Garden Update - First rose edition

My newest replacement rose is already blooming.

Rio Sambo

Not a trainwreck

After a long wait, I saw Dr QM. Well, I saw one of the students I saw in December first, then a "new" student. He is g/f and has been for a number of years so I was amused that I already do all of his recommendations and then he took notes of places I go to eat. His recommendations were mostly because of the severe "Charlie horse ish" cramping I was having in my lower extremities, things like more magnesium and potassium and Vitamin C through food sources. Bananas (can't), avocados (currently eat 3-5 a week), brightly colored fruits and vegetables (duh), but nothing new.

The student couldn't stay so it was just Dr. Q, with no teaching to students component.

As we were talking and he was making adjustments, he described back to me my cycle of stress and digestive distress and pain. He diagnosed me with an emotional gut. Yeah, I can see that.

He recommended that I pick up organic prunes from Trader Joe's and eat 2 in the morning and 2 at night. He was adamant: "respect the prune" because more will create issues. Once (if) everything is working well, I can reduce the amount.

He reminded me to make fun of my eye issue by making verbal references like "Look me in the eye!" It's funny when we talk about it but no one seems to get it when I do it. I'm not that funny so it seems like a waste of my mental energy. He told me I'm NOT a train wreck. What a Pollyanna.

I went to Nourish for lunch and had "popsicles." They were fantastic!

Mmm, chocolate.

I was seeing the eye specialist about my Grave's disease. He felt that I had not had any significant change and wants to see me back in 6 months. He didn't seemed concerned that it would get worse or think I would need to do anything about it. The whole thing was kind of like I'm super worried about something he thinks is barely happening. I look like a fucking freak--how is that not a significant issue?! But maybe he's just trying to downplay it since nothing can be done anyway until it "runs it's course" which takes 2-3 years typically. I'm so frustrated by even having this, having to deal with it, the not knowing, the possibility that the only correction is an "elective or cosmetic" surgery...

P B and C

It's beautiful Phoenix weather and I worked at home today. I had the windows open all day long.
Both of my dogs were sick out of both ends yesterday and early today.

These things may be related.

Coincidentally, we just ran out of dog food, a brand we changed to for Cassi last year and Teka more recently. I had asked my husband about feeding the "adult" version instead of the "senior" version since they seem so skinny. After the mass purging of their body contents, I urged him to go back to the previous food.
Now that we've talked about yuckiness...

I had some leftover "panang" curry so I added some mushrooms (he does NOT eat those) and made some quick rice.

Lunch!

And after my mouth was on fire, I broke open the cocoa peanut butter cupcakes from the Gluten free bakery. O. M. G. I thought they were expensive (I can't believe what people regularly spend at places like Sprinkles O_O ) but they are SO. Worth. It.

Heaven on a plate

Standing Out

I had a quick visit at Hope Research and saw the neurologist this visit too. Dr. M did his usual tests. There were some re-dos for things he doesn't like to see--where my function isn't great, mostly in my left leg and foot. I've been having intermittent numbness in the area. But it's not an exacerbation since it comes and goes!

I read this article and found myself so relating to it, I thought you would be interested. First, the differences. She went to an all-girls school in the south; I went to an almost all-black school in Houston. But...I also had glasses, bad teeth, unfortunate hair, and as she says "committed the sin of getting good grades.... If I wasn't the last girl in the class chosen for sides on a sports team, I was pretty close to it."

I hear all this stuff about bullying and I think there is a bit of a line that parents and teachers need to be careful about. While I agree that bullying shouldn't be tolerated, kids will be cruel about any perceived differences, and that is NOT necessarily bullying. This teasing causes humiliation; I understand parents don't want their kid to be in that position. But that humiliation, those feelings, making it through that experience, that is one of the ways kids learn to be stronger, more independent people. For me, those experiences, being made fun of for my differences, as the author says enabled me to “find my voice.” That is part of growing up, dealing with setbacks, emotions, failure. I hope all the kids I know get to have experiences that help them find their voice and learn to stand out from the crowd.

Casual Monday

Beerfest Tempe

Yesterday, we went to Beer Fest in Tempe with Mick's friend R. I can't drink beer so obviously I was the DD. R and I got temporary tattoes. R and Mick got drunk.

I'm tattooed! (temporary!)

I ate meat on a stick. Not bad.

We left to meet M and H at Canteen for dinner. There was a wait so we sat at the bar. For a long time, like a couple of hours. While R made friends and bought drinks for people and they bought drinks for us. And then instead of seating us, they kicked us out for R being too drunk. It was really ridiculous. Basically, they will let you stay and drink as long as you're spending money but they won't let you eat? WTF. M got into it with security about it. They were saying that only R had to leave; they would seat the rest of us. How does that make any damn sense? Since I was the sober one, I backed him up in his argument with management and security, and once we made our point, we left.

I wasn't drunk. There was really a helicopter on the road.
(on a trailer.)

So we went to Five Guys for dinner. And we ran into my friend J and her fiance M. Her M and our M hit it off--fast friends. They invited us to join them at Fat Tuesday where their friends were waiting, including my friend I met through J (when the friend was diagnosed with MS in her early 20s). The friend is moving to the east coast with her fiance and getting married so we had fun dancing and saying our almost-goodbyes. R kept pulling on my scarf that I wore with a t-shirt to Beerfest. I need to remember I don't have to wear it once the sun goes down! Since M and M hit it off, I'm expecting we may see more of this  fun crowd but they are a bit younger so we'll see...

Friday comfy

This is Friday-comfy but I'm not sure if it's a bit Michael Jackson-ish with the white trouser socks. I don't like it without socks though.

Navy and green

I know it's blurry.