Week 14: 4/2/2018 - 4/8/2018

I'm this close to calling UNCLE on the weather, I've managed the best I can with everyone around me complaining ad nauseam about how much it sucks, I'm trying desperately not to join the ranks, I'll keep grasping at wet dental floss to keep my yap closed.  UGH!!!

Monday (0) it snowed, it took over an hour to get to work, it should take 20 minutes.  I guess it was slippery because there were quite a few cars in the median or buried in trees, whoops.  Wasn't feeling like dealing with the cold and damp so I didn't run, didn't even go down to the gym and pedal the spin bike for an hour... feeling crappy and unmotivated.

A tennis ball, a beer, sunglasses, wallet, and a thank you note, no wonder my purse is so heavy.

Tuesday (3.1) Still feeling crappy and unmotivated and that really means I need a nap and fresh air; another day of moping wasn't going to make me feel any better.   There was a lovely 11 MPH Southern wind which would make running up the back side of campus rather pleasant.  I could have managed nearly 5 miles going down to the dreaded Jupiter Point and back (the Mikey Loop).  Instead, I went down to Eastern Point Beach and back for a 5K.  I knew I'd be power walking hills with Ro on Wednesday and back to back days aren't so great on my knees.

During the long recovery after  Heidi's spinal surgery.
Two titanium rods put on either side of her spine to straighten it.
I would visit her and we would chat for like 10 minutes, turn on Lord of the Rings, and nap.

Wednesday (5.7) Ro and Mark are back from Colorado, we are back to our usual Wednesday Hills.  I wanted to hear more about CO but she was going on about their trip to hike New Zeeland for a week+ and then a 12-day cruise around Australia Jan/Feb of 2019 for her milestone birthday.   The workout was a bit slower but not as slow as I expected.  I'm not feeling it and was happy to be outside and I have not been keeping up with hill work and felt it in my hips on Thursday.

Knitting with Rory, always a good time.  I think for her third project ever she will knit two socks on two circulars.  It took me a while to build up to this, with what she has accomplished so far and her amazing patience and attention to detail with sewing, I think it will be just fine.  She is making a Channel style jacket, they are beautiful works of art and the process to get to the point of even cutting out the pattern in the final fabric was a month long of a muslin draft and alterations.  Finely tailored clothing really is a lost art.  This was what she wanted to do in retirement.  I'm happy to have two retired friends with time for their working friend and doing retirement how they envisioned it!!

It has been years since he shredded a box. 
He picked this one up and was wandering around the house.
When we spied him he was running around the house.
He never did try and eat it.
Tissue, that he still has the tasties for!

 Thursday (3.1)  The Beer'd Running For Rescues fun run started back April - October, $20 donation to Running for Rescues, a 3.1-mile loop, beer, and chit-chatting with friends, always a good time!  Amy and I have been stalking each other on Strava, so we met up to run.  Good match, she didn't push my pace and I didn't slow her down too much and we gabbed the whole time for an average pace of 11:11.   The brewery opened up their space a lot, it was very nice with more room for more people.  I was pleased with that change, it always felt so cramped and not very relaxed.  

Got a little superstar award for some help I gave to a colleague in a different division!
I am always surprised how unhelpful people can be, what he initially wanted to do couldn't happen,
there was a reasonable alternative.  That alternative gave him far more control than his original proposal too!

Friday (3.1)  Jax took his Peeps on a hike.  Dave says Jax would never say Hooomans like Giz and Gus did, fine...  so we are his Peeps.  We were all not really much into the hike, it was nice to be outside and look around and be quiet.  We all appreciated the hour of fresh air.

Since we are an only dog family we decided to stop by the pet store and pick up some Greenies, I think these are dog crack.  When we had 4 we would have to separate them by rooms and floors to give them Greenies, and once that box was gone that was it!  Jax enjoyed his dog crack after dinner and crashed out and went to sleep once he got a bit of pizza crust (Friday people dinner).

Miss that mug and that little brown tail.

My Facebook memories produced my recap from the Big River 1/2  most days these are filled with dog pictures or dog commentary on their walk...  I really needed to see that and to read the comments.  I know what I had to overcome for that training run and to train for my only ultra, reminding me I can do what I set my mind to and succeed.    Funny I was telling Dave I was in a panic about meeting the step challenge at work to save a few more bucks on our health insurance, despite a drastic reduction in activity, I've met the challenge numbers 350,000 steps in 8 weeks, we are finishing up week 6, and while I put on a few lbs due to inflammation as a result of my latest Lupus flare.  I'm calling it a win all the way around, and won't look in disgust at my moon face; it will go away and I will feel better. 

Saturday (3) I slept until 9 a.m. this fucking weather, I've had it, this fucking feeling of shit, I've had it.  I need some sun.  Eventually, the little yellow bastard came out.  In the meantime, I cleaned out my personal eMail in-box (what a fucking mess that was, and I am dubious that unsubscribe actually works), cleaned out my bookshelves, who keeps the crap I keep?  Lots of stuff for the shred bin at work.  I did find some cute card and drawings from nieces and nephews, that eased my surliness for a few seconds.  

I commented to Dave how clean the stupid dark rug he wanted so badly looked and he said "Yeah I miss Gus too." all that fucking white hair everywhere.  I even had a dream I was cleaning up Gus and Giz hair and it kept multiplying!  HA!!  I'd get it cleaned up and go into another room and it looked like a bale of it exploded everywhere.  That was kind of funny, Dave got a kick out of that dream.  At least it wasn't one where I woke him up swearing like an angry itching for a fight drunk sailor at someone (he hopes wasn't him) or singing off key.  When my husband says I'm fun to sleep with he isn't talking about, well you know...  

It got sunny Dave went off to a mountain bike ride and I took Jax to Riverwood.   

It is a game of where's Waldo taking Jax to the woods....

I love Riverwood, it was where I took Gus a lot.  I'm getting used to seeing Jax where I used to see Gus.  Well, when I CAN see Jax.  Black dogs, UGH so hard to see.  

Sunday (2.5)  I spent the day sitting, driving to Boston, in a conference, and then driving home.  I got home earlier than expected and after yelling for Jax for a few minutes I finally heard his"Whappa doodle doo" as he shook his head after rousted himself from our bed to see what it was I wanted.  Great guard dog, eh?  Wonder if he even moves when we aren't home and someone comes to the door?  Be a fun test for you local people, ring the doorbell and see if Jax starts barking?  Stop on the front porch and see if his little face peers out from the window?

So why was I in Boston?  I decided to attend the Lupus Medical Education and Symposium put on by the Lupus Foundation of New England.  It was the choice of losing what may have been a good day to clean out the leaves from the loud exhaust truck neighbor too lazy to clean the leaves in their yard that blew into our yard and wintered there or possibly learn a little bit more about my diagnosis and disease.    The session was very much directed at nursing students in the nursing program at Simmons College, helping them understand the disease and dealing with the patients.  The symposium consisted of three sections the first, a talk by a Rheumatologist, on what is Lupus and how to diagnose; the second, a clinical researcher on Lupus; the third, a panel of Lupus patients – and that was very well done.  I say about the panel that because what I say next and how my thoughts evolve to where I landed I think deserve some air time.  This is an evolution of my thoughts, watch it play out before reacting, or just skip to the last paragraph of this section.

I still have a lot of anger issues with this diagnosis. I’d imagine that is normal?  What really set me on my back foot was listening to the first speaker, a 40-year-old diagnosed at 23 going on about how she lost her life.  Her life?  Life? She was freaking 23 what exactly did she lose?  In my reactionary mind she wasn’t 50 with 50 years of life behind her and experiences and goals to then all of a sudden have everything ripped right out from under her at the point in life when your own mortality hits you in the face and you want to experience even more life has to offer and live each experience to the fullest.  I took a step back and realized that when she is 50, she will have never had all the experiences I had from 23 to 50.  Next, a woman in her 40’s spoke, she got the raw end of the deal with Lupus for sure, whatever could go wrong, short of death, has.  Next, a College JR got up and talked about her childhood and how no one ever believed she didn’t feel well, how her single mom didn’t have the insurance to get her to the right doctors, spending Christmas in the emergency room when she was 14 led to a lot of doctors saying she was faking and then an emergency room visit on Superbowl Sunday a few years later landed her in the ICU and turned up a compassionate doctor who listened to her and ran some tests and got her the treatment she needed.  Clearly NOT faking it.   Last up, a High School JR diagnosed with Renaulds at 9  (where your extremities turn blue due to lack of oxygen) to a Lupus diagnosis at age 12.  She thought it was cool at 9 to have this cool disease where her fingers and toes and sometimes lips turned blue.  By age 12 and the Lupus diagnosis, it was no longer cool to be different and she did all she could to hide her disease.  

Each and every one of the women talked about being kind to yourself, be kind to others, recognize that invisible illnesses are tough for people who can't see you've broken something or clearly look like you are going through chemotherapy for cancer (bald),  take time for yourself, in most cases this equals a nap, balancing their time, between activity and rest.  Well, I can get behind napping for sure!  A worthwhile investment of my Sunday, the leaves can be removed and I can dig in the dirt another day.

Jax and I hiked the inner loop of Riverwood.  I shorted him by 1/2 mile or so but he seemed ready to go home and have dinner.  We had a good time and at one point I thought I lost him and was going to have to use the recall collar.  He appeared when given his command.  Good Boy!  I'm glad he is enjoying that preserve, Gus and I very much enjoyed it.  More so because it was a short car ride and Gus hated being in the car.

Mileage:

Feet:  19
Saddle: 0

Books:

Magpie Murders
By Anthony Horowitz
Finished

A mystery in a mystery, stick with it, it's worth it in the end.

American Gods
Neil Gaiman
I am glad the author isn't reading this.  He pulls a bit from other books he's written, so far so good.

Knitting:

As of Sunday, I was ready to turn the heel on the latest pair of socks, or wacked bikini top!

Sincerely,
Beth, coming to terms with all life has handed her in the last 6 months. Please, no more for a while, my plate is full.