Da Goddess

The blues gods gave to me:

Time, Part I

But there’s no part two or even a part three.

And I think most of us would rather be in bed, snoring. It was 53 degrees outside at 1:30pm, and it feels like the temp’s still dropping. I can’t figure out the new AC/heating unit (and they gave us no instruction manual when they installed the new units), so I’ve been doing the whole trial and LOTS of error thing most of the day.

My dad ran me down to get meds and then to the bank. I’d called off the home health worker today. I didn’t want her driving up here in all this rain for nothing. Really, I need company while I’m out walking and stuff, not someone to sit around and do nothing with. Anyhow, she’ll be back up tomorrow, I hope. I kind of like having her around. She’s a hoot and a half.

Anyhow, just checking in. Thinking about uploading photos later today. Hoping to find that motivation I’m certain I put in a bag over in the corner. Wish me luck in finding it!

Hope you’re safe and warm wherever you may happen to be!

The blues gods gave to me:

A Pound Box of Money

Let’s go on a spending spree!

Note: Link to song has been fixed.

The sun has been out all day today and it was so very welcome after all that rain. Still a bit of a chill to the air, but that’s just fine by me.

My home health worker (turns out she’s not a nurse) took me to Walmart. We got a lot of little things I needed but couldn’t ask anyone else to get for me. Got a little food. Got two little (and I do mean little) presents for my daughter. I’ve now spent the same amount of money on both children (pathetic amount that it is) and I still feel like they’re getting bupkis. They kind of are. I feel bad. I mean, I know the whole point of Christmas isn’t really presents, but I’m a mom and I want to do more. Wish I could do more. I know they’ll understand, it’s just something I cringe inwardly over because I feel like I’m not living up to all my motherly duties if I don’t have more than one or two little gifts to give them. I mean, why should they suffer because the insurance company’s playing cheap? Arrgh!

Anyhow, back to the shopping trip. It took about an hour and a half, and by the time we got home and got the bags unloaded, our two hours were up. If it’s sunny again tomorrow, we’re going to the park and having a bit of a walk just for the sake of walking instead of for shopping.

It’s kind of nice to get out of the house and “do” something, even if it’s just running to the store. I’m starting to feel the walls close in around me if I’m stuck inside for too many days in a row. And that’s a good thing. Now, if only the doc would call me back and tell me my meds are ready for pick up.

Update: my day just got even better with a quick visit from LD. He stopped in to deliver a package from a pirate (a book, a video, a genie’s bottle — for wishing? No, for photographing — and food), to get his Gameboy, and give me two kisses. Yes, two. Am I lucky or what?

The blues gods gave to me:

Come Home For Christmas

And that’s what I would say to thee

(Oh come now, you try this for all these songs. Let’s see how you fare!)

Not sure if I’m thrilled with this version of this photo, but I don’t entirely dislike it. What do you think?

How can a movie that hasn’t come out yet receive Golden Globe nominations?

I haven’t left you, children. Goodness, no. I’ve just been…me.

Really, I’ve been trying to get a few things going around here and GASP! I actually left the house on Friday to go somewhere other than the hospital or the doctor’s office. That’s right, I went out into the world simply because I could. It was wonderful, too.

What did I do? Well, my mom came to pick me up, then we picked up Little Dude from school, went over to Mom’s house, started to make dinner (LD even helped), talked, laughed, ate, and then helped my mom put up her “apartment” Christmas tree. While she worked on dishes (“I can do these myself”), LD and I straightened the branches on the tree. Sadly, we didn’t get to do any ornaments because my mom was worn out, hurting, and had to bring us home. We did, however, have a great time with her. And it was the first time having LD back home since the week of Thanksgiving. (I didn’t have him here at all while I was feeling so horribly.)

Saturday, LD slept in, as did I. When we got up, we decided it was too chilly to do much, so we declared it movie day. And that’s what we did all day long until his dad picked him up.

Saturday afternoon, the rain started. Yesterday was mostly dry. And today? I think that’s an ark on the horizon. I’ll have to get my long lens out to verify it, but I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m seeing.

I missed out on a couple things I wanted to do this weekend, sadly. I’m okay with it, though. I had a couple “issues”, so it was better I stayed here.

Oh, get this!

I called my sister yesterday to wish her a happy birthday (and before I forget, Happy Birthday, Tim Conway!) and she and I began to talk. Silly me, I never thought to ask her about some of the symptoms I was having post-op. My sister’s been down this road and then some. Well, she offered up that perhaps what I had been feeling (with all that chest pressure, dyspnea, etc.) was a type of muscle spasm. Helloooooo! Brilliant! That actually made quite a bit of sense when I stopped and thought about it. After all the stress of surgery, there has to be some sort of rebound with muscles and nerves. There always is. And that’s why I’d experienced it before and why it went away. Why it came back. And why it went away again. Of course, yes, it’s best to rule out PEs and other issues, but that makes absolutely perfect sense. Suddenly I was breathing even easier than I had been. D’oh!

Which brings me to this: yes, I am feeling better. The pressure in my chest had been easing last week and I’m feeling pretty good. Even with the cold weather and all, I’m feeling a bit spry. In fact, that’s what I told the home health nurse who came out for the first visit today. I hated that we had nothing to do. My big walk that I wanted to take was cancelled by the incessant downpour. So, the nurse and I did the dishes, made a list of errands for tomorrow, and then just sat and talked. She’s really quite nice, even though this is likely to be the most boring and unnecessary assignment she’ll ever get (until the rain clears).

Let’s see, what else? I guess that’s about it for now. I’m debating about whether or not to share a story with y’all. It’s funny, tragic, funny, tragic, funny, and a little graphic. Not sure. Should I?? Aside from LD, she’s the only other person who knows and can help me gauge the appropriateness of the tale. Thus, I leave it up to her.

I’ll be back later. Gotta go gather a few pairs of animals.

The blues gods gave to me,

From Keb’ Mo’ a Bell Jamboree

The blues gods gave to me:

Messin’ With The Kid

Now we can dance around the tree.

The blues gods gave to me:

Christmas, Baby

So sing along with the King named B.B.

(I know, the real twelve days of Christmas occur AFTER December 25, or some would say they should end on Christmas Day, but I’m doing this my way. You’ll see why.)

An abbreviated Two and a Half Men episode title for one of the funniest episodes, and for one that hits very close to home. The fresh child-proof hell of controlled substances: check. Hurting yourself while already incapacitated: check. Dealing with people who aren’t listening or paying attention: check. Sometimes lying on the floor contemplating licking the meds off it and letting the tablet(s) dissolve in your mouth: check.

“Mixing those pills with alcohol is a bad idea.”

“Not if you’re trying to die.”

“How many more of those pills you got left?”

Indeed.

I clearly need more sleep and to find a way to turn off the morbid humor (even though it’s all I have anymore). Yeah, yeah. I slept most of today. Bite me. I’m still wiped out.

And there’ll be no weekend in Bangkok for me. Just dinner at my mom’s with my son and light to moderate Christmas preparation.

Now I need to figure out why my remote control is winking at me. It is. Totally! Winking. The “cable” button winks and blinks all willy-nilly. But not when anyone else is around. I hope it’s just batteries and not some sort of appliance/gadget possession because I’m no mood for poltergeists and shit. The Paranormal State crew are nowhere near and I can’t exorcise demons on my own.

If I’m ever to be a pirate or a pirate’s lady, this, for certain, is how I wish to appear. I know not her name nor from where she hails, but I gazed upon her with admiration. This is how I want to look. Fearless, bold — in a word, audacious; even a little bawdy if I desire. I want to be a pirate’s dream and charm the serpents of the seas. Someday I shall.

Apologies to those of you suffering from “boreditism” over all the Renaissance Faire photographs, but I’m really enjoying the stroll down memory lane. This was, after all, one of the last bits of fun I had before surgery. I can’t wait until I can get out there again and start shooting events and meeting new people. I missed the Battle of San Pasqual last weekend, sadly. And there’s not much available online. At some point, I aim to be as much in the thick of things as possible. I’ve even had offers from new re-enactment friends to outfit me in proper garb, as well as them outfitting LD and my photo friend Patty. I am giddy with anticipation! Until such time, though, I must work through the photos I have and I will share those I like most. I hope you like them, too.

Oh, you’d think I’d be done with these photos by now, wouldn’t you? But you’d be wrong. I haven’t even gotten to a couple of my favorites yet! Bwahahahaaahahehe…he

Ahem.

Yes, well, anyhow, I don’t know how many of you have ever had a chance to see something like this, but if you haven’t, all I can say is, you simply must. And I’m not talking about the cleavage (less apparent in this photo than in others), you dirty birds.

There’s something about the gentleman in this photo that quite reminds me of the knave and also of a Maxfield Parrish painting. The face. It’s in the face. One of the advantages of being my parents’ child is that they both love Parrish and we’ve all spent many hours either searching for good reproduction prints or pouring over books. I know a Parrish face when I see one. This is one.

If you were to dig through Parrish’s work and look at his male faces — which, when he needed an “older” face or one for a “character” or “fool”, he often based upon own — I’m certain you’d agree with me. And if you didn’t, well, I might have to shun you.

Personally, I thought of his Frog Prince or his Sandman when I first looked at this photo. Perhaps I should work this image until I can get good Parrish colors on my knave. (more…)