Where *does* the time go??
Nov. 11th, 2007 11:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fenchurchI realized the other day that I've sucked a bit more than usual at updating my LJ... and at keeping up with my friendslist (although I've been trying a lot harder to work on the latter). Near as I can tell, I just got out of the habit (something I didn't thing was possible) back during the month or so that I had trouble typing.
The somewhat informative shoulder surgery recovery update:
About two weeks ago, I decided I really wanted to try getting off the prescription pain meds... so I made an appointment with an acupuncturist I've seen in the past and it really did the trick. I felt great when I left there and was able to get to sleep that night with simply some Tylenol PM. Even better... I slept through the whole night without waking up (up until that point, I'd been waking up when the pain meds wore off). My physical therapist even noticed a difference in how I was able to move... and when I went back to see my orthopaedic surgeon last week, she asked how I was doing with my prescription pain meds and was visibly shocked to hear that I wasn't needing them anymore. Overall, I'm apparently doing really, really well on my recovery, even though it definitely feels like it's taking forever, from my perspective.
Up until the appointment last week, I was only allowed to lift my arm to the front up to a 130° angle and wasn't allowed to lift it to the side at all. My doctor told me I could finally start working on getting my arm up above my head, lifting my arm to the side and reaching behind my back. Yay! After a week of working on it, I can now lift my arm to about a 140° angle already (unassisted -- I can get the arm up higher if it's lifted by an outside force) and up to about 80° lifting it out to the side (using the suggestion from my doctor that I try "chicken wings" to start out).
Oh! And I now have some photos of the inside of my shoulder, which were nowhere near as gross as I thought they would be... and I'll be getting a DVD of the surgery within the next month or so (it makes sense, since it was laproscopic and they've got a camera in there anyway). I'm not sure I'll be able to watch it, but I'm rather interested in seeing at least a little of it. The photos were kinda cool, though... and you could really see where the labrum had torn away from the bone.
Yesterday, we took a quick trip down to Portland for my step-sister's baby shower. She's expecting twins (a boy and a girl) and has been on strict bed rest for the last two months... but she's made it to 32 weeks (her doctor had expected her to have the babies at around 27 weeks, so any extra time after this is pretty much icing on the cake ) and things are looking really good. It was a fun party, with several of her friends, my other step-sister and my step-sister-in-law (is that the right term? She's married to my step-brother) as well as two of my nieces (who are absolutely adorable). It was great to see everybody again... we really don't get together often enough.
On the way home, we stopped by Sowerby's, a restaurant just outside Chehalis that specializes in British and Scottish food. It's such an odd thing... because it's in an old converted farmhouse just off the freeway, outside of town, but it's always busy when we stop and the food is excellent... I believe the owner, Sue, is originally from Scotland but spent quite a bit of time in England before moving to the US. I ordered what I always get there... the haggis, neeps and tatties. Sadly, they were out of turnips, although the green beans they substituted were yummy.
Sentences I never thought I would utter #1: "Oh, man... I really wanted some turnips."
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rackham ordered the fish and chips... it came with a bowl of a soup, which he very graciously split with me. Ooooo... it was beef and barley that had obviously been stewing for a looooong time. It was thick and zesty and, we think, had some sort of pepper in it, because it had a bit of a kick.
When the waitress brought out our dinners, Rackham asked if there was any chance they had some curry sauce. She didn't think so, but went back to the kitchen to ask Sue... who came out front, asking the dining room in general "Who wanted to know about the curry sauce?" Rackham and I kind of looked at each other and sheepishly raised our hands... and she asked where we'd had fish and chips with curry sauce, that we'd even know about it! We mentioned that we'd developed a bit of a taste for it on our trip to England last year and that we'd also had some out on the Isle of Man. She got really excited at hearing we'd been to the Isle of Man, since not a lot of people make it out there... and then told us that the next time we were coming down that way (since we live nearly two hours away) to give a call first and she'd make some curry sauce for us! Yay!
Sentences I never thought I would utter #2 (about two hours later when we were getting home): "You know, I really want some more haggis."
My mother-in-law's comment in a cell-phone conversation, when I mentioned to her that I liked haggis: "I suppose *someone* has to!"
Hee!
Which leads to the other thing that happened yesterday... after we were done with dinner, we got back in the car heading north and I noticed I'd gotten a text message from my mom while we'd been in eating, asking if we were still at the baby shower. So, I called her back... my mom and step-dad had been down in Yuma for a week, running across the border into Mexico to see their dentist (who was an old classmate of my step-dad's at Loma Linda). They'd been on their way home, driving through Utah (just outside American Fork, for those who know the area), when they felt something slam into the side of their truck. They pulled over at the nearest exit, got out to see what was up and discovered that someone had shot their truck!!!! The bullet had hit the small rear door on the passenger side and, thankfully, hadn't got through any further. So, they got to talk to the police, fill out some reports and spent some time having dinner at a local restaurant to calm their nerves a bit. But yikes!!! Whoever said life should be exciting, didn't know what they were talking about. I called my mother-in-law after that and asked her to keep an eye out in the local news to see if anything showed up there.
Today, the news around here has been filled with the next big storm which is supposed to start hitting late tonight and is set to bring 30-40 mph winds with gusts up to 60mph by tomorrow morning. We're making sure things are getting nicely charged up to deal with the inevitable power outage... especially since this storm is also bringing along some rain (it's a bad combination in an area with a lot of tall trees... the rain saturates the ground, making it soft, so when the winds show up the trees just topple right over).
And, lastly, for dinner tonight we made a recipepetzipellepingo posted out on ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
cookingupastorm yesterday: Rustic Potato Soup. Very yummy!!! And really easy to fix. A definite keeper.
The somewhat informative shoulder surgery recovery update:
About two weeks ago, I decided I really wanted to try getting off the prescription pain meds... so I made an appointment with an acupuncturist I've seen in the past and it really did the trick. I felt great when I left there and was able to get to sleep that night with simply some Tylenol PM. Even better... I slept through the whole night without waking up (up until that point, I'd been waking up when the pain meds wore off). My physical therapist even noticed a difference in how I was able to move... and when I went back to see my orthopaedic surgeon last week, she asked how I was doing with my prescription pain meds and was visibly shocked to hear that I wasn't needing them anymore. Overall, I'm apparently doing really, really well on my recovery, even though it definitely feels like it's taking forever, from my perspective.
Up until the appointment last week, I was only allowed to lift my arm to the front up to a 130° angle and wasn't allowed to lift it to the side at all. My doctor told me I could finally start working on getting my arm up above my head, lifting my arm to the side and reaching behind my back. Yay! After a week of working on it, I can now lift my arm to about a 140° angle already (unassisted -- I can get the arm up higher if it's lifted by an outside force) and up to about 80° lifting it out to the side (using the suggestion from my doctor that I try "chicken wings" to start out).
Oh! And I now have some photos of the inside of my shoulder, which were nowhere near as gross as I thought they would be... and I'll be getting a DVD of the surgery within the next month or so (it makes sense, since it was laproscopic and they've got a camera in there anyway). I'm not sure I'll be able to watch it, but I'm rather interested in seeing at least a little of it. The photos were kinda cool, though... and you could really see where the labrum had torn away from the bone.
Yesterday, we took a quick trip down to Portland for my step-sister's baby shower. She's expecting twins (a boy and a girl) and has been on strict bed rest for the last two months... but she's made it to 32 weeks (her doctor had expected her to have the babies at around 27 weeks, so any extra time after this is pretty much icing on the cake ) and things are looking really good. It was a fun party, with several of her friends, my other step-sister and my step-sister-in-law (is that the right term? She's married to my step-brother) as well as two of my nieces (who are absolutely adorable). It was great to see everybody again... we really don't get together often enough.
On the way home, we stopped by Sowerby's, a restaurant just outside Chehalis that specializes in British and Scottish food. It's such an odd thing... because it's in an old converted farmhouse just off the freeway, outside of town, but it's always busy when we stop and the food is excellent... I believe the owner, Sue, is originally from Scotland but spent quite a bit of time in England before moving to the US. I ordered what I always get there... the haggis, neeps and tatties. Sadly, they were out of turnips, although the green beans they substituted were yummy.
Sentences I never thought I would utter #1: "Oh, man... I really wanted some turnips."
rackham ordered the fish and chips... it came with a bowl of a soup, which he very graciously split with me. Ooooo... it was beef and barley that had obviously been stewing for a looooong time. It was thick and zesty and, we think, had some sort of pepper in it, because it had a bit of a kick.When the waitress brought out our dinners, Rackham asked if there was any chance they had some curry sauce. She didn't think so, but went back to the kitchen to ask Sue... who came out front, asking the dining room in general "Who wanted to know about the curry sauce?" Rackham and I kind of looked at each other and sheepishly raised our hands... and she asked where we'd had fish and chips with curry sauce, that we'd even know about it! We mentioned that we'd developed a bit of a taste for it on our trip to England last year and that we'd also had some out on the Isle of Man. She got really excited at hearing we'd been to the Isle of Man, since not a lot of people make it out there... and then told us that the next time we were coming down that way (since we live nearly two hours away) to give a call first and she'd make some curry sauce for us! Yay!
Sentences I never thought I would utter #2 (about two hours later when we were getting home): "You know, I really want some more haggis."
My mother-in-law's comment in a cell-phone conversation, when I mentioned to her that I liked haggis: "I suppose *someone* has to!"
Hee!
Which leads to the other thing that happened yesterday... after we were done with dinner, we got back in the car heading north and I noticed I'd gotten a text message from my mom while we'd been in eating, asking if we were still at the baby shower. So, I called her back... my mom and step-dad had been down in Yuma for a week, running across the border into Mexico to see their dentist (who was an old classmate of my step-dad's at Loma Linda). They'd been on their way home, driving through Utah (just outside American Fork, for those who know the area), when they felt something slam into the side of their truck. They pulled over at the nearest exit, got out to see what was up and discovered that someone had shot their truck!!!! The bullet had hit the small rear door on the passenger side and, thankfully, hadn't got through any further. So, they got to talk to the police, fill out some reports and spent some time having dinner at a local restaurant to calm their nerves a bit. But yikes!!! Whoever said life should be exciting, didn't know what they were talking about. I called my mother-in-law after that and asked her to keep an eye out in the local news to see if anything showed up there.
Today, the news around here has been filled with the next big storm which is supposed to start hitting late tonight and is set to bring 30-40 mph winds with gusts up to 60mph by tomorrow morning. We're making sure things are getting nicely charged up to deal with the inevitable power outage... especially since this storm is also bringing along some rain (it's a bad combination in an area with a lot of tall trees... the rain saturates the ground, making it soft, so when the winds show up the trees just topple right over).
And, lastly, for dinner tonight we made a recipe
petzipellepingo posted out on cookingupastorm yesterday: Rustic Potato Soup. Very yummy!!! And really easy to fix. A definite keeper.
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no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 07:24 am (UTC)Neeps! I fell in love with them after some cooking-happy fans made them for Christmas last year. I'm still too chicken to try haggis, though.
I didn't know we were expected to get such a heavy storm, I'm ashamed to say. Sounds good, but I've got plans for the next few days! *Frets*
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 07:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 07:32 am (UTC)As for haggis, I was surprised at how much I liked it, the first time I tried it. It's really quite a bit like meatloaf (only better!), with a much finer grind on the meat (which, I must admit, is made up of parts of a sheep I wouldn't normally consider eating).
And near as I can tell, the storm sort of popped up earlier today, since I don't remember hearing anything about it yesterday and they were just starting to talk about it on the news this morning. I'm guessing there are going to be a lot of people caught by surprise when it finally does hit in the morning (supposedly around commute time, shoud be fun!)
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 07:35 am (UTC)I checked out NWS after my last comment, and it looks like the window for the wind is 10-4. Too bad I'm not hanging with my friend who lives on Beach Drive (around the corner from Alki) in West Seattle!
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 07:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 07:56 am (UTC)I'm glad to hear your shoulder is getting better. It always amazes me just what those acupuncture needles can do.
And that is so scary about your mom and stepdad getting shot at. What is wrong with people? I'm glad their okay and just a bit shaken up.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 09:01 am (UTC):Boggles:
Glad to hear you're recovering so well from your surgery.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 11:35 am (UTC)My mother-in-law's comment in a cell-phone conversation, when I mentioned to her that I liked haggis: "I suppose *someone* has to!"
Bwah! When Petzi Sis and I were in Scotland, the waitress at our "Scottish dinner" dumped haggis all over Petzi Sis.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 11:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 11:52 am (UTC)At any rate, way to rock the rehab!
And I LOVE fish n chips with curry sauce. ::drool::
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 12:25 pm (UTC)And so glad your shoulder is doing well. :)
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 01:01 pm (UTC)Yikes! On the whole shooting incident. There's a reason "May you live in interesting times" is a CURSE. I would be completely freaked out in her position.
Haggis? Fen... you're scaring me.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 01:51 pm (UTC)Wow, I thought I was the only one who liked haggis! I had it for the first time while traveling in Scotland back in 1992 with my friend Daphne. We were visiting her friend in Glasgow and I was extremely hungover. But D's friend insisted that I had to try haggis since it was my first trip to Scotland. I'm so glad I listened. It was yummy! And have you noticed that the 'neeps here in the produce section are white, not orange? Weird!
THat is scary about the shooting of the car - what the hell? I'm glad it was only their car that was hit!
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 02:17 pm (UTC)I'm glad that you mother and step father are ok.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 02:54 pm (UTC)You are a brave soul to try haggis. Wow.
I can't believe someone shot at your mom and stepdad. I'm glad they are okay. How scary.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 05:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 05:24 pm (UTC)Closer to home, we usually go eat at Neville's (http://www.thebritishpantryltd.com/dining.php), which is attached to the British Pantry (a store selling British goods), over in Redmond (about 20 minutes or so from our house). They do good fish and chips, too, but sadly without curry sauce.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 06:08 pm (UTC)I love the idea that we converted you two to the idea of the curry sauce and it makes for unexpected conversations thousands of miles away.
What a relief that the shots did no harm to anyone in the vehicle - but scary.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-12 11:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-16 01:18 am (UTC)