient surgery center. It completely snuck up on us. We are really REALLY hoping this shot puts everything into a form of remission for a while. Treating this kind of nerve pain is complex (and expensive!), but we’re very hopeful.

If I don’t post Friday, it’ll be because Thursday was a long day and I just don’t have the energy after the sedative they give me intravenously. I’ll catch up with everyone on Monday.

Now let’s move onto Wednesday Worthy. So I have a Very Important Question for you all: Do you prefer white or gray? In case you need visuals, here you go:

WHITE?

OR GRAY?

So which is more worthy to you? The white towel or the gray?

Weekend Roundup

Saturday morning was cold and clear, and Maggie and I conquered the Stairway to Heaven through the hills (in the national forest behind out house):

This is one set of the zillion and two steps up and down through the hills, but it really is surreal up there! Worth the climb! Although coming back, my foot slipped on some sandy mud, and I had that split second of Oh shit! but I didn’t fall! Fortunately, Maggie either heard me slip or gasp, and stopped so I was able to regain my balance. All the steps have railroad ties at the edge, which really helps too. But this is also why I work to stay in the moment and pay full attention to what Maggie and I are doing.

Back at home, here is Maggie waiting for a treat in a small barren patch of our hill at the side of our house. Can you tell she wants the treat?

 

 

Today I’m working on a foreign rights offer on my old mystery series. I want to say here, that I emailed the Steven Zacharius of Kensington Publishing to make sure the old licensing agreement had expired and he answered that he’d follow-up on Monday. That’s right, he took the time out of his Sunday to let me know he’d check on it. That was way above and beyond any call of duty and truly appreciated. I know people have their own stories, but I always found both Kensington and Random House, my two NY publishers, to be professional and generally helpful even years after I stopped writing for them.

And since I’m generally unimpressed with the Weight Watchers freestyle, I’m just focusing on being healthy, happy and grateful.

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

Friday Five

Happy Friday! Let’s get to sharing five things about our week.

I had a good writing day yesterday, and I want more, more, more of them! I’m greedy that way!
It’s COLD here for So. Cal. But much more in line with what February should be like. It’s better than the 80’s and 90’s we’ve had for weeks. I especially love the cold when I sleep!
Maggie is not a fan of the cold, and she doesn’t get under her covers in her kennel. Instead, she creates a nest with the sides of the blanket raised up around her and I assume she stays warm that way. (Oh! And Maggie runs into her kennel on her own every night when I get up to go to bed. She sits there and waits for me to give her her nighttime treat and close the door. She never makes a peep until I let her out in the morning. Patience and consistency really pays off!)
I’m sticking pretty close to my Weight Watchers points plan (except for a planned 24 hour period I took off from it last weekend), but dang, it’s hard. I’m on the new freestyle program and pretty much hate it. There’s a few good things, and a whole lot of gimmick to it. On the other hand, my goal is only 10 pounds and I’m close to halfway there. This is just about feeling more comfortable in my clothes.
I haven’t been to the gym since before we got Maggie. My shoulder was too bad then, and now I spend between 30 to 90 minutes a day walking Maggie, and feel myself steadily getting better and stronger so I’m not excited to go back to the gym right now.

It’s obviously been a pretty quiet week here, and I’ve loved it

So that’s my Friday Five, now I’d love to hear yours! Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Worthy

Happy Hump Day! Here’s our candidate:

What do you think, is he worthy?