One Year Out

As of her vet appointment today, she is heartworm free! Hurray! She finished treatment in July, but the markers of infection take a while to go away.  

It seems almost impossible that it's been a year since we adopted Bunny.  She's fit in so well it seems like she's always been with us.

A year ago she was a terrified little skin and bones, dull-coated little bit.

She is now up to a healthy 15 pounds with a beautiful, silky, glossy coat. She's getting a bit braver. She does cower with new people and sometimes even with us, but she doesn't try to hide behind me so much. 

She's learning how to play and that it's okay to keep her toys.

She bosses Oreo around a bit but they still get along beautifully and are starting to learn to play with each other. Bunny likes to count coup with him, which Oreo finds utterly baffling. He tries to play tug with her, but she assumes he wants the toy and lets go. 

They both RUN to the other's assistance if they suspect trouble. 

She is getting better with snuggling with Tom and she's very happy when he comes home from work.

We have bonded very closely. She rarely leaves my side and is horribly upset if I leave for a while. It's been interesting having such a snuggly kissy-face dog. Oreo is a love and likes to sit or sleep touching one of the "pack" but he's not usually super snuggly or demanding of pets and scritches. 

Bunny gets all up in your face. She messes with my iPad with her paws and nose. And she has for some reason decided some of my mascara smells delicious and tries to lick it off. 

Oreo's Little Sister

We've been contemplating getting another dog for some time. We even had a trial run a few years ago that didn't work out (that dog did find a wonderful match with another family).
I had to have stitches taken out today (may blog about that some other time) and thought I'd get a haircut, but the salon didn't have an opening for a walk in. I wandered over to a shopping center with a Petsmart.
The local Humane Society has adoption events every weekend there so I went to have a look.

There was a sweet little girl terrier mix I really liked so after consultation with Tom, I went home to get Oreo and bring him back to see how they would do.

When we got back, another of the potential adoptees named Bunny was being walked. She had been shivering and hiding far back in her cage all day so I hadn't had a chance to really see her. Oreo trotted right over, sniffed her, and was totally cool.

Oreo is a total punk-ass with other dogs. I haven't socialized him with other dogs as well as I should have, he has a Napoleon complex, and I think his own time in the pound contributed to some dog aggression.

Anyway, we tried an introduction with the first dog I had been looking at. Oreo turned into a slavering hell-beast. She responded in kind. There was really no chilling them out.

I figured "what the hell?" and asked the volunteer if she would bring Bunny back out to see how she'd do with Oreo in a more direct setting.

Meanwhile, I sat on the sidewalk outside the store right next to the "Adoptions Today" sign. With Oreo. Lots of people wanted him. And he was being his little super-cute I love all the peoples self. I had to explain that he was not, in fact, up for adoption.

He and Bunny did really well again - no barking or growling. He didn't care if I pet her or held her. o.O

So, we have a new family member. She's about a year old. She's a Dachshund mix of some kind. She was surrendered because her family couldn't afford her. And she has heartworm. But, the Human Society will help pay for the medication to treat her and we can afford the rest.

Oreo had been a shivering, timid little dude when I adopted him, so I have a soft spot for timid doggies.

They were marvelous on the drive home. Marvelous coming inside. Shared the couch with us and each other. Bunny had her head half in my lap and half on Oreo's booty for a while.

Hopefully the good behavior continues and she integrates well. We're pretty hopeful things will go well.

Here is the face of "oh please, I haz a scared"

Dwagon

Oreo and his hoard

Archaeology that makes me squee!!!

Today my class took a test the first half of class, so I did some reading to prep questions about the other textbook I assigned: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
This resulted in the following gems:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Feeding Cup
Why, yes, that is an ancient baby sippy-cup. And it is awesome.

The other thing was this:

...white dogs with large black spots make a regular appearance in Middle Kingdom tombs as pets, and even as guardian deities...

Yup, totally a guardian deity.

Question of Vital Importance

We do not own a recliner. We have a couch, two kind of uncomfortable but lovely old wooden office chairs, a rocking chair, the four chairs with our dining table, my office chair and if we're getting desperate a balance ball, a zafu, a perching stool, and some random pillows.

Oreo doesn't look this derptastic.

My parents and Tom's parents do, however, have recliners as do some friends. Oreo immediately occupies any open recliner as soon as doggily possible. It doesn't matter how many other comfy spots are open - in the absence of food to beg for or appealing toys he is in that recliner. On occasion, he attempts to occupy the recliner even when the usual occupant is still present. Watching Oreo just wander over, jump onto Dad's lap, and actually try to wedge himself further into the recliner with my dad already in it is hilarious.
"Oh, I'm sorry large boy-human, were you already in the chair? I'm a guest, you know. And I need this chair. Also, I find your gruff demeanor entirely unconvincing and will therefore cuddle with you for a minute."

With Tom's dad there's usually a stare down when his dad returns to his briefly unoccupied chair to find Oreo in it. Tom's dad tells Oreo to get out of the chair. Oreo blinks at him. Repeat until Oreo finally slithers out of the chair looking deeply offended.

We were just talking vaguely about getting a nicer couch and recliner at some point. And I wonder - if we could afford it would Oreo prefer a full size recliner or would he like one of those little ones for little kids?

Serious freakin' business, people.

Happy Holidays, Enjoy Your Balls

Went to my in-laws for Xmas this year. Nice trip, fun to see little kids for Christmas.

We drove home today. We pass a state penitentiary on the way. Tom says we should take Oreo to the penitentiary (because saying mean things to Oreo is one of Tom's hobbies).
I replied that Oreo did his time in the joint and had paid his debt to society. (I adopted him from Animal Control lo these many years ago.)
So Tom says maybe we should take him to talk to the inmates:
"Once, I was in a place like this, just like you..."
And I finished:
"...and then they cut off my balls and gave me to some strange lady."

I don't think Oreo will be pursuing a career as a motivational speaker.

In other news, Tom got me knitting books! Rock!

Oreo is a Punk

My dog is a brat. You all knew this, but some of you like hearing about his brattiness and really, this was hilarious.

We just got up and first thing is always to take him out because he's getting older and the bladder, it gets full and hard to control after lots of sleep.

So, I toss on my jacket over my jammies and we go out the front door of the apartment, which leads to a sort of breezeway down the center of the building. One way goes to the parking lot, the other goes to the little patch of woods that our patio faces. We usually go toward the woods because it's more potty-friendly and closer.

So, he hops down off the cement to the woods, pees, and then makes a bee-line for our patio. And hops up on it. And goes to the sliding door. And then looks at me like I'm stupid.

And I (because I've given up seeming normal in public) say out loud:  "I can't let you in that door, it's locked." And I try to coax him off the porch and back to the front door. Nuh-uh. Will not move.

Finally, I pinned his leash under the chair on the patio, went in the front door, and opened the sliding glass door. Oreo trotted right in and waited for me to take off his harness and give him his treat.

I am very well trained.

Girly Fru-Fru Stuff

I got my package of wonderful soap and shampoo bar samples from Chagrin Valley Soap today. Opening our mail box sent the most wonderful minty-herbal scent wafting out. I had taken Oreo over to the big central mail box thing for the apartment complex and actually wound up using the lovely scents to keep him moving.
He's a sucker for pretty smells. Loves chamomile and baby's breath especially. No idea why.

Anyway, my acne has flared up something fierce lately and I've been getting sores on my scalp again. Not fun. I seem to be getting the acne to ease off a little, but cycling through my shampoo/conditioners and even trying some new ones hasn't helped the head much.

I had tried Chagrin Valley shampoo bars several years ago in Chicago. I had fallen in love with LUSH products, but not so much some of the ingredients or the price tag. I had chin-length hair then. Between the water and the hair, I just could not make a go of them, even waiting several weeks, vinegar rinses, etc., etc. So I used up the bars to wash the rest of me and that was that. Then I found one of those old samples stashed in one of my dresser drawers (they smell wonderful, so they serve double duty as potpourri when not in active use). Used it to wash hair and face and it turned out very nicely. Several days in and I don't have that weird grungy-greasy feeling, haven't needed to do a vinegar rinse yet, and scalp sores seem to be improving. I'm guessing the change in water and maybe in hair length helped.

Anyway, Chagrin Valley has lovely, lovely stuff and it is incredibly reasonably priced and there are samples for nearly everything. So I grabbed whatever looked fun. They also have doggie shampoo bars. Tom discovered they're easier to use on Oreo than liquid shampoo when we borrowed one at a friends place. And Oreo is also having some skin itchies, so I'm hoping this will help.

I also scored a solid lotion bar. They're made of waxes and oils that are solid at room temperature but melt when massaged on skin. My hands have become more prone to eczema over the past year, so this is part of my plan of gradually having hand lotion available all over the apartment and in my purse as that seems to be what keeps the itchy, nasty pustules away, but I am sometimes too lazy to hunt for lotion.

So this is the soap I've been making little soap holders for. My first one seems to be just the right size. The one I started last night is going to be too big and will probably need to be frogged. And no, they aren't paying me to gush about their soap on the internets. I will post further info as I try things out.

Also, I have started using Astrid as a to-do list reminder thing. I really like it so far. It's free, web based and has an Android app. Easy interface. You can add in a social component as well.

Bonus Oreo Cuteness

Not Dead Yet

Wow, I've been terrible about keeping up with posting. Ahem.

In my fortune cookie today

I've spent the last few weeks continuing to recover from moving. My arthritis has been problematic, but I've managed to putter around and do a few chores every day and slowly start low-grade exercise again.  Swelling in my hands and feet with too much exertion (like a few hours on my feet) and/or high temperatures has been annoying.

Tom has been up to Chicago the past few weekends and this weekend I had the car. SCORE! I completely lost my mind and had a 4-5 hour long shopping marathon with, um, pretty much no breaks. This was epically stupid. "Post-exertional malaise" is really not a sufficient description. And I managed to get so tired that I had trouble sleeping, which is among the stupidest mind-body quirks I can think of.

I did wind up with some comfy pants and leggings to go with some other new-ish clothes from eBay. My weight is still creeping up courtesy of the nortriptyline. I'm still within the healthy BMI range, but getting uncomfortably close to overweight. I've been logging meals and activity with MyFitnessPal, which does seem to help a little bit. It's not quite clear how much of the weight and bloating is weird autoimmune related fluid build up and how much is actual weight-weight. Grumble.

I had never really had to pay attention to my weight until the past year or two aside from making sure it didn't drop too much in the field on a few occasions. So this is an entirely new, weird thing trying to figure out what size I am now, what is flattering on this very new and different body, and realizing just how socialized I am/was to "skinny=good/beautiful." And stretch marks. What the hell?

Bonus fun, of course, is the uncertainty about exercise and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Some camps suggest Graded Exercise Therapy, often in combination with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a useful intervention to increase general function. Others suggest that even graded exercise therapy can increase oxidative stress and in other ways actually be counterproductive or even dangerous for people with CFS/ME.  I have found in general that aerobic exercise of any kind tends to be far, far more unpleasant with longer lasting after-effects than more gentle stretching, like yoga or very low level aerobic exercise like walking.

We still have not received our insurance information so I have yet to see any new doctors. I'm dreading it, actually. I hate having to recount the decline of my health and all the details around it for new people. I hate trying to figure out if a doctor is being patronizing or has decided I'm just "nuts." I hate not knowing where the line between self-advocacy and rudeness is.

In the meantime, I have been working through A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook I have it as a Kindle book, but it seems to no longer be available in that format. I'm enjoying it so far and finding that it is helping me recognize when I've tightened up or gotten anxious and pause to relax. It is still a challenge to do the daily meditations. I still feel obscurely guilty for taking 15 minutes to meditate when there are boxes to be unpacked or dishes to be washed or, or, or... It is at least keeping me on a fairly even path until I can begin seeing a therapist regularly again.

I also have done no crafting. For months. I can't decide on a project, I don't pick up things already started. I can't decide on a new thing to start. Hoping to remedy that this week.

Better news - some of my experiments with supplements do seem to be helping a little bit. I ran out of CoQ10 this week and seemed to feel a bit less with it until more arrived. It often seems that various treatments help in increments best detected when the treatment is skipped or removed.

We've made some progress in unpacking.

Well, some of us. Others have been grumpily hogging the heating pad.

Fuzzy Banditos

Image via Wikipedia

The perfect storm of suburban vermin, Grabby and Stinky.

I heard clinking on the porch last night. Flipped the light on and peeked through the blinds to see several raccoons very carefully tipping over the planters to see if there was anything good in them. They didn't break anything. After a while they got bored and annoyed with the light and left, probably to go dumpster diving. Only one seemed to suspect they were being spied upon and kept staring at the glass like "I know you're there."

Fortunately, we don't let Oreo run around alone outside, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Tom put some of the plants in hanging planters today. Do raccoons do acrobatics? And if so, do they wear leotards and capes or should I make some for them?

I am guessing they're smart enough not to eat the peppers from his pepper plant but if I do see a raccoon on the patio frantically swiping at his tongue I'll try to get photos.

In other news, I had insomnia like whoa bad and didn't get to sleep until around 7 this morning and then slept until around 3. I woke up to a shaved dog. He'd gotten into a burr patch and Tom wisely decided shaving was better than trying to pick out each little burr. Those things hurt like hell and I think I have a mild allergic reaction to them. Poor Oreo.

He looks very handsome now, though.

The sliding glass door is becoming a source of random amusement. We've had the raccoons. People cut through between the patio and the patch of woods. Today a Boston Terrier and his person cut through there. Oreo went nuts and they were nose-to-nose through the glass. Oreo is most disgruntled that we did not react appropriately to OMG HE COULD COME IN HERE!!!


We've been mostly trapped in the apartment complex the past few days. Cruising the Coast is going on, which is awesome, except that Highway 90 is the only way in or out of our apartment complex and it is being heavily cruised. Tom biked to WalMart to get me more allergy meds and some food because he is made of awesome.

Good Day

This week has been one long migraine, which hasn't been so wonderful. But, Twitter friends helped me figure out that it might have been forgetting my magnesium supplements that was at least contributing to the problem. Social networking and asynchronous communication at its finest.

Part of why the migraine lasted so long was also that I was being very, very stingy with my clonazapam because I was running low. We still don't have our insurance cards or account numbers so I'd have to fill things out of pocket. That wouldn't have been an issue except that the clonazapam script was written on the same sheet as two other meds, one of which would have cost $536 out of pocket for a 30-day supply. Apparently in MS, it's standard practice to fill all the meds on a sheet, especially if it's from a hospital (never mind that it was an outpatient clinic, the sheet from UofC says "hospital." So I asked if they could please, please let me just fill one and come back for the others when I have my insurance info. The pharmacy assistant at Walgreen's was fabulous and called around to see if she could fill it. Fortunately they could, because I was not looking forward to either going without my clonazapam or paying for everything and then trying file an insurance claim. We are covered and have been since Tom's first day of work, we just don't have proof of coverage. Bleh.

Anyway, getting the script helped a whole lot.

I'm never getting that arm pillow back.

Yesterday our new washer and dryer arrived. Oreo sounded much more ferocious than he actually is, because the delivery guy was standing well back from the door when I opened it. I had Oreo tucked under one arm and the guy peeked around me and asked if he was really the only dog.


I managed to drive over to fill out my HR paperwork to teach in the spring. And I ordered some evaluation copies of a few potential textbooks.

Today the migraine is almost gone. I've been doing laundry. And I went for a swim, which wore me out, but helped loosen up all the super tight muscles in my lower back (from scoliosis) and neck (from migraines). I only have a few more weeks to enjoy the pool before it closes, so I'm hoping the weather will stay warm enough. It seems to have temporarily helped with the swelling in my feet and ankles too.

For now, Oreo and I are sacked out on on the couch contemplating a nap.

Moving on Up

So, the move is complete. In that all our junk is in the new apartment.

Also, we have an ice maker:

Two Roman tubs:

And this is the view from the patio and the bedroom windows:

Tom's parents bought us a new mattress in addition to helping us move in and his sister and brother-in-law and niece helping with the move and passing on a queen bed frame for the guest bedroom.

New mattresses are huge. Our bed was already high. It hits just under my boobs now and I'm 5'6 or 5'7 depending on how scolio'd my spine is on a given day.

Oreo on the mattresses before we put them on the bed frame

We got new driver's licenses. I think all the weight Tom lost from the last time he had a MS license I gained since the last time I had one.

Friday while I was in the bathroom I got another call about teaching. Apparently they needed to know right that minute if I could teach in the spring. So I said "um, yeah." I have a job with virtually no effort on my part to acquire it. This is still blowing my mind.

Yesterday we bought a washer and dryer to be delivered on Wednesday. o.O Single largest expenditure we've ever made. There will be photos. Possibly video.

Today I drove Tom to work and drove home all by myself for the first time since 2008. It went very smoothly. Then I spent the rest of the day waiting for the gas company tech to show up, which still hasn't happened. 

And I unpacked exactly nothing. My excuse is that we need bookcases before we can unpack most of the boxes which are full of books.

Current view of the living room.

Today is weird

Image via WikipediaToday has been weird even for me.

I decided to browse Craigslist for possible jobs. Wow, scary.
Apparently there are some locally made "adult" films.
And there was one job posting that just said "Pregnant Lady."

Someone said something about "penny wise" and I made a crack about Pennywise from It. Then a few minutes later, the Bad Astronomer tweeted this scary ass t-shirt. Serendipity is disturbing. I'm avoiding drains for the rest of the day.

Fast forward a bit and Oreo and Brownie were sharing the couch peacefully.

Then I decided I needed a nap.

My phone rang and it was someone who had heard we moved down here wanting to know if I'd be interested in teaching in the spring.
o.O

I managed to babble something comprehensible that was not "Hells yes, woman!" but conveyed that general sentiment. After we move into the apartment I'll go actually chat about it.

Then I got up to see Tom had tweeted about D'Iberville telling the early French colonists to breed buffalo, only I thought it said "breed with the buffalo" and I was truly impressed by the ignorance of basic biology back then.

So, now I have things to figure out:
- How do I teach sitting down (this will be weird for me)?
- Better management of dry mouth while lecturing because, seriously, the croaking is not cool
- Can I wear my Vibram Five-Fingers with business casual clothing because I really, really love them.
- Which eccentric professor do I emulate?

• Doc Brown
• Professor Trelawney
• Dumbledore
• Professor Farnsworth

I imagine that at some point I should figure out what I'm teaching...

This also nixes the idea I had floating in my head of dyeing the white parts of my hair purple...

And as I get ready to post this, Oreo and Brownie are sharing the couch again and sound asleep.

I haz a monster under my bed, killin all my du5t Bunnehs

Big Changes for a Little Dog

I was just talking to Oreo (yes, of course I talk to him - anyone who thinks that's super weird has obviously not known me long) and realized he's still got a lot of big changes coming up. He's already gotten used to sharing (mostly) a house with 2 dogs who are much bigger. And he loves having a yard to trot around in and an extra person to wiggle for.

In a couple weeks we'll be moving into our own apartment though and we were talking about the changes to come.
There will be a whole new big apartment to explore. With two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Tom and I are wondering what he'll do with two bathrooms. Oreo prefers to be in the bathroom with us - there is much scrabbling and whining and head-thunking if he's outside, but until now, we've only had the one bathroom. I have no idea what he's going to do if we are occupying both bathrooms at the same time. It will be a major Oreo conundrum. Will he run back and forth between them? Sit in the middle and cry?

He'll be going back to walkies on a leash, but we'll have a whole complex to explore. Should be fascinating. So many new smells!

There will be a patio. Mmmm, sleeping in the sunshine is a favorite Oreo activity. He'll have container gardening to supervise too.

We'll eventually have a washer and dryer and I suspect there will be lots of head-tilting and inquiry grumbles at the noise.

We will also have a gas fireplace (the hilarity of having a gas fireplace AFTER moving from Chicago is epic). He's sort of been around them before, but I wonder how he'll react.

Small Things

This week is Invisible Illness Awareness Week. My invisible illness has been smacking me around a bit, so I'm only today getting around to writing a post for it.

Oreo enjoying some sunshine and grass

Oreo (for new comers, Oreo is my 15 pound Shih Tzu/Lhasa Apso caretaker, companion, comforter, comedian, and partner in crime) was the inspiration for this post. At the moment we're staying with a friend until we move into our new place. Oreo is in the living room peering out the window and barking randomly while I'm in the bedroom nursing a migraine. Having a window he can see out of is a novelty for him, thus the barking. Usually he snuggles with me when I have headaches. He's a small thing and got me thinking about small things in a broader sense.

One of the popular tools to explain invisible, chronic illness is the Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino. I encourage people to read the essay when they have a chance but in summary, it's a way of demonstrating how little things add up over the course of a day, a week, a month to sap the energy and wellness of many people with chronic illness, especially illness that causes fatigue. Another analogy I like is lightweight backpacking. Individual items may not seem like they take up a lot of space or weigh a lot, but the full combination can be a lot to deal with.

The small things that so many "normal" people take for granted can have big effects on us. Here are some of the small things that I used to take for granted:
- Showering. It's now something that requires me to rest for at least 15 or 20 minutes afterwards even though I use a shower chair, have very short hair, and use 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner all in an effort to make it as efficient as possible.
- Washing dishes. Standing for extended periods often makes my lower back spasm and my neck knot up and seems to drain me of energy pretty quickly. Reynaud's disease interferes with the blood flow to my hands, fingers, feet and toes making water that is too hot or too cold physically painful. It can also make holding a cup with hot or cold beverage in it painful. Cup cozies are my new best friends.
- Doing laundry. Picking up and carrying a hamper makes my head pound and my back grumpy. Not being able to see the floor messes with my balance in a big way. Folding clothes is sometimes painful if my arthritis is flaring or I have migraine-related pain and stiffness in my neck.
- Shopping. The long walk around the store is tiring. The lighting and noise and motion is almost too much to deal with sometimes. Trying to remember what I need, even with a list is a challenge. Making a decision on which item to purchase can sometimes seem overwhelming.
- Watching TV. A migraine can sometimes make TV absolute torture. Days when my brain is foggy just makes it surreal and confusing.

But in the same way that little things can add up to make me feel worse, they can also add up to make me feel a bit better.
- Oreo is a little thing who can almost always make me smile, if only for a little bit.
- Hugs or commiseration or understanding from friends and family.
- A good book.
- Silly things on the internet
- Sweet, thoughtful things from my husband like a candy I particularly like or special snuggles.
- Meditation.
- Gentle stretching or yoga that helps keep me moving and helps with some pain.
- Satisfaction with small victories like showering or doing the dishes.
- Creature comfort things like a favorite body oil or a comfy hoody or a nice skein of yarn or wonderful fiber to spin.

Hanging Out

I've been trying to take it easy this week.  I've been pretty tired and arthritic, so I've been hanging out with the doggies and Susan during the day and trying to do a few little chores like laundry or looking in to renter's insurance (which is making me stabby).

Oreo is liking the yard.

Ferret Dance!

Image via WikipediaTom begins his new job today.  Oreo and I got up early to see him off along with Susan and Brownie and Blue.
It's hard to believe we've only been here a little over a week.
Oreo is getting along pretty well with Brownie and Blue - Susan's two doggies that Tom and I actually rescued as dumped puppies waaaay back in 2002 just before (like just weeks) before I moved to Chicago.  Susan took Brownie and eventually wound up with Blue as well.
Last time all three dogs were together was right after Katrina and they did not get on well.  They're doing much, much better this time.  Oreo follows Blue around like an obnoxious little brother.
Susan has a big front window that goes almost to the floor.  The dogs like to peek out of it and bark as needed.  At first Oreo just barked because they were barking.  Then he figured out he should go to the window.  Then he was barking face first into the sheers.  He seems to have mostly figured out the window concept.
He also does a 360 bark routine when the others are barking and he doesn't know why.  Silly doggie.

Tom and I have found an apartment.  We're hoping to get the application, etc. done today.  Two bedrooms, two full baths, a full kitchen including a dishwasher, patio, washer/dryer hookups, central AC and, hilariously, a gas fireplace.  I will be sending photos of the gas fireplace to our Chicago friends in January because I'm a terrible person.  There is a pool.  A hot-tub.  A workout center.  It's set back from the beach, but the property in front is still vacant (very common around here).  Our patio looks onto a little patch of woodsy area in the complex.  I'm looking forward to restarting an herb garden.

I am already browsing inspiration on line for the second bedroom.  We want it to be a guest room.  I also want an office and crafting space.  And I want a quiet meditation spot.  I think we may go with a closet workspace in the guest room - there are some really cool ideas.  We are getting a queen bed from Tom's sister and I am wondering about pushing it against a corner to create a day-bed most of the time that can be centered in the room for guests.

For a quiet/meditation/retreat place, I think I may try part of our bedroom with a folding screen or maybe another closet.  I'm most likely to feel the need for a brief retreat when guests are visiting (nothing against guests, I just get over stimulated sometimes), so having the retreat in the guest room is probably not the best of ideas.

I experimented with driving last week and managed fairly well.  Hopefully that will continue and we can get another vehicle so I can run errands during the day.

I also found a great fitness bathing suit on clearance and a quarter-zip UPF 50 shirt.  I'm really looking forward to the pool.

We've done a bit of walking on the beach too.  Lots of jellyfish so I've been hesitant to go out far or actually swim. I have bad luck with things that sting.

Veal

I discovered this morning that my phone autocorrects "crap" to "veal."  As in I meant to tweet  "holy crap, the hospital elevator is working" and instead sent "holy veal, the hospital elevator is working."

We have been having entirely too much fun with this on Twitter.  And I had time to be on Twitter because it took me at least an hour to cancel my phone and internet service today.

In other news, we got the moving truck today and pretty much all the furniture and other stuff is on it courtesy of Tom and our friends Eric and Brian.  Yay!

For some reason though, our apartment still looks to be full of veal.

My stupid brain has decided getting dizzy when I bend over is super fun, which makes packing boxes way more entertaining.  If I see double, I should get a double to help out.  Or something.

Oreo is thoroughly traumatized and curled up next to me on my yoga mat (hard floor is hard).

Original plan had been to leave tomorrow but we're rethinking that and may leave on the 1st after all so we aren't quite so frantic.

Moving

Image via WikipediaSo, we should be up for grand adventure soon.  Tom has gotten a job in Biloxi, MS as an archaeologist which is, you know, what he's trained for.  More money, equal or greater benefits and more opportunity for advancement.  So, YAY!!!!!

I know very little about local history and archaeology, but am really looking forward to hearing about stuff from Tom and exploring stuff myself.  I'm especially interested in colonial/cultural contact archaeology and history topics and there is a lot of history with various European powers and local tribes interacting, playing off each other, etc.  Very cool.  

I actually lived in Biloxi for a few years in my early teens - my family moved from Nevada when gaming was legalized.   We have friends in the area and before I got sick I was an adjunct instructor there for a summer.  So we already have a bit of a support system in place which will make the move easier, I think.

We're very happy but still a little in disbelief that we're actually moving.  We've been in Chicago a really long time.

Anyway, we will be moving at the end of the month.  Tom starts work the second week of September. 

We are hoping to find a rental close to Tom's office so there won't be a huge issue of commuting. 

Moving will be awesome - we should be able to get a place with central air and heating, a dishwasher, and washer/dryer hookups.  All of those things will make a lot of household chores much easier and climate control will probably help with some of my symptoms.

Depending on where we wind up we will probably have regular access to a pool and I'm really looking forward to that as another way to exercise and relieve pain.  

Tom will be able to get back into diving and be closer to some interesting dive locations. 

It will all be very exciting I'm sure.  I'm hoping after we get settled to get in touch with some of my contacts and see if I can get another part-time teaching position or something similar.  I'm also hoping that I'll be able to start driving again at least short distances in an environment that isn't nearly as challenging and hectic as Chicago traffic and parking, etc. 

Current plan is to pack up what we're taking either into a rental truck or one of the movable storage box thingies, move it down, stay with a friend for a while and look for a place to live longer term. 

We've already been sorting through things like clothes and books for things to donate or sell, so that process is already started.  I'm going to start boxing books and craft supplies soon.

Poor Oreo is going to have a stressful month, though.  He gets a bit nervous when we pack things either in boxes or suitcases.  "The den, the den is changing, OMG change!  Are you going to leave me behind?!?!?"  So, there will be extra doggy cuddling going on.  He's a good little traveler by ground or air though, so the actual moving won't be too bad. 

Given the return of the heatwave to Chicago I'm really not able to to think much past AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!  at the moment. 

Obviously, it gets super hot and humid on the coast too, but it somehow doesn't seem as bad there as in Chicago. 

Also, I have a smartphone now, so I can live blog things like "wow, we're driving past yet more soy bean fields!"  I know you will all be at the edge of your seats for that.

And Tom and I tend to manage to have surreal adventures during things like moving, so that should be entertaining.