Well today I called in sick, which I rarely do. And I went to the doctor. My doctor's office is on the east side which is also where my parents live so I took my daughter to them and went to my appointment. When I got there I was told that the doctor I was scheduled with acutally changed her schedule so she left at 11:00. My 11:30 appointment had been cancelled that morning and nobody told me!
She suggested I come back tomorrow at 10:30, but I have an importatnt trainng at work at that time tomorrow. I told her that I took the day off to come and that I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. She was very nice and said she'd get me in to see the triage nurse.
The nurse called me into an examination room and said in a rather annoyed-seeming voice:
"Well, what seems to be so serious with your health that you absolutely HAVE to be seen today?"
Jeez.
I was a bit put off by this attacky sort of way of talking to me, but I smiled and said sweetly,
"Well, I did have an appointment today but it was cancelled without my knowledge. I took off work today to come and my lungs hurt when I breathe, so I wanted to try to be seen today. But if I'm putting you off...."
"No, no!" She said, suddenly nice, "My name is ___________ I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. I can get you in with another doctor today. I'll be right back."
And I got a 1:00 appointment.
It turns out I have a cold, probably a virus which is in my lungs, but nothing terrible. She told me to rest and drink lots of fluids. Offerred to write me an excuse to be off work for a couple days. I declined. I feel better already than yesterday. I'm relaxing now. And blogging. If I am better yet tomorrow, I'm going to work.
It seems like a lot of people can get all crabby and rude. But I find its best to be sweet anyway. It is always disarming. I don't want to kill 'em with kindness really. Mostly surprise 'em with sweetness.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sick day
Before I launch in to how god-awful I feel, let me show you the results of my money spending estimates in Chicago:
Estimates Reality
My share of the hotel -- $40 Hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20 Dinner-- $30
Sodas at the bar -- $5 Drank water at the bar $0
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20 Taxi back to the hotel--$10
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15 Free hotel Continental breakfast Coffee for the road $2.50
Total--------------------$100 Total--------------$82.50
Not bad, eh?
Yeah, so the sad thing about Chicago was that I have been sick since last week Thursday and it is just not getting any better. So while usually I am a highly entertaining individual who adds to a party, I was more an observer with an occasional funny comment or addition to a situation. It was hard not being at my normal speed.
Today I left work halfway through the day and have secured myself a doctor's appointment for tomorrow. This involved a lot of directory checking as we are now on Badgercare due to our income (which is nice) and I found that my doctor does not take state insurance and I had to research to find another (which is not nice).
Something weird is happening with my lungs. I have a cold, and that is annoying, but the real problem is that I have pain every time I breathe deep, cough, laugh or sneeze or even move my head wrong. So hopefully they will tell me that it is a problem very easily solved with antibiotics which can be covered by my insurance.
It is nice to work someplace that allows for sick time. I usually don't take at as I am able to plow through these little illnesses without much notice, but this cold FAILS!
I'll keep you posted.
Aah--aah--choo!!
Ouch.
Estimates Reality
My share of the hotel -- $40 Hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20 Dinner-- $30
Sodas at the bar -- $5 Drank water at the bar $0
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20 Taxi back to the hotel--$10
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15 Free hotel Continental breakfast Coffee for the road $2.50
Total--------------------$100 Total--------------$82.50
Not bad, eh?
Yeah, so the sad thing about Chicago was that I have been sick since last week Thursday and it is just not getting any better. So while usually I am a highly entertaining individual who adds to a party, I was more an observer with an occasional funny comment or addition to a situation. It was hard not being at my normal speed.
Today I left work halfway through the day and have secured myself a doctor's appointment for tomorrow. This involved a lot of directory checking as we are now on Badgercare due to our income (which is nice) and I found that my doctor does not take state insurance and I had to research to find another (which is not nice).
Something weird is happening with my lungs. I have a cold, and that is annoying, but the real problem is that I have pain every time I breathe deep, cough, laugh or sneeze or even move my head wrong. So hopefully they will tell me that it is a problem very easily solved with antibiotics which can be covered by my insurance.
It is nice to work someplace that allows for sick time. I usually don't take at as I am able to plow through these little illnesses without much notice, but this cold FAILS!
I'll keep you posted.
Aah--aah--choo!!
Ouch.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Chicago
So one of my dearest friends had her birthday on December 28th. She lives in Chicago and is having her birthday party tonight at a bar called Sofo. My sister and our two other closest friends decided that we are going to go! We got ourselves a hotel room and we leave this afternoon to drive down there. How excited am I to go on a road trip and spend the night with four of my favorite women!
Of course, due to the holidays and the onset of winter energy bills, Tad and I are out of money. This did not occur to me until yesterday. Crap. I'll have to pay for my share of the hotel, dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow and a taxi ride from the bar to our hotel. What to do?!
I talked to Tad about it and he said. "This is your vacation. Just charge it all. You deserve this and I don't want you worrying about money."
But then I realized that we have a couple envelopes of money received for Christmas. My uncle, who has been generous with my sister and I since we were little girls, gave us each an envelope this year on Christmas eve. $100. Wow.
So I'll bring that and have a night out in Chicago, courtesy of my sweet Uncle Boobers (a nickname given him by my dad early in my parents dating life).
Lucky thing I don't drink at all. I think I'll be able to stretch it. Here's my estimated budget...I guess we'll see how close I get!
My share of the hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20
Sodas at the bar -- $5
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15
Total--------------------$100
Now to get rid of this cold that has been plaguing me the last couple days!
Of course, due to the holidays and the onset of winter energy bills, Tad and I are out of money. This did not occur to me until yesterday. Crap. I'll have to pay for my share of the hotel, dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow and a taxi ride from the bar to our hotel. What to do?!
I talked to Tad about it and he said. "This is your vacation. Just charge it all. You deserve this and I don't want you worrying about money."
But then I realized that we have a couple envelopes of money received for Christmas. My uncle, who has been generous with my sister and I since we were little girls, gave us each an envelope this year on Christmas eve. $100. Wow.
So I'll bring that and have a night out in Chicago, courtesy of my sweet Uncle Boobers (a nickname given him by my dad early in my parents dating life).
Lucky thing I don't drink at all. I think I'll be able to stretch it. Here's my estimated budget...I guess we'll see how close I get!
My share of the hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20
Sodas at the bar -- $5
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15
Total--------------------$100
Now to get rid of this cold that has been plaguing me the last couple days!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
To melt chocolate for dipping or not to melt chocolate for dipping
It is really hard to get rid of this sweet tooth. After spending two weeks eating ice cream and cookies and chocolates and candy canes and ice cream..... I had said that I would stop it.
But yesterday, Tad handed me a bowl of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. I had to eat it.
So tonight, I am thinking that we have this last five or six digestive biscuits and a 1/4 bag of chocolate chips. I am seriously considering melting the chips and dipping the last of the biscuits in them so they are chocolate bottomed digestive biscuits. Is that so terrible?
It is hard getting back to reality. Not just because of the sweets. I have missed my kids at work these past two days. And also it is hard in a monetary fashion. December was a three-paycheck month for me at work so Tad and I pretended in December that we are not a single income family. We did some out for dinners, bought presents for the kids, each other, went to coffee shops... It was fun.
And now it is precisely nine days before I get paid again. I told Tad he could buy coffee today and then that's it. All the rest will have to be for groceries.
But that's okay. That's all we'll need.
Oh well....
But yesterday, Tad handed me a bowl of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. I had to eat it.
So tonight, I am thinking that we have this last five or six digestive biscuits and a 1/4 bag of chocolate chips. I am seriously considering melting the chips and dipping the last of the biscuits in them so they are chocolate bottomed digestive biscuits. Is that so terrible?
It is hard getting back to reality. Not just because of the sweets. I have missed my kids at work these past two days. And also it is hard in a monetary fashion. December was a three-paycheck month for me at work so Tad and I pretended in December that we are not a single income family. We did some out for dinners, bought presents for the kids, each other, went to coffee shops... It was fun.
And now it is precisely nine days before I get paid again. I told Tad he could buy coffee today and then that's it. All the rest will have to be for groceries.
But that's okay. That's all we'll need.
Oh well....
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sick Day
I am home with my elder child today, who is sick with the stomach flu.
I am glad that we found out that he was sick last night because it gave me some time to accept my day.
See, I have off today and for two months I've been looking forward to spending the first official day back to work and school home ALONE cleaning the house and un-decking the halls. So it took me most of the evening to re-visualize my last day off. But I guess its par for the course of parenthood to have your day off infringed upon by an unexpected home sick child. I think I brought it upon myself. I remember bragging to some friends about my whole day to myself and then saying "With my luck, one of my kids will need to stay home sick." Damn self-fulfilling prophecies!
Now my day will involve a lot of PBS and reading stories and cuddling with my 7 year old. I have let him know that he will be witness to me taking down the tree, and that I will be cleaning the kitchen and bathroom at some point while he naps or watches a movie... He's cool with it. Right now, as I blog, he's reading a Peanuts comic book and giggling to himself.
I'll still get everything done I was going to get done...just without loud music and with cuddles in between rooms.
I thought I'd take this post to share with you my recipe for homemade magic popsicles. Popsicles are always a good staple for a kid with the stomach flu.
Get yourself some popsicle molds. Ours were a wedding gift.
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime (usually takes 2)
1/4 cup grenadine
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
Mix it all together and cook it in a pot on the stove until all is dissolved.
Freeze for a few hours and voilla! Homemade popsicles. A FRACTION of the price of a box of popsicles.
I am glad that we found out that he was sick last night because it gave me some time to accept my day.
See, I have off today and for two months I've been looking forward to spending the first official day back to work and school home ALONE cleaning the house and un-decking the halls. So it took me most of the evening to re-visualize my last day off. But I guess its par for the course of parenthood to have your day off infringed upon by an unexpected home sick child. I think I brought it upon myself. I remember bragging to some friends about my whole day to myself and then saying "With my luck, one of my kids will need to stay home sick." Damn self-fulfilling prophecies!
Now my day will involve a lot of PBS and reading stories and cuddling with my 7 year old. I have let him know that he will be witness to me taking down the tree, and that I will be cleaning the kitchen and bathroom at some point while he naps or watches a movie... He's cool with it. Right now, as I blog, he's reading a Peanuts comic book and giggling to himself.
I'll still get everything done I was going to get done...just without loud music and with cuddles in between rooms.
I thought I'd take this post to share with you my recipe for homemade magic popsicles. Popsicles are always a good staple for a kid with the stomach flu.
Get yourself some popsicle molds. Ours were a wedding gift.
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime (usually takes 2)
1/4 cup grenadine
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
Mix it all together and cook it in a pot on the stove until all is dissolved.
Freeze for a few hours and voilla! Homemade popsicles. A FRACTION of the price of a box of popsicles.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Back to it
Tomorrow we go back to the real world. The real world where we have to get up at 6:00 and put on coats and go somewhere first thing in the morning and be apart from each other all day and come home in time to have dinner, give baths and go to bed...
Now, I could look at it that way and in my weaker moments (like I just had) I may choose to look at it that way, but in my stronger moments, which I will have now, I'll look at it this way:
Coen will go back to the school that he loves with amazing teachers and pretty soon he'll get to start practicing for the school play which he got a part in and is really looking forward to.
Lucy will go back to daycare with Sarah, who she adores and calls "My Sarah" and also to days with her grandparents and getting her little brain and body ready for next year when she starts K3.
Tad will go back to this school program, teaching him Montessori methods which he is very lucky and pleased to be in, getting ready to be a kick-ass teacher next year. (He told me he's feeling good and ready to tackle this second and final semester head on.)
I will go back to a job that I love with all kinds of exciting programs and projects on the horizon and get to spend mornings at my desk drinking coffee and catching up on messages and visiting with coworkers who I really like and enjoy and whom I have not seen for two weeks.
So there.
Happy New Year everyone...once again! I have been sort of in la la land with my year of living simpler with the holidays and everything, but I am ready to get back to it.
Now, I could look at it that way and in my weaker moments (like I just had) I may choose to look at it that way, but in my stronger moments, which I will have now, I'll look at it this way:
Coen will go back to the school that he loves with amazing teachers and pretty soon he'll get to start practicing for the school play which he got a part in and is really looking forward to.
Lucy will go back to daycare with Sarah, who she adores and calls "My Sarah" and also to days with her grandparents and getting her little brain and body ready for next year when she starts K3.
Tad will go back to this school program, teaching him Montessori methods which he is very lucky and pleased to be in, getting ready to be a kick-ass teacher next year. (He told me he's feeling good and ready to tackle this second and final semester head on.)
I will go back to a job that I love with all kinds of exciting programs and projects on the horizon and get to spend mornings at my desk drinking coffee and catching up on messages and visiting with coworkers who I really like and enjoy and whom I have not seen for two weeks.
So there.
Happy New Year everyone...once again! I have been sort of in la la land with my year of living simpler with the holidays and everything, but I am ready to get back to it.
 | |||||
| Photo taken by Coen of Tad and I on New Year's Eve. |
 |
| Coen and Lucy celebrating New Year's in the Czech Republic |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The first day of 2011
We celebrated our New Year's eve as we have for the last nine years. This was mine and Tad's tenth together as lovers and partners. Here is what we do:
We stay in. No parties, no bars, no babysitters or crowded restaurants. No driving or free busses. Just the four of us, at home.
We all dressed up at about 3:00 and I poured us some sparkling white grape juice. Tad and Coen spiked up their hair with gel. I wore a dress that I got at a vintage shop, and Lucy opted to be baby new year complete with no clothes, a diaper and a top hat. I made an appetizer of baked brie, havarti and muenster cheese (everyone's favorites represented) with crackers of all sorts. We toasted, Tad and I each telling our kids something that they accomplished this year and what we love about them and each other. At 4:00 we counted down the New Year in Estonia and then at 5:00 we counted down the New Year in the Czech Republic. All four of us went to the front door and yelled Happy New Year and blew our horns for all of the neighborhood to hear.
The kids get a special treat for dinner--Kid Cuisines!! These are kids frozen meals ($2.00 apiece at Woodmans) that our kids LOVE. After their dinners, they both had a bubble bath and off to bed.
After Coen and Lucy were all tucked in, Tad and I turned off most of the lights in our house, save the Christmas tree and several candles, moved the dining room table into the living room and had a date.
Dinner was steak that was donated to us by my good friend Laura, who had been given several shrink-wrapped frozen meats and shared them with us, asparagus, texas toast and baked beans. Delicious.
Over dinner, Tad and I (as we do every year) read aloud two letters that we had written each other. We have been writing letters to each other since 2000, when I was in the Peace Corps. Each year we choose two letters. It is amazing to watch the letters move us from close friends, to the best of friends, to madly in love. This year's letters were the last letter we'd written each other before we fell in love and the first notes we'd written each other after.
Then we talked for hours about our love and what we share and our children and our lives and the past year. At 12:00 we danced to two songs--the same two every year--and we kissed in 2011.
Before bed we had to go upstairs, as we promised Coen (his idea) to move two items of furniture in his room so that when he woke up, he'd know it was a new year.
It was a wonderful night and one of my favorites of the year.
Those of you readers, who are with the person you fell in love with, try this:
One day a year, any day... pick a night to sit together and revisit the way you felt, what happened, the story of when you fell in love. Tell each other what you loved about each other then and what you love about each other now. This checking in that we do, keeps things feeling alive and well year round. I am telling you, this experience carries me through the entire year, and even when I am frustrated, angry or annoyed with Tad, I can go back to the way it felt to kiss him for the first time, and I can feel gratitude and joy that I am with someone who makes my life a better experience and makes me a better person.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
We stay in. No parties, no bars, no babysitters or crowded restaurants. No driving or free busses. Just the four of us, at home.
We all dressed up at about 3:00 and I poured us some sparkling white grape juice. Tad and Coen spiked up their hair with gel. I wore a dress that I got at a vintage shop, and Lucy opted to be baby new year complete with no clothes, a diaper and a top hat. I made an appetizer of baked brie, havarti and muenster cheese (everyone's favorites represented) with crackers of all sorts. We toasted, Tad and I each telling our kids something that they accomplished this year and what we love about them and each other. At 4:00 we counted down the New Year in Estonia and then at 5:00 we counted down the New Year in the Czech Republic. All four of us went to the front door and yelled Happy New Year and blew our horns for all of the neighborhood to hear.
The kids get a special treat for dinner--Kid Cuisines!! These are kids frozen meals ($2.00 apiece at Woodmans) that our kids LOVE. After their dinners, they both had a bubble bath and off to bed.
After Coen and Lucy were all tucked in, Tad and I turned off most of the lights in our house, save the Christmas tree and several candles, moved the dining room table into the living room and had a date.
Dinner was steak that was donated to us by my good friend Laura, who had been given several shrink-wrapped frozen meats and shared them with us, asparagus, texas toast and baked beans. Delicious.
Over dinner, Tad and I (as we do every year) read aloud two letters that we had written each other. We have been writing letters to each other since 2000, when I was in the Peace Corps. Each year we choose two letters. It is amazing to watch the letters move us from close friends, to the best of friends, to madly in love. This year's letters were the last letter we'd written each other before we fell in love and the first notes we'd written each other after.
Then we talked for hours about our love and what we share and our children and our lives and the past year. At 12:00 we danced to two songs--the same two every year--and we kissed in 2011.
Before bed we had to go upstairs, as we promised Coen (his idea) to move two items of furniture in his room so that when he woke up, he'd know it was a new year.
It was a wonderful night and one of my favorites of the year.
Those of you readers, who are with the person you fell in love with, try this:
One day a year, any day... pick a night to sit together and revisit the way you felt, what happened, the story of when you fell in love. Tell each other what you loved about each other then and what you love about each other now. This checking in that we do, keeps things feeling alive and well year round. I am telling you, this experience carries me through the entire year, and even when I am frustrated, angry or annoyed with Tad, I can go back to the way it felt to kiss him for the first time, and I can feel gratitude and joy that I am with someone who makes my life a better experience and makes me a better person.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
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