Day 194 of 365

I've always had a job where I've had to be to work before 8:00 AM. More like 7:30. Every single day, five days a week. But this year working part time things are different and I can't get it to work for me yet.

Today I go to work in the afternoon since it will be a very late night at work. Going in late should be a good thing. I get to take my time getting up in the morning, getting the body moving, getting the hands working.

Except every time I looked at the clock I would think of how many hours I had left at home. It started first thing this morning. How many hours do I have left to get myself out the door?

Last night I was looking forward to this morning. Plenty of time to work on those kids quilts, exercise, go outside, write the blog, have breakfast, lunch, and plenty of time to pack my dinner.

It didn't work out that way. I don't know where the time went, but no quilting happened. I did finally exercise - I busted open that Richard Simmons DVD and danced to the oldies. But there went another hour of my time. I did squeeze in some time to look around the gardens and much to my dismay, my perennials are just about done for the year.

The Black-Eyed Susans are about the last colorful thing out there. They're obviously happier about the way the day turned out than I am.

Day 193 of 365

When questioned about where they were 10 years ago on this date, everyone has an answer. But the I will campaign asks a different question.

I will.

The I will campaign asks, "What will you do this year, a good deed, charitable activity, or other plans, to honor the 9/11 victims, survivors and those that rose in service in response to the attacks?"

My answer - I will make quilts.

I've teamed up with another organization to provide quilts to kids. But these quilts are even more special than those I've made before. Operation Kid Comfort creates custom-made quilts and pillows for children of deployed U.S. military personnel who experience grief from missing their mom or dad. Photos of the deployed parent are printed onto fabric and sewn into the quilt or pillow.

Operation Kid Comfort sent me the pictures of a dad and his three kids. I used my own fabrics and have made three quilt tops, one for each child. Now this week I'll work on getting them quilted. Each one of these children - a 4 year old girl, a 19 month old boy, and a 2 month old girl - in Fort Stewart, Georgia, with a dad faraway, will receive a quilt with his pictures sewn into it. 

My most special quilts of all.

It's not too late to participate in I will. What will you/did you do this year, a good deed, charitable activity, or other plans, to honor the 9/11 victims, survivors and those that rose in service in response to the attacks?

I'd love to hear from you. You can also post your response on the official I will website at http://911day.org/.

Day 192 of 365

I've been dreading writing my blog for today. I've put it off and put it off and now I have to do it. Why would I be dreading writing so much?

Yet again I did not do what I said I would.

The first thing I heard this morning while attempting to sleep past sunrise had to do with a question about zucchini bread. Zucchini bread I was wanting to cut back on.

My husband was excited he had picked some big zucchini while I was sleeping and wanted to know if I'd make bread today. As clear headed as I was yesterday about giving up the zucchini bread, I was not as clear headed early in the morning. We made zucchini bread. Several hours of baking. Nine loaves. We already have downed almost a loaf. What was I thinking?

And eating too much zucchini bread certainly didn't bode well for the rest of the day. For what did hubby want for dinner with his barbecued hamburger? Homemade onion rings. I've only made them a couple times before, but I made them tonight. Thank goodness they aren't one of my favorite things or I would have probably eaten way too many of those, too.

Lots of zucchini bread, had to finish up the salsa (with chips) and a couple greasy onion rings didn't lend itself to exercising. So I didn't.

Crappy food, no exercise. Why do I not care enough about myself to make the changes I need?

I'm not the only one eating too much these days. Mr. Spider from Day 187 looks like he is about to explode. Bet that moth wasn't the only thing that he's been munching on!

Day 191 of 365

I have my Richard Simmons DVDs close by. I have workout clothes there, too. Except I haven't taken the DVDs out of the plastic wrap yet. (A lot of good they're doing like that.) I do walk every Tuesday morning before work, but have I stuck to the rest of my exercise plan? Nope.

How about those eating habits? I look at all the changes we've made over the years. All the things I/we used to eat too much of:

• Ice Cream. A container never lasted more than a couple days. Now one could last a month or more.
• Potato Chips. Ditto.
• Dessert for dinner every night. Then leftover dessert for breakfast.
• Containers of chocolate candy at work.
• Halloween candy purchased in September, eaten, re-purchased in October, eaten, then re-purchased at Halloween. Then leftovers eaten within a couple days of Halloween. Then after Halloween, more candy bought on clearance eaten. (We now skip Halloween altogether.)
• Cheese. We love Tillamook brand cheese. The best in the world. We could go through a block a week. Now a block lasts us a month.

Despite all our good changes, in the last couple weeks we've picked up bad habits that we need to back away from. We make zucchini bread, we eat the zucchini bread. Although it's packed fulled of fresh zucchini (about two cups per loaf), it's also packed with sugar. The chips and salsa are just as bad. We make fresh, healthy, good-for-you salsa every single week. Of course, fresh salsa requires some delicious, not so good-for-you tortilla chips (and we've been eating plenty of those).

Gotta stop that, gotta get moving on the exercise.

So today is my last day of being lazy with food and exercise.

Today is also my last sunrise picture for a while. I have no intention of getting up early enough to see the sunrise for quite a while. It's been a long week, a dog-tired week, and the weekend is upon us. Yay! And next week my schedule is such I don't have to be there first thing in the morning.

I'll take it, even if I miss an opportunity for a colorful picture.

Day 190 of 365

"I don't think so" became my mantra today. Most of the times I was thinking it, but once in a while it just slipped out of my mouth.

Where else would an I don't think so day start but at the Pain Clinic. Again as I sat there in the waiting room I listened to interesting conversations. The things some people say out loud is quite amazing. I'm sure the large doses of pain medicine in their systems certainly have something to do with it.

Surprisingly, I was looking forward to this visit to the pain clinic. This would be the time I would finally find out what's up with my back. Finally maybe have a plan to get some relief, a plan to move forward. Yes and no. My new MRI results told the story.  Bulging discs in every single vertebrae scanned. Arthritis in every single vertebrae scanned. And a very severe case of arthritis in two vertebrae.

Options? No long term permanent solutions. No surgeries, but also no long term pain relief. Ever. The only hope is management of pain symptoms. Injections for the rest of my life. I don't think so. Pain medication for the rest of my life. I don't think so. Anti-inflammatory medications - used sparingly and not for more than a few months at a time - might temporarily provide some relief. Okay. Except when he handed me the prescription, he cautioned that the use of this drug will cause an increase in the side effects of my methotrexate (the chemotherapy drug I take for the arthritis). I don't think so, but will visit with the rheumatologist first.

I left that mess behind to stop by and pick up my new glasses. I'd been having terrible headaches at school being on the computer all day so a new prescription will fit the bill. I picked up my $320 glasses (that's with insurance), but they were missing the sunglasses piece. Every time I've gotten new glasses for the last 15 years or so, I get the kind that have a magnetic clip-on sunglasses piece. It just so happens the lady helping me pick out glasses a couple weeks back forgot to mention these new ones didn't come with the sunglasses piece. If I want to switch to a pair that does have the magnetic clip-on, I could pay $120 more. I don't think so. But, if I want to get a prescription pair of sunglasses, they'll give me a 50% discount. I don't think so. Or I could pay extra and get transitions, but they won't be as dark as I'm used to. I don't think so. Or I could pay extra and buy a clip-on piece that sort of fits. I don't think so.

I've seen older ladies wear sunglasses that fit over their regular glasses so I went on a search for those. First store, no luck. I found them at the second store. Twenty bucks worth, but if they work I'm willing to pay. I tried two different styles of those big wraparound glasses on. I don't think so became I really don't think so.

Scrap that idea. So I decided to stop and get something to drink for the ride home. In the drive through of Carl's Jr. I was sitting in line, minding my own business, patiently waiting for my turn at the speaker. The gal in the big SUV in front of me wasn't nearly as patient. She started backing up, which made me start backing up. But I guess I didn't back up fast enough because she backed into me. And then she took off. No stopping, no checking, just sped off out of the line. I don't think so! I got her plate number and checked my front bumper. No damage other than a bent license plate.

At that point, getting home was all I wanted to do. I think I just might need a nap.

The best part of the day? Sunrise, of course.