Best, or worst, example so far

I was getting gas and was grabbing something from the glove box when I found it.

I have literally, no exaggeration AT ALL, not thought of it since I originally put it in the glove box.

I put it in the glove box about a year ago.

When my friend A wrote a check for the Garbage ticket I bought for her.

I still have the check.

I'm not mad about the money. I just hate that feeling that information I had disappeared from my brain, never to return without a prompt, something to remind me. It's a miracle I'm making it through life, isn't it.

Fucking MS sucks fucking balls.

Guard me

I went to the dentist today and he is urging me to get a night guard. I inconsistently wear my retainer at night already, so this would only be the bottom and I'd wear the retainer for the top. He insists it will help my TMJ issues. Since Dr. QM makes "chiropractic" adjustments for TMJ on my face every time I see him, I'm considering it.

The dentist's wife/office manager says my insurance doesn't cover it. However, my prescription that cost so damn much last year has decreased significantly this year. So maybe I have room in my medical budget to pay for it. Add it to my to-do list, I guess.

Duck, duck...

Someone I used to work with messaged me on Facebook that she heard that I might be able to have duck eggs, that people allergic to chicken eggs tolerate duck eggs. Now, how do I find out if THAT is true? This eating thing is way to damn hard.

Drug me up, lassitude.

For the third day in a row, I didn't take my Provigil. On Saturday, I slept in till 11. Yes, I slept in until 11:00 a.m. My husband said I "needed it." Since I got up so late, I didn't take medication that will keep me awake at night.

Sunday, we were having people over and I had things to do. He let me sleep in but I was up around 9 or 10, sitting up in bed suddenly thinking of all the things. Oh, the things that must be done. So many things. By the time I took my Synthroid and waited an hour, I couldn't imagine taking medication that would keep me awake at night. But as Julia Robert's character says in Pretty Woman, "Big mistake. Big. Huge." If we hadn't had people in our house during the Superbowl, I'm pretty sure I would have hit "record" on the DVR and gone to sleep. By 5 p.m! I just slept a ridonculous number of hours in two days and I'm ready to zonk out.

But today is Monday and I'm back to the real world, a world of commuting and working and communicating with people like I'm not a zombie. So I took my Synthroid, did my normal morning things, and then forgot to take my Provigil before leaving the house. Gah! Halfway to work, I realize this and also that I don't have any "spares" with me. Welcome to the zombie apocolypse. Fortunately, I have coping mechanisms and only one meeting in a dark room to get through.

But I could't wait for the late afternoon, when I could leave to get my blood drawn for the drug trial. [I have missed my second monthly survey because I don't have a user ID but my laptop is in pieces at my FIL's house, so maybe I'll have it by next month. Maybe.] Because that's when I'll catch my second wind. And I might even have enough energy to run an errand or two. (Meet "glass half full.") Or I'll go home and take a nap. Before I get up for dinner and then go back to bed. WTF. I know it's fatigue from MS and/or thryoid hormones (or lack thereof.) But I can't even explain "fatigue" sufficiently. It goes by another name: lassitude.

LASSITUDE—unique to people with MS.

Generally occurs on a daily basis *uh huh...
May occur early in the morning, even after a restful night’s sleep *check!
Tends to worsen as the day progresses *UH HUH...
Tends to be aggravated by heat and humidity *or forced hot air heat...
Comes on easily and suddenly *right...right...
Is generally more severe than normal fatigue *you ain't kiddin'!
Is more likely to interfere with daily responsibilities *heck. yes

I need a Lassie to help with my lassitude. Or maybe my Teka-roo dog is my Lassie. I think she loves my fatigue or lassitude because I will "nap*" for hours with her on the couch.

*I understand that a nap is generally accepted to be a short amount of time spent sleeping. If I spend 2-4 hours sleeping, that is a nap for me as I spend 6-12 hours sleeping during a non-nap. Don't judge me.

Garden Update--Post-freeze edition

The man bought it for me at Costco.

the new rose--already making new growth!

from the other side--see the nice angle cuts



I need to cut it back more!

It's not dead, just a little freeze damaged.

Yeah, there's a ficus in the background that's all brown except for a little green at the bottom. Most of our trees were damaged by the extended freeze we had. But the arborist says they will probably come back, they are still alive.


pomegranate, fig, apple (happy about the cold!)

Pecan "tree" (can you say we were screwed over?)

the farm is ready for crops (walnut tree in foreground)

Shamel ash (loses leaves annually) with citrus trees in background

Mint--pineapple and orange (after weeding)

Second garden--parsely and collards in foreground

Those freaking green catepillars took out quite a few of my crops in this box. Yes, I neglected it through my surgery and illness and other life stressing but I hate those things. And earwigs. Ew. All of my kale had to come out to be composted as it was too damaged and stunted by the caterpillar attacks.

Chard and cilantro and a tiny sad lettuce

I had a giant weed in this box, where the empty hole is behind Bugs' ears. It seems to be the reason I have almost no lettuce growing. But the cilantro doesn't care about no stinking weeds!

Time to replant (celery transplants in middle)

I pulled that dill or fennel plant out and put it in a pot. I actually don't know what it is. Oops.

Strawberry fields "forever"

The tomatoes froze and have been pulled out. No one knows what happened to my artichoke. WTH.

Three herbs in a pot get planted. The end. No change for months.

Make that four. Sad tiny sage.

Barbecue Sauce

This is the second attempt at this sauce. I think this recipe is very good but I'd like to try it without using (2 cups) ketchup in particular next time. I don't think it has that much heat either. It seems less hot this batch; I used cayenne pepper sauce (Frank's Hot) rather than cayenne pepper (that I used by mistake the first attempt) so I may have to adjust that.

Valentine's day bowls and towels not included

Unsolicited advice, eh

I feel like I maybe look like a realtor in this suit. I wore it for a networking event. I originally wore it with a green scarf but later thought it was too close in color but not enough, so I changed.

with the green scarf

Are the tights and boots too much?

with the black and gray scarf

Yes, Teka likes to watch me take photos of my outfits.

At the networking event, I chatted with different groups of people. I had a glass of wine but avoided the food so I didn't have to ask about anything in the buffet.

Near the end, I chatted with a couple of ladies. As they were leaving, I checked in with one of my coworkers. And then one of the ladies was back, asking if she could talk to me. She proceeded to tell me that she had noticed my eye but only because she also has thyroid issues. I confirmed her suspicion and added that I recently had my thyroid out. She hoped (as I'd like to hope) that I wouldn't have to have surgery on my eye. And she said that acupuncture had really helped her, that I should look into it, they will put the needles right below the eye and it will help. I've had acupuncture at the college but I don't really know how to find someone to do the treatments I need.