Would you believe it...

the pullover is already too short for Sprout!  Time to rip out those bind-off edges and add some length.

I'm plotting my next knitting project - continue the Immense Sweater for me?  (A Lopi pullover, will be scratchy and warm and perfect for Winter.)  Knit E another winter hat?  (In black please.)  Knit more for Sprout?  (Smaller and cuter projects.)  Hmmm.

I just read a story through Yahoo! news about a woman who self-published her book, and its growing popularity.  I had such mixed feelings.  On one hand, and most importantly, I think it's great that her work is out there, people are enjoying it, and she's even made some money off of it.  On the other hand, I wondered, will future publishing run so much towards self-publishing and self-marketing?  It sounds like another job on top of the writing, on top of the day job.  Phew.

Keep on

Keep on keeping on.

I want to thank the friends who encouraged me during NaNoWriMo (Essie, Amber, Sin) - it means so much to me!  I did kick myself when I was down, but I am working on better internal patterns and reinforcement.  I did realize that, given some time, I can put a lot of writing down.  I do want to work more and continue to develop my ideas.  And I'd like to set more reachable goals for myself for writing throughout the year.  I know an average of over 1,600 words a day is not attainable for me while doing the work/commute routine.  I have to come up with a manageable but still inspires-me goal, either per day or, more likely, per week.

Also, I did just finish a creative piece that I am proud of, albeit smallish.

Pullover for a babe.

Knitted from 100purewool in two colorways, from this site (I like a lot of her designs) - there is an English version of the pdf on Ravelry.

Sprout has not tried it on yet, but I am hoping he loves it.

Recriminations, or, O Nanowrimo!

I have to admit that I have been "working" on my novel (which sounds so odd to say), but in my head.  I hit not only computer burnout, but also had a small tidal wave of self-recrimination.  When it became clear that I was not going to meet the NaNo goal of 50,000 words for the month, I immediately set to the task of beating myself up for failing to meet a goal.  E does not understand this behavior at all - but when he says, cheerfully, "Goals are meaningless!", it makes my clamping down on the importance of having goals so much worse.

As an aside, ARGH to our laptop and its super-sensitive shortcuts - already in this post I've had to "undo" about 6 automatic formatting and file opening actions.  Come on.  Seven.

So I am working towards setting a daily or weekly goal for myself beyond NaNo that I may be able to more realistically meet.  How aggravating is the term, "realistic expectations" even?  Argh again!

Crazy inner Puritan is on a roll.

Nanowrimo nothing

I have a confession, although it is certainly not wrenched from my breast with great unwillingness.  I have made no - ZERO - Nanowrimo progress in the last 5 days or so, I believe.  Nothing.  Sitting in front of a computer all day, through lunch, and then running home to sit in front of a computer and wrack my brains for creativity has burned me out. 

I still want to write.  I still have ideas I want to get down on paper.  But staring at a screen all day and then into the night is actually becoming painful. 

So, peeps, I may not win at Nanowrimo this year.  We shall see if I get back on the horse to limp towards that finish line. 

Nanowrimo exhaustion

After sitting in front of a computer for 8-9 hours a day (usually through lunch, etc), the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer at night after commuting home, etc.  My word count is suffering for it.

Reflection for today...

November 18


It may seem like everything is moving counter to your trajectory. While you want to move south, the wind blows west. This doesn't mean you should give up on your goal. This just means that you may need to tack in order to get where you're going. A sideways approach is just the thing needed in order to get to your paradise.

Back on that writing horse

I took the laptop to bed last night, and, bleary-eyed, knocked out about 1800 words.  Some of it turned out to be plot summary information, but I am still counting it.  Between commuting, cubicle job, spending some time with the lovely wonderful babe before bedtime, I am pretty tired by 8 pm, and sick of a computer screen. 

We have relegated our TV to the basement - neither of us has been watching TV, and E occasionally will watch TV shows through Netflix on the TV.  Sometimes I watch my Hercule Poirot DVDs and knit, which is comforting.  But for the most part, I am tired of screens and much prefer to read...from a book, off of a printed page.

I have seen the Kindle as an e-reader option, and it seems...not bad.  I do want to support ending the massive use of paper as we keep devastating forests for the industry.  My selfish side does love the weight and pages of a book.  The library is a lovely solution, of course.  I have been reading Ngaio Marsh books, and have been delighted to find books through interlibrary loan that seem to be first editions from 1939 and 1940, weathering the years with aplomb.  Amazing.

Lovely quote...

...for both someone who is highly enamoured of her new library, and for the NaNoWriMo'ers out there.  (Taken from The Free Dictionary, I love that site.)


Look upon good books; they are true friends, that will neither flatter nor dissemble: be you but true to yourself...and you shall need no other comfort nor counsel.


Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

NaNo day 6

was spent calling urgent care clinic, taking babe there, seeing nice doctor, bringing babe home, trying to keep babe happy, getting a delivery of firewood, stacking firewood when babe took all of 20 minutes of a nap, etc etc etc.

He's sleeping now, and hopefully will sleep through the night.  He was better today than yesterday, which I am very thankful about.  Apparently there is a rough cold virus going around with kids right now in the area, where they get really high fevers (I'm hoping we "maxed out" at a high 104.5 deg F, which had me freaking out) and are sick for 5 - 7 days.  Poor kids!

And I have a NaNoWriMo buddy!  Who is actually my dear friend Amber from college.  Woohoo!  She is a NaNo veteran and winner (!), and I am hoping to win (hit the 50K work mark), or come close.  So far I am lagging, sadly lagging.  I'm amazed that I did crank out a bit over 1,000 words last night though after the baby went to sleep.  And then I took it easy and finished the Ngaio Marsh book I was close to completing (Dyed in the Wool), knit a bit on a sweater I'm making the babe (knitting content?  can it be happening?), and fell asleep.

In times of stress my eating patterns get all wacky.  I just have to add that (half a? a whole?) dozen mini KitKats today and a few squirts of Wilton tubed frosting yesterday were fleeting stress food moments.  Now I am eating a spinach salad.  Possibly loaded with cheese and olives, but still.  There's green stuff in there.

Day 3- 5

Day 3 of NaNoWriMo I plunked down another 1,000+ words.  Day 4's grand total was zero.  Today is Day 5, and I have a baby with a pretty high fever and I have a belly full of stress and worry.  We'll see how it goes.  Luckily he is taking a nap right now. 

Worry.

Night 2

I got down just over 1,000 words.  It's a bit on the low side, yes, but I am happy just to be making some progress - especially as this entails sitting down to a computer at home after spending all day sitting in front of a computer at work.  No good, folks.  I'm working on trying to break up my days at work a bit more so I can actually move and maybe even go outside.  Being able to "telework" helps sometimes, as I do get up and move around more at home.  I can walk around the house while on the phone in meetings if I don't need to look at the computer screen, and I can take two minutes to stretch without worrying about coworkers strolling by my cubicle and wondering what I am doing.

Anyways.  Hopefully I'll hit more words tonight.

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo, I am in you.  1,262 words yesterday.  Off to a slowish start, but happy to start.  This year is my first NaNoWriMo.  Any folks out there participate?

Now the first of November...

...was covered in snow.  So was the Turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston.

Well, our snow is melting, but people are still waiting to get power, cable, and phone lines back up and working.  Fortunately we got our electrical power back on Sunday night.  We're still waiting for internet and phone, but those are less pressing.  (Thank goodness for mobile phones during blackouts!)

November is, for a number of people,  National Novel Writing Month.  This year, I'm giving it a go.  I've had several stories in me since my teenaged years, when I was reading voraciously and being exposed to many interesting ideas in high school.  One of these stories I feel I must make more of an effort with, rather than my many partial notes.  One of my writing buddies (who has a published book and another on the way!) uses Scrivener as a piece of software that she seems to like.  So far, it's me and MS Word and a missing Shift key from the keyboard.

I'd like to perservere and really crank out a lot of stuff and detail and whatnot to get a body of text out of me and onto the page to start neatening up.


November 1


Your sensitive nature is attractive. People who come to you for advice and guidance aren't disappointed. You have a solid, practical perspective, yet you're also receptive and understanding. People with flashy ideas and a reckless way about them might try to sell you a pig in a poke. Don't be thrown off. Stay strong within yourself and confident about what you believe in.

Reflections on a Sweater

My mother brought to me a cardboard box filled with items of my father's - wool sweaters, a couple of baseball hats, a fleece jacket, sweatshirts - several things I picked out when she asked me to, several months ago.  It was hard, standing in their closet at the end of the bedroom, going through things, and seeing the photos he had kept - of me and my sister as young children, me in my ballet tutu (blue with a red rose on the chest), her in her nightgown, also "being a ballerina"- of him holding me when I was newly born.  One of my great regrets is that he never got to meet his grandson. 

So now I had this box, and a couple of days ago I took the woolens out and washed them, soaking them in the washing machine with some Kookaburra Wash, spinning them out, and laying them out to dry on our drying rack.  Five sweaters, sheepswool, lambswool, and cashmere, some of which I had bought for him.  He had never liked wool too much because of its scratchiness, but I started getting him lambswool, smooth merino sweaters, and cashmere (sometimes secondhand and carefully washed, sometimes on seasonal sales), which he enjoyed.  Yesterday they were all dry, and I folded them and placed them in a drawer, feeling quite odd. 

The temperature is dropping, of course.  This morning I pulled out the rust-colored heathery sweater and put it on.  I miss him so much.  There is so much I would like to say to him, like, I am sorry for my selfishness and impatience.  I love you.  I miss you. 

Autumn

O Autumn, how I love you.  Your first breezy gusts of cool along Summer's heated form, the rising mists, the emergence of color that, along with the calls of geese overhead, sends hearts soaring and minds quickening.  My love of woolen things reemerges and hits its stride, my dreams of slow cooking, woodland hikes, and leaf-collecting mix with the dusting off of hiking boots, sweaters, and scarves.  Can I knit a hat for everyone in the family?  If only knitting at work were acceptable!  Commuting to work in the damp, blue-grey mornings with patterns of orange and blooming-rust red amongst the green feels easier and more contemplative.  Now is the time to lay in plans, jars of food, blankets, strategies, and hopes, and tuck in one's loved ones.

This is from the Wikimedia Commons, not mine, but appropriate....

What shall we dream up when we ready our nests?  What plans will we lay in, as nuts to squirrels, as fat to bears, to dwell on this Winter?

In the beginning of Autumn, it is still hopeful, energizing, open, moving.

Beginning rejuvenation

This past weekend was lovely, even as the temperature is dropping a bit early here in New England.  E has found a great martial arts resource in the form of a man who has been training for many years on some of the things E has been interested in (also for years).  So our Saturdays will hopefully frequently be E going to learn from this person.  I am delighted that they have been able to connect.  Especially when one loves something that ends up being on the fringe of what is out there (big commercial martial arts gyms are usually one of a small handful of the arts out there, targeting a specific audience), and combining that with the fact that this is an interactive art that takes group time, repeatedly, to learn, it's (even more) fortunate when people get together to share something they are passionate about. 

Along those lines, I hope to look for a bellydance instructor (or groups) shortly.  I miss dancing.  But I did get to work out a bit this weekend - my lovely sister visited us Saturday night and stayed with us.  We chatted over dinner, and over postprandial knitting.  I am yes, still working on a little sweater for Sprout that I cast on for many months ago.  I'm using 100purewool, which is just lovely stuff.  I hope to finish this up soon since the temperatures are indeed starting to drop - not all at once, but we did have a frost warning (!) this past week.  Anyways, on Sunday morning my sister encouraged me to go running with her. She is a runner - she ran cross-country in high school, and she is a hasher.  She kindly paced herself with me and did less than I know she could have, as I plodded along, gasping, in 8-minute intervals, with 2-minute walking peppered in.  I probably ran for a total of 24 minutes, with breaks, which may be small potatos to some, but was a happy big deal to me!  Also, my sister diagnosed my running stride a bit - apparently I'm not really stretching out my lower legs and using my calves and ankles actively to help propell me along.  Interesting.

Sprout is teething, and teething yesterday evening with a vengeance (read: much crying and unhappiness).  We gave him a bit of children's painkiller to help him feel better enough to fall asleep later on at bedtime.  Poor kid.  He looked OK this morning, although a bit more short-tempered than he usually is, perhaps due to teething and painful gums, or just getting older and fed up with Mommy sometimes.  I packed mostly chunk-free foods today for him, along with some peeled apple pieces from the apples we picked yesterday.  I was looking forward to it, but it was a subdued outing - E was not feeling well and was very quiet, and D was also a bit out of it, as his gums must have been hurting him and I think he was getting ready to cut a tooth.  Ah well, we have a bag of apples now for eating.

More food for thought on...me

We are settling down into our new place, although there are a surprising number of boxes piled up in the basement...and living room...and storage space....  Sprout is settling in to a new daycare, and I have been swamped at my new job.  The people are nice though, which makes such a difference.  I am still just treading water and trying to keep up with a different system, different personalities to negotiate and handle (part of my job is "influencing without authority", which means negotiating personalities and changing my own tactics for each group, so I am trying to gauge the new groups of people), and new products on which to learn all the details. 

Whew. 

I'm hoping to go apple-picking this weekend though!  Woo!  New England late summer/early fall is fabulous.  Apple-picking is so much fun.  I'm scoping out any organic (whether certified or just using organic farming practices) orchards to try and get low-pesticide fruit for us, especially Sprout.  Not terribly easy, but still looking!

I'd like to get settled in so we can start having friends and family stay with us, and go on more outings as well. 

Did I mention the place we're renting has a big fenced-in yard?  Maddie is delighted.  She trots after chipping chipmunks with glee. 

And for today...  True, true.  I can get so terribly self-critical.  Some things should be let go, like paper boats on the bay.

September 9



Try then try again today, Taurus. It can feel terrible to fail at something. Sometimes you just want to hide rather than face the possibility of humiliation. If success is important to you, you need to overcome your embarrassment and fear. Most people have to try more than once, especially when striving for important goals. Don't give up. Your goals are worthy of the effort.

Argh - yesterday was a big day of Sucking at work.  The job I have involves often being both the "bad guy" to people inside the company, and the ambassador/target for people outside the company.  Yesterday both of my bosses (my manager and his boss, although it looks like I report to both) called me up on mistakes/errors/issues.  They were legit, and I am kicking myself.  

Babe ate part of a board book in the car on the way to daycare this morning.  I said, "No, nonononono!" and gingerly wiped wet chunks of cardboard out of his mouth and off of his face when we arrived and I took him out of his seat.  Sigh.

Also...way to make me paranoid, Free Dictionary!  I don't need the help!

August 25

You might feel like your heart requires a bit more attention than usual, Taurus. There could be a close loved one who is even needier than you. Either way, this situation is going to cause tension in an important relationship. If you're not currently involved with someone, this is probably for the better. Things aren't always as they seem. 

Up in the air and grounding

While things are still quite up in the air for my and my family, I'm starting to try to relax a bit.  I can not always sleep when I should, or want to, but I'm working on it.  I'm trying to just accept the fact that this is a very expensive month, and that I can not worry about some thing all the time.

Having a less stressful commute has done wonders for my mood, as has having a big green space to walk around with Sprout in the evenings and on the weekends.  I knew that having natural spaces makes me feel more grounded and relaxed, but it's surprising to feel the change in me so suddenly, even with moving and bills and the rest. 

I wonder where other people go to ground themselves and relax.  Maybe some people don't get the same feelings of being overwhelmed or caught up in things and taken away from their most stable, most relaxed, most deeply breathing space. 

And, of course, The Free Dictionary tells me...

August 24


Your steady nature will be greatly appreciated today, Taurus. A well thought out plan of attack is the one that wins approval from the higher-ups. You know the best way to proceed and now all you need is the confidence to follow through with your ideas. Getting things started should be easier for you today since your mind is working in harmony with your heart.

Don't tease me, horoscope!

August 23


You have a great day ahead of you, Taurus. Everything will work out like clockwork. By the end of the day, you'll still have the energy to do something fun with your evening. It's a wonderful day for group activities. If you aren't involved in any, why not try a sport, hobby, music, or art?

August

This August, as you'll know from my last post, has been quite busy and chaotic.  Being back in New England for late Summer is wonderful, though.  One of things I've missed over the years are all the local festivals that seem to crop up here, especially around the end of Summer and into Autumn.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons I would get so excited about the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival every year.  My hometown has a festival every September, and there are more small festivals I'm discovering now that I'm living here.

I'm thinking about attending this one, which I'm looking forward to tremendously.  There are also local 4H fairs going on.  And I'm hoping to plan an apple-picking trip soon with Sprout at one of the local orchards.  And, of course, there is The Big E, which I've not attended, but would like to.

I've missed it so.  NEW ENGLAND I AM IN YOU...and I want to attend your celebrations!  If you know of other festivals in the area (at any time of the year), please share!

Once we move in to the new place we've found, I'm looking forward to getting out my wool and needles and knitting up a storm in the cooler weather. 

Horoscope for today:

August 16



There's tremendous discipline in your way of thinking, Taurus, which is helping you advance toward your goals. Don't expect that you will solve every problem right away. Keep in mind that you will be able to sort through issues more efficiently. Once you have things sufficiently fleshed out, it will be easier to put the pieces back together. Stay detached instead of getting emotionally involved.

I really hope so.
 
Frantic story short, I received a job offer, moved with babe, started new job.  Monkey is at old place in Maryland with our dog, and is packing up the house whilst dealing with job stress and major burnout.  We both need a vacation; the last year has been quite difficult.  I'm trying to hang on for another month or so.  I found a place for us to rent, signed a lease, gave a HUGE check (first, last, security, ugh!) 
 
@Iamsambee tweeted this morning about replacing exercise with caffeine, and boy, that's me right now.  As she said, you also get crazyeyes. 
 
Time for taking my self in hand and keeping control.

3 x 1 = 1

Day 1 of Week 3 today.  It went well, stringing together the *tiny bits* of jogging into a *slightly longer bit* was good.  I really love the gradual way this schedule works. 

In related news, I am a bit of an idiot.  I wore capri-type athletic pants, sneakers, sports bra, sports top, and long-sleeved shirt over, with baseball-style cap.  I managed to still get burned.  Next time, sunblock, no lie.

I've also been happy with a recent tryout of new yoga pants.  Flissy recently reviewed yoga pants, and it made me think more about how much (or how little) I may be flashing in class during forward bends.  This evening I tried out a recent discount purchase, these SoyBu Zen workout pants.  They are made of polyester (recycled and non), which is usually not so attractive to me.  I love cotton, the seductive mass-market fiber that is leading to tons of extra pesticide use a year.  (Tangentially - EWG has a new list of pesticides and produce available.)   I took a gamble on these (although a cheaper one - some of the really good yoga pants cost $60, $90, even $120!), and I was told this evening that one cannot see through them to underwear.  Yes!  They are also very comfortable.  Who knew about polyester?  Who knew?

I am also contemplating getting a netbook-type computer to use for some of my creative pursuits.  Having to share a single laptop at home sometimes leads to a bit of a hey-i-need-that-now.  Still thinking about that one, though.

3 x 0

I'm due to start Week 3 of c25K any day now...any day.  My intentions were good this weekend, but after going to an excellent yoga class (taught by my college friend Meghan) and while catching up with Meghan, I was struck suddenly and overwhelmingly ill, being quite sick in the bathroom of the small (but good) Mexican restaurant in which we were chatting.  All I will say about that is that luckily, canvas bags are washable.

So I took it easy this weekend, or easier than I had initially planned!  The yoga class did inspire me to sign up at the same studio for a five-week "introduction to yoga" series.  I have taken a yoga class before (with a wonderful teacher doign Iyengar-style practice), but a lot of my yoga experience has been via bellydance instructors, DVDs, or books.  I have not had an in-person instruction in an overview of yoga.  What a great idea!   So next week I'll be starting the five-week course, one class a week. 

As I am slowly emerging from a dark and stressful year, I am trying to build back in more things that allow me to thrive and find stability.  Spending time with lovely people is one of those things.  Another is pursing physical restorative pursuits (for me - yoga, bellydance) and creative pursuits.  I'm still carefully nurturing the banked creative embers, which have been slower to emerge.  Speaking with Meghan, a wonderful person who has continued to feed her creative nature, made me more fully realize that I need to re-build and feed my creative nature as well.

In only marginally-related news, a piece of Shamless Commerce (internet window-shopping) caught my eye this morning.  Sew Mama Sew has new fabrics in - including this collection, which I adore.  Someday I would like to add quilting to my list of creative pursuits.  I do have a knitting stash to knit down, however, and little time and space to expand into a fabric creation space.  There is a wonderful intersection of the visual and tactile arts with quilting: for me, knitting is more tactile, building a garment by hand, by stitch, feeding fibers into a creation.  Quilting allows a more rapid visual impact, although quilters may read this and think, "Rapid?!?"

In other news, we had a terrible heat wave last week (as in many parts of the USA).  Today is blessedly cooler, thank goodness.

1 x 3 = 1; 2 x 1 = 2

Three attempts at the first week of c25K before I decided, OK, it's done. 

Today I finally got to the gym at work to start Week 2 of c25K.  We've had a hot weather warning for the last couple of days in the afternoon, and I have not wanted to go running outside.  I am a cooler-weather person to start, and 90+ degree weather is difficult for me to want to go run around.  I walked/ran my Week 2 program on the treadmill, which was odd.  I much prefer running outside (assuming hospitable weather), it was easy to kind of zone out with the banks of TVs and white noise of exercise equipment. 

Upside: did the workout, and got to stretch for a bit and loosen up my hamstrings and lower back.
Downside: weighed myself.  Definitely not making good progress there, in fact somehow backsliding.  Argh.

That downside is fairly disheartening.  I'm contemplating pursuing a weight loss diet that a coworker is doing, with remarkable results.  As of a couple of months ago (March?), she'd lost 65 lbs since last September.  Amazing.  But I don't know how much it costs, which is the big sticking point for me.

Ah, first world dilemmas.

Hurtling through May

Various thoughts for today....

At a new-to-me blog (found due to this post, which is hilarious if dark) (there are so many blogs out there, I realize I am lost in the blogosphere!), I found a link to these animal cushions.  And I immediately thought:

1. These are cute, the baby would like them too
2. Washable is good
3. they are simple cloth shapes cut out in two fabrics and sewn together with embroidery for details
4. I could do that
1. I've wanted to learn embroidery for a while now
1. yes, shut up, really
5. Why don't I do that?
6. Why don't I also sew those bumpers and car sun curtains I've been planning on making?

There are two answers to this dilemma.  One, we have been pretty frantic with emptying out the basement for the lead abatement people.  (Thankfully, they cleaned and sealed the floor,it was retested, it seems like we are lead-free.)  Two, my sewing machine is one that I bought used on sale, the tiny manual is long since lost, and it's got jamming issues. 

I would love a new mostly idiot-proof sewing machine.  But that is not something I need, and I really should either knit through the yarn I have (OK, most of the yarn I have) or sell it before trying to get a better sewing machine.  I do haunt some of the sewing/domestic goddess blogs, and feel a pang of envy.  Sometimes I think it would be great to move out of Commuter Zone (it's a tired, angry zone with lots of nasty exhaust) and into a big ol' house with knitted wool socks and yoga pants and making dinners and taking hikes and spending time with my family and sewing things for us rather than buying them made.

Hey there.

I have been looking for simple patterns to try and make cloth drawstring bags.  We'll see if I can get my machine to sew in straight lines and...well, that's it really.  Straight lines, and not snapping threads.

I'll have to keep working on the rest of the Big Picture too. 

Week 1 redux

This morning I went out for Day 2 of Week 1 (repeated) of c25K.  Running first thing in the morning is actually quite nice.  Would like to live in a more rural area so I didn't have to run under overpasses and such, but still good to get out.

Back into sneakers

After a comparative quiet weekend, with the baby recovering from his procedure on Friday morning, I was back at work yesterday, and restarted the c25K plan.  Good idea - my legs were weirdly sore.  I took it easy, and by the 8th (final) repeat, I felt pretty good.  I thought, "I could keep going!"

And then I stopped, per the plan, because that way ("push it until it hurts!") lies madness.

Hoping to go again tomorrow.  I like having a plan.  I like having the 5K goal.  Since running is a fairly unstructured passtime, giving myself some goals and limits helps a great deal. 

Weekend recoup

The baby is doing fine so far after his procedure, which is great.  We've got some other big things to tackle now, and another work week looming.  I am planning on restarting c25K this week, as my back is almost all better.  Huzzah for exercise!  I often miss working in a bookstore during the day - I was almost always standing and walking around, or squatting to shelve books.  I felt much better at the end of the day than just sitting in meetings, at my desk, and so on.  If only being a book clerk paid half as well as corporate drone. 

C25K Redux? and worry

In lesser news, I strained my back last week, and have taken almost a week off from c25K, in order to heal up.  I've missed it, though.  I'm wondering (since I finished the first week) if I should re-do the first week of the program, re-do a day of the first week of the program, or jump into the second week.  (I have rejected the very competitive, Puritan idea of skipping the missed week and going straight into the third week, because that is crazy.)

That is the not-as-big news.

The big deal is that I hurt my back while holding the baby in the doctor's office for an hour.  Long, draining, worrying story short, he has had ear infections pretty much since last Thanksgiving.  I don't think he's had a two-week period since where he has not been sick - usually with an ear infection (or an ear infection on top of something else).  So, tomorrow we are scheduled to go have tubes put in his ears.

For those not familiar with the process, a small cut is made in each eardrum, and a tiny tube is placed in each cut, to keep the space open (otherwise it will heal up) and to allow air to enter the middle ear.  Babies and young kids may have trouble keeping their Eustachian tubes clear, and that blockage leads to fluid (and typically, infection follows) in the ear.  So the tubes prevent (hopefully) infection by keeping the ear dry.

The part that worries me is that for kids, they have to been anesthetized for the procedure.  (Apparently if an adult has it done, they just have to hold still, maybe get a local anesthetic.) 

Thus, some stress.  Also lots of doctor appointments.

We have to leave tomorrow at 5:45 am, so I need to go get things ready.

Actual inspirational quote

Everything that lives and breathes is sacred and beautiful in the eyes of God. The whole world is a sacrament. The entire created cosmos is a burning bush of God’s uncreated energies. And humankind stands as a priest before the altar of creation, as microcosm and mediator. Such is the true nature of things; or, as an Orthodox hymn describes it, “the truth of things,” if only we have the eyes of faith to see it.  -   Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I

John Stewart is once again my hero

The Daily Show
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Today's projection

I enjoy visiting this site every day for news, a word of the day, and so on.  Go check it out!  It's great if you love language.  Included are little side bits are the local weather, horoscopes, and so on. 

Today's horoscope for me:

April 14

Today, Taurus, you might feel caught between the determination to reach a certain goal, probably financial, and a desire to stay home and work on your own projects, take care of your family, or both. You're clever and resourceful enough to have it both ways. Friends who know the ins and outs might be able to help you along these lines. Think carefully! You may be surprised by what you learn.

I'm amused at the idea that I'm clever and resourceful enough to do *anything* these days, let alone have it both ways!   I'll keep trucking along, though, with words of inspiration like the quote of the day, from the same site:

Earth has its boundaries, but human stupidity is limitless.

Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

c25K

Prior to pregnancy, I led a life of varying levels of exercise.  At some points I was pretty lethargic.  In high school I participated in the (required) sports.  After that, I seem to have had cycles of slacking off, and then picking things up again.  Martial arts, bellydance, and yoga have all been things I have enjoyed doing to lesser or greater extents, and have kept me interested.

Now that I have A Commute to work (40 minutes is a short day to get to work; it can take 1 - 1.5 hrs on long days), a job that has been quite stressful the last couple of years, and now a child, I have not had time to exercise until 8 or 9 pm, when I am exhausted, and my husband is sometimes asking me what is for dinner. 

In order to get back into shape (I still have 20 lbs extra on me, 15 of which is "baby weight") I have started the c25K ("couch to 5K") program.  It's a guideline for moving from the "not running" state to "running". 

This past weekend I went to a local running supply store and a young woman watched me walk, picked out three pairs of shoes and I tried them all while jogging on their treadmill (and feeling very self-conscious).  I picked the pair that felt the most like I was wearing little on my feet, the Brooks Accelerator II.  I also bought a Timex IronMan digital watch which have an interval timer: this ability allowed me to set up the run/walk times and be cued by the alarm, rather than having to look at my watch all the time.

Each of the nine weeks has three workouts per week.  You are encouraged to do only what is on the list, and not overdo it (which is a problem I get myself into - I can do more! I think, and then burn out).  Yesterday was Day 2 of the first week. 

So far I am liking the program.  I'm enjoying feeling physically better.  Even with a ton of stress going on, I think it's improving my mood a bit.  My legs feel better.  My back feels better.

And now, I am thinking of trying to run in this 5K in the Autumn:  the Run for Your Life Zombie 5K. But it may just scare the poop out of me.

Book!

I have to mention that a friend of mine recently (OK, two months ago) had her first book published!  XVI by Julia Karr. 

I am so proud of her, and I can't wait to read it.  She's already at work on the sequel!

Ear infections

We recently returned early from a week-long vacation, which was somewhat disorienting to me and not as vacation-like as I would have liked (or needed).  Baby was running a fever, and is back on antibiotics for another ear infection.  Our pediatrician was hoping we'd be able to get through the Winter and not have to put tubes in his ears, but we may have to do so: I hate swamping the kid with antibiotics all the time (although thank goodness we've got them). 

Anyone out there have experience with tube placements?  The idea of knocking out a baby, even briefly, has my stomach in knots.

Aside from the various illnesses, he's been doing well.  Crawling now.  Amazing.

I started knitting him a pullover in some lovely 100Purewool, but as usual, my slow knitting speed is hampering things.  Nice stuff though. 

We may be going TV-free again soon.  We were without TV reception for about 3 years, two of which my husband was returning to school.  We decided to hook up to cable again as I neared my due date, as it was helpful to have TV to watch or listen to while rocking a bewildered newborn (as they all are slightly bewildered - where am I?  what is going on?) to sleep.  But television, although seductive, is also a big time-suck. 

I wonder, though, if I'd get more done without it, or somehow dribble that time away with something else.

Ahoy ahoy

Whew.

This last year has been so...crazy.  Amazingly wonderful, as my husband and I welcomed our son into the world.  Immensely sad, as my father passed away unexpectedly.  Incredibly stressful, as my full-time job got even worse on the stress and demands front.

As I have done before, during periods of stress I withdraw into my spiralling snail shell, compact and compress, and wait.  I'm starting to emerge slowly, realizing that after a while, one can suffocate in one's shell.