I discovered a new fear yesterday.
It's kind of a funny story, really. Fichtel remarked to me that after that day, the new female evening anchor wouldn't be available for photos with the rest of the team, so if I wanted to get some shots I should run down there right after the 6 o'clock show. He added that the sports director had to leave right away, so I'd have to be quick. I thanked Fichtel for letting me know and put my camera on my desk so I'd remember.
Right before the show started, I got a call from the 6 o'clock producer. "[Male evening anchor] wants you and [my boss] in the studio during the first break," he said.
"...what for?"
"He just wants you down there."
Now, it did occur to me that it could be for pictures. But the entire team wouldn't be down there at that time; it would just be the two anchors. And what would we need my boss for? I started to freak out. Surely the anchors weren't going to talk about the website or something and try to put me on the show!
Frantically, I checked the script. I didn't see anything in the second block about the website. But it just seemed too weird. I went to my boss' office to see if she knew anything.
"Do you know why [male anchor] wants us during the first break?"
"What?"
It turned out that she knew nothing about it. I told her what the 6 o'clock producer had said to me. She turned to give the male anchor a questioning look--one wall of her office is a window into the studio.
Apparently we were rolling video at the time because he started gesturing to explain what he meant. He pointed to either side of himself.
Horrorstruck, I thought he meant for us to sit at the desk next to him, and I blurted out, "I'm not going on air!" I'm pretty sure my voice was shaking.
Finally he mimed taking a picture with a camera. I almost died with relief. And so I went down there during the first break and got a few two-shots of the anchors.
But it doesn't end there!
Right after the show, the 6 o'clock producer stopped by my office. "[Male anchor] wants you in the studio," he said.
"Are you sure?" I asked, feeling my nerves start to thrum again.
"Yes, he just told me."
"Why?"
"I don't know, he just wants you."
I'm pretty sure this lack of information egged on my paranoia. I mean, the show was over, so obviously I couldn't be on it now. But didn't the sports director have to leave? Surely it wasn't about pictures again.
I was headed down the hall without my camera when I saw the 6 o'clock producer stop the sports director on his way out. "[Male anchor] wants you back down there," he said.
The sports director looked at me. "What is this for? I have to go."
I said "I don't know" in a voice that sounded like I was having a panic attack. Then I turned around and ran into my office to grab the camera.
And yes, it was for pictures again. This time it was to get the four-shot with the sports director and the chief meteorologist.
The reason they wanted my boss there was to approve the photos. Apparently there had been a previous photo shoot in which none of the photos had been acceptable, and they'd had to call everyone back in to do them over, so the anchors wanted to avoid that entirely. That had happened with someone else taking the pictures, though; my boss didn't even look at mine :>
I managed to take some pictures from two different angles. All but two of them turned out fairly decent. As I headed back to my office, though, I was still trying to calm down.
So I guess I'm more afraid of being on live TV than I thought. Though I'm sure having no idea what was going on and worrying that I would have "perform" in public had something to do with it.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Christmas decorations
So I spent the day watching DVDs and putting up Christmas decorations. Here's the Christmas village Grandma Flo gave me yesterday--I love all the trees!
Click here to see the rest of the decorations. These photos aren't so great with lighting, but you can get an idea of how things look. I'm especially happy with the dining room table (although it looks a bit like a card table, being surrounded by folding chairs) and the ornaments hanging off the chandelier.
I haven't decided where to put my two little Christmas trees yet. I also have two strings of Christmas lights that I guess Mom left here, because I have no idea where they came from. Not sure what to do with those either, but I'll keep you posted.
Click here to see the rest of the decorations. These photos aren't so great with lighting, but you can get an idea of how things look. I'm especially happy with the dining room table (although it looks a bit like a card table, being surrounded by folding chairs) and the ornaments hanging off the chandelier.
I haven't decided where to put my two little Christmas trees yet. I also have two strings of Christmas lights that I guess Mom left here, because I have no idea where they came from. Not sure what to do with those either, but I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving :)
I hope you all had a lovely day. We did!
Our table
Grandma Flo
Sean (right) and his dad, Reid
Our table
Grandma Flo
Sean (right) and his dad, Reid
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
I don't like any of these chairs
These are the best I could find, but none of them is quite right, either on its own or with my beautiful table. Gah!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Kindle
Have you seen this?
This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I mean wow. I'm not really the type to run out and buy all the latest gadgets...I mean, just look at my cell phone (which my mom has been trying to get me to replace for months). But this thing looks awesome. I'm especially interested in how the display is supposed to look like ink on paper rather than a screen.
I wish I could see one in person!
This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I mean wow. I'm not really the type to run out and buy all the latest gadgets...I mean, just look at my cell phone (which my mom has been trying to get me to replace for months). But this thing looks awesome. I'm especially interested in how the display is supposed to look like ink on paper rather than a screen.
I wish I could see one in person!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
A fabulous find
I went downtown today to see if I could find some interesting chairs in any of the antique stores. I thought maybe there was a remote chance someone had gotten rid of a plain chair that would suit my needs. The idea of having a set of mismatched chairs that all share a few main features is appealing.
I parked in front of Merry's Trash and Treasures, which is the biggest antique store in the universe. Well, maybe not, but they have like three storefronts...and when you go inside, the furniture is literally stacked to the ceiling.
With a selection like that, you'd think I might have come across something...but Merry's stock runs more along the vintage American kind of furniture. I didn't see anything that might have been brought over from China or Japan or inspired by those countries. All the wood had a natural finish, too, except for one old farmhouse set--so no black, which is what I need to match my table.
Also, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything in Merry's that doesn't cost $300 or more. I discovered this years ago, but somehow I had forgotten.
Unsure of my chances of finding anything at an antique store now that I'd seen Merry's selection, I went next door to The Marketplace, which is run like a flea market; different vendors run different sections of the store. This place does not deal in very much furniture, but they have all those neat knickknacks and books and cooking utensils that you expect in a second-hand shop. I stayed because I love looking at vintage curios, and I figured that if I found something I used to own or something that reminded me of my childhood, I wouldn't have a problem picking it up.
I had fun scouring the shelves. I came across some Charlie Brown and the Chipmunks glassware that we used to have when I was a kid, and there was some nice milk glass too. Nothing really stuck out to me, though, until I was heading back along the opposite wall and came across a beautiful set of Noritake china.
The dishes were trimmed in gold, and at the center of each was a cluster of blue flowers. I examined the set. Apparently it had once been a service for 12, but some dishes and saucers had been broken along the way, so that it was now a service for 10. One dish was chipped, and the floral design had worn away on several pieces. Still, it was in fairly decent condition, and the price was reasonable. I decided to think about it, and moved on.
After happily coming across a copy of The Truce at Bakura, my favorite SWEU novel, in the adjacent stall, I moved forward and found a lovely Queen Anne table...laid out with another gorgeous set of Noritake china. This was a service for eight, in perfect condition, and none of the pieces were missing. They were trimmed in silver and the design was pink flowers.
I was already sold on the set, but I moved on anyway, went upstairs, scanned other items. However much I tried, though, I couldn't concentrate, and it wasn't long before I was hurrying back downstairs to snag the set before someone else saw it.
Here it is:
Oh, I love them so! I really hated the thought of serving a special dinner on the plates we use every day. They're good plates, but they are old and worn and you can tell. I'm so excited to have something so beautiful for special occasions, and to have found the set at such a great price.
As you can see, my table is ready for Thanksgiving. All I need now are chairs!
I parked in front of Merry's Trash and Treasures, which is the biggest antique store in the universe. Well, maybe not, but they have like three storefronts...and when you go inside, the furniture is literally stacked to the ceiling.
With a selection like that, you'd think I might have come across something...but Merry's stock runs more along the vintage American kind of furniture. I didn't see anything that might have been brought over from China or Japan or inspired by those countries. All the wood had a natural finish, too, except for one old farmhouse set--so no black, which is what I need to match my table.
Also, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything in Merry's that doesn't cost $300 or more. I discovered this years ago, but somehow I had forgotten.
Unsure of my chances of finding anything at an antique store now that I'd seen Merry's selection, I went next door to The Marketplace, which is run like a flea market; different vendors run different sections of the store. This place does not deal in very much furniture, but they have all those neat knickknacks and books and cooking utensils that you expect in a second-hand shop. I stayed because I love looking at vintage curios, and I figured that if I found something I used to own or something that reminded me of my childhood, I wouldn't have a problem picking it up.
I had fun scouring the shelves. I came across some Charlie Brown and the Chipmunks glassware that we used to have when I was a kid, and there was some nice milk glass too. Nothing really stuck out to me, though, until I was heading back along the opposite wall and came across a beautiful set of Noritake china.
The dishes were trimmed in gold, and at the center of each was a cluster of blue flowers. I examined the set. Apparently it had once been a service for 12, but some dishes and saucers had been broken along the way, so that it was now a service for 10. One dish was chipped, and the floral design had worn away on several pieces. Still, it was in fairly decent condition, and the price was reasonable. I decided to think about it, and moved on.
After happily coming across a copy of The Truce at Bakura, my favorite SWEU novel, in the adjacent stall, I moved forward and found a lovely Queen Anne table...laid out with another gorgeous set of Noritake china. This was a service for eight, in perfect condition, and none of the pieces were missing. They were trimmed in silver and the design was pink flowers.
I was already sold on the set, but I moved on anyway, went upstairs, scanned other items. However much I tried, though, I couldn't concentrate, and it wasn't long before I was hurrying back downstairs to snag the set before someone else saw it.
Here it is:
Oh, I love them so! I really hated the thought of serving a special dinner on the plates we use every day. They're good plates, but they are old and worn and you can tell. I'm so excited to have something so beautiful for special occasions, and to have found the set at such a great price.
As you can see, my table is ready for Thanksgiving. All I need now are chairs!
The search for chairs
As you may know, while Mom was here I purchased a beautiful Nigoshi table from Sears. It's a black table in an "Asian" design, and I love it. Unfortunately, I didn't love the chairs meant to go with the set, so I didn't buy those. Since then, I've been hunting for just the right chairs.
It's harder than I thought to find chairs with a black finish, let alone chairs in a plain or (heaven forbid) Asian style. I thought I had found a decent chair at Target, but last night I decided to check some furniture stores just in case.
First I went to Ashley Furniture HomeStore in the Augusta Exchange. This was the only chair I found that was close to what I want:
The chair was comfortable. I know Sean would approve of the padded seat, but I personally would prefer a hard chair that you can add a cushion to if you so desire. The back of the chair is problematic because it's not quite right, style-wise. My bistro table has stools with skinny, straight lines across the seats, and so if I'm going to have parallel lines, I'd like them to sort of match. However, I'm open to chairs with a rectangular cross-slat pattern, because that simulates the look of shoji screens. These chairs have a big panel in the center of the back which doesn't really do it for me.
Next I went to Haverty's. This was their only selection in black. They actually had the shoji-style I'm interested in, but only in "chocolate", which is not black!
This has the parallel lines, and not too thick, but it has a cross-bar up top, and while this sort of does the shoji thing, it's not consistent across the entire chair. Still, I really liked how these chairs felt to sit in. They are also available in end chairs with arms, which are comfy as well.
I decided to check the mall next. They used to have a Macy's furniture store at one end. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have it anymore! I walked the entire length of the old mall and didn't find any stores with furniture. At that point I was too tired to worry about looking at all the new mall stores that opened recently...I want to really take my time in exploring them, anyway, especially the Williams-Sonoma. So I hopped in my car and headed out.
Since I was already on Wrightsboro Road, I stopped in at Rooms to Go...but they had nothing. Nothing! At this point I was pretty disappointed that I had only found two candidates, and neither of them was exactly what I wanted.
After that I went to Target to look at my original choice again...and I was shocked to discover that not only were they more expensive than the chairs at the furniture stores, but they were of weaker construction! So...never mind, Target.
Right now I'm leaning towards the Haverty's chairs. I like how they feel to sit in, the design is pretty close to what I want, and I like the end chairs with the arms. But I'm still weighing my options.
And that is why I went to the antique store today, though I ended up buying something completely different...
It's harder than I thought to find chairs with a black finish, let alone chairs in a plain or (heaven forbid) Asian style. I thought I had found a decent chair at Target, but last night I decided to check some furniture stores just in case.
First I went to Ashley Furniture HomeStore in the Augusta Exchange. This was the only chair I found that was close to what I want:
The chair was comfortable. I know Sean would approve of the padded seat, but I personally would prefer a hard chair that you can add a cushion to if you so desire. The back of the chair is problematic because it's not quite right, style-wise. My bistro table has stools with skinny, straight lines across the seats, and so if I'm going to have parallel lines, I'd like them to sort of match. However, I'm open to chairs with a rectangular cross-slat pattern, because that simulates the look of shoji screens. These chairs have a big panel in the center of the back which doesn't really do it for me.
Next I went to Haverty's. This was their only selection in black. They actually had the shoji-style I'm interested in, but only in "chocolate", which is not black!
This has the parallel lines, and not too thick, but it has a cross-bar up top, and while this sort of does the shoji thing, it's not consistent across the entire chair. Still, I really liked how these chairs felt to sit in. They are also available in end chairs with arms, which are comfy as well.
I decided to check the mall next. They used to have a Macy's furniture store at one end. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have it anymore! I walked the entire length of the old mall and didn't find any stores with furniture. At that point I was too tired to worry about looking at all the new mall stores that opened recently...I want to really take my time in exploring them, anyway, especially the Williams-Sonoma. So I hopped in my car and headed out.
Since I was already on Wrightsboro Road, I stopped in at Rooms to Go...but they had nothing. Nothing! At this point I was pretty disappointed that I had only found two candidates, and neither of them was exactly what I wanted.
After that I went to Target to look at my original choice again...and I was shocked to discover that not only were they more expensive than the chairs at the furniture stores, but they were of weaker construction! So...never mind, Target.
Right now I'm leaning towards the Haverty's chairs. I like how they feel to sit in, the design is pretty close to what I want, and I like the end chairs with the arms. But I'm still weighing my options.
And that is why I went to the antique store today, though I ended up buying something completely different...
Fleeting fall
Remember those gorgeous red leaves I showed you the other day? Well, compare this
to this!
Impressive, eh? In a matter of five days, the vibrant, beautiful leaves were reduced to crispy, colorless leftovers. The tree-stripping was assisted by a particularly blustery Thursday. As I drove to work, leaves whirled all around my car. I wanted to take a movie of it, actually...but I didn't, alas.
to this!
Impressive, eh? In a matter of five days, the vibrant, beautiful leaves were reduced to crispy, colorless leftovers. The tree-stripping was assisted by a particularly blustery Thursday. As I drove to work, leaves whirled all around my car. I wanted to take a movie of it, actually...but I didn't, alas.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Worries
I had a couple of bad dreams last night. Nothing horrific, just stuff that I wouldn't want to have happen.
In the first one Sean and I were having a home built, and we hadn't heard anything about it for awhile so we went to check it out, and we discovered that 1) they were building the wrong floor plan and 2) a bank now owned it, and if we wanted to get it back we would have to take out another loan. So we could forget about moving into the house, but still have to pay on our original loan for it, or we could move into a house we didn't want and pay double.
In the second dream I went to the doctor for some procedure that had apparently become routine. They gave me a drug by IV and then (inexplicably) started shampooing my hair. But then they got all worried; apparently the drug had made my heart rate go way too high. I basically sat there wondering what was going to happen while doctors and nurses bustled around, coming in and out of the room. There really wasn't an ending to that dream.
Today I have an appointment with my GP, Dr. B, although I'm not sure why. I will try to remember to take my calendar with me this time. I'm not seeing Dr. G again until the Monday after Thanksgiving.
If you've been watching my Twitter you may have noticed that I've been going through a lot of anxiety lately, over my job and my health. My boss has been really supportive during all this, and she talked me down from freakout mode the other day. I think I'm getting a better handle on things. I'm probably just overwhelmed by all the changes that are happening in my life--so much that is out of my control. I just need to create a plan so I can get done what I need to get done. Not just at work, but at home, too. I've not cooked anything this whole time; we've just been getting takeout. Bleh.
In the first one Sean and I were having a home built, and we hadn't heard anything about it for awhile so we went to check it out, and we discovered that 1) they were building the wrong floor plan and 2) a bank now owned it, and if we wanted to get it back we would have to take out another loan. So we could forget about moving into the house, but still have to pay on our original loan for it, or we could move into a house we didn't want and pay double.
In the second dream I went to the doctor for some procedure that had apparently become routine. They gave me a drug by IV and then (inexplicably) started shampooing my hair. But then they got all worried; apparently the drug had made my heart rate go way too high. I basically sat there wondering what was going to happen while doctors and nurses bustled around, coming in and out of the room. There really wasn't an ending to that dream.
Today I have an appointment with my GP, Dr. B, although I'm not sure why. I will try to remember to take my calendar with me this time. I'm not seeing Dr. G again until the Monday after Thanksgiving.
If you've been watching my Twitter you may have noticed that I've been going through a lot of anxiety lately, over my job and my health. My boss has been really supportive during all this, and she talked me down from freakout mode the other day. I think I'm getting a better handle on things. I'm probably just overwhelmed by all the changes that are happening in my life--so much that is out of my control. I just need to create a plan so I can get done what I need to get done. Not just at work, but at home, too. I've not cooked anything this whole time; we've just been getting takeout. Bleh.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Fall color
Today I took the tiniest of strolls, just around two areas of my apartment complex, so I could get pictures of the beautiful changing leaves. Here's a link to the full gallery.
As you can see, I like red leaves :)
As you can see, I like red leaves :)
Ah, Lois & Clark
Lex: I've never noticed your eyes before. How rich, how deep. Like pools of light. A man could drown in those pools.
Lois: ...Huh.
Lois: ...Huh.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Kyou Kara Maou R 1
What does the R mean? No idea. But I watched the first episode today anyway.
Good stuff so far. Conrad and Josak being badass, Yuuri being Yuuri, and some crazy twists thrown in to mess with my mind. Maybe if I could read the light novels--which I do own; they're sitting in a sad pile due to my lack of kanji skills--I would have known what was going to happen at the end of the episode, but I certainly did not. Or maybe this OVA is completely original. In any case: Fascinating! Corporeal? Guess we'll find out!
I love the opening animation, too, especially where Yuuri goes from Maou-mode back into bashfully smiling Yuuri-mode. In fact, I loved that part so much I made this herky-jerky animated gif. (It's a couple hundred K so I figured I'd link to it instead of forcing you all to download it.)
The ED, with trademark chibified cast members, was also quite nice.
There are a couple of new characters, including the main antagonist and his retainer, and apparently a new girl at the castle who wasn't in this episode but is in the OP animation. I'm really intrigued by the antagonist, who seems to have certain abilities--which Yuuri is either immune to after a point or which someone stopped in time. His retainer is your standard badass swordsman there to give Conrad something to do, but hopefully he'll turn into an interesting character like Raven did.
Since this is all Shou Shimaron related, I wonder if we'll be seeing 刈ポニー?
Final thought: Brooke, there's some Josak fanservice for you in this episode!
Good stuff so far. Conrad and Josak being badass, Yuuri being Yuuri, and some crazy twists thrown in to mess with my mind. Maybe if I could read the light novels--which I do own; they're sitting in a sad pile due to my lack of kanji skills--I would have known what was going to happen at the end of the episode, but I certainly did not. Or maybe this OVA is completely original. In any case: Fascinating! Corporeal? Guess we'll find out!
I love the opening animation, too, especially where Yuuri goes from Maou-mode back into bashfully smiling Yuuri-mode. In fact, I loved that part so much I made this herky-jerky animated gif. (It's a couple hundred K so I figured I'd link to it instead of forcing you all to download it.)
The ED, with trademark chibified cast members, was also quite nice.
There are a couple of new characters, including the main antagonist and his retainer, and apparently a new girl at the castle who wasn't in this episode but is in the OP animation. I'm really intrigued by the antagonist, who seems to have certain abilities--which Yuuri is either immune to after a point or which someone stopped in time. His retainer is your standard badass swordsman there to give Conrad something to do, but hopefully he'll turn into an interesting character like Raven did.
Since this is all Shou Shimaron related, I wonder if we'll be seeing 刈ポニー?
Final thought: Brooke, there's some Josak fanservice for you in this episode!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Well, maybe
Me (9:35:31 PM): I had the BEST curry at an Indian restaurant in Fukuoka
Me (9:35:51 PM): I guess I just need to go back there and get some more someday
Me (9:35:59 PM): because MY GOD MAN THAT WAS GOOD CURRY
Charles (9:36:40 PM): So, you liked it? 'Cause I'm getting mixed signals here.
Me (9:36:58 PM): XD
Me (9:35:51 PM): I guess I just need to go back there and get some more someday
Me (9:35:59 PM): because MY GOD MAN THAT WAS GOOD CURRY
Charles (9:36:40 PM): So, you liked it? 'Cause I'm getting mixed signals here.
Me (9:36:58 PM): XD
Monday, November 5, 2007
Life expectancy: pretty much normal
:D
I went to the cardiologist, Dr. G, today, and she upped my lisinopril and downed my furosemide and agreed that I seem to have lost all the fluid I had been retaining. She listened to my breathing and asked if I had been dizzy or lightheaded to the point of passing out lately (which I have not). Then she said that things seemed to be going really well for me.
Finally I asked her what the plan was in the long term. She said that in cases like mine, if the heart is going to recover, it usually happens within nine months, so around June we'll do another echo to see if it has. If it hasn't, at that point we'll talk about whether or not I should have a defibrillator implanted to protect me against irregular heart rhythms, which can cause instant death. (Sorry, that was abrupt! But I guess the instant death would be, too. Heh.)
She said sometimes the heart recovers, and sometimes it doesn't recover but the person feels better anyway, and from a quality of life standpoint those two things are essentially the same. In the second scenario you just have to take extra steps.
Then I asked her if my life expectancy would be affected by all this. She essentially said probably not. If my heart recovers in nine months, then I'll just be normal. If it doesn't, then all that will be different is that I will have a higher chance than most of the population of having those irregular heart rhythms.
So I should live into old age. This was nice to hear!
Dr. G also told me that exercise is very good for people with CHF, and I should do as much as I can. The things I should avoid are straining myself, like with heavy lifting or with overdoing the exercise, and getting pregnant (I think I can handle that ;P).
Basically, I got the impression that I should be careful, but not treat myself like an invalid. This makes me very pleased. It can be fun having people do things for me, but ultimately I like things done my way, and there isn't always someone around to help me out. I'm glad to know that I can still do things myself. Not everything, of course, but more than I was thinking I could.
This past weekend I wanted to go to the Canal. I ended up not going, but I wish I had. Maybe next weekend. The issue will be how to get to the path; my regular parking area is way up on a hill, which I can probably get down but would be a pain to get back up. I haven't walked up a flight of stairs in weeks so I'm not sure how much of a strain it would be. I could go to the other parking area, which is level with the Canal, but that side of town isn't so great and I'm not sure I want to park my car there. Decisions, decisions.
In any case, I am going to live my life the best I can and do as much as I can, and take care of myself while I enjoy myself.
I went to the cardiologist, Dr. G, today, and she upped my lisinopril and downed my furosemide and agreed that I seem to have lost all the fluid I had been retaining. She listened to my breathing and asked if I had been dizzy or lightheaded to the point of passing out lately (which I have not). Then she said that things seemed to be going really well for me.
Finally I asked her what the plan was in the long term. She said that in cases like mine, if the heart is going to recover, it usually happens within nine months, so around June we'll do another echo to see if it has. If it hasn't, at that point we'll talk about whether or not I should have a defibrillator implanted to protect me against irregular heart rhythms, which can cause instant death. (Sorry, that was abrupt! But I guess the instant death would be, too. Heh.)
She said sometimes the heart recovers, and sometimes it doesn't recover but the person feels better anyway, and from a quality of life standpoint those two things are essentially the same. In the second scenario you just have to take extra steps.
Then I asked her if my life expectancy would be affected by all this. She essentially said probably not. If my heart recovers in nine months, then I'll just be normal. If it doesn't, then all that will be different is that I will have a higher chance than most of the population of having those irregular heart rhythms.
So I should live into old age. This was nice to hear!
Dr. G also told me that exercise is very good for people with CHF, and I should do as much as I can. The things I should avoid are straining myself, like with heavy lifting or with overdoing the exercise, and getting pregnant (I think I can handle that ;P).
Basically, I got the impression that I should be careful, but not treat myself like an invalid. This makes me very pleased. It can be fun having people do things for me, but ultimately I like things done my way, and there isn't always someone around to help me out. I'm glad to know that I can still do things myself. Not everything, of course, but more than I was thinking I could.
This past weekend I wanted to go to the Canal. I ended up not going, but I wish I had. Maybe next weekend. The issue will be how to get to the path; my regular parking area is way up on a hill, which I can probably get down but would be a pain to get back up. I haven't walked up a flight of stairs in weeks so I'm not sure how much of a strain it would be. I could go to the other parking area, which is level with the Canal, but that side of town isn't so great and I'm not sure I want to park my car there. Decisions, decisions.
In any case, I am going to live my life the best I can and do as much as I can, and take care of myself while I enjoy myself.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Lost in Augusta
I had pulled up to the light at the Wheeler Road exit from I-20 westbound and was enjoying the high 60s temperature and the breeze through my rolled-down window when the ladies in the SUV next to me called, "Ma'am?"
"Yeah?" I asked, turning down the volume on the Mega Man OC Remix I was listening to.
"Is Bobby Jones B up that way?" they said, pointing ahead.
"No, it was back there," I replied, cocking a thumb behind me.
"Thought so," one of them said ruefully. The light had changed by this time so we both started to pull forward.
"Oh," I yelled belatedly, "you can get to Bobby Jones by going straight this way." And I gestured down Wheeler Road, the way we were going.
We both made an effort to drive alongside each other as they yelled back, "This way?"
"Yeah, just keep going straight and you'll come to it."
Not long after that we got stopped at a light. "Is this taking us out of town?" one of them asked me.
"Well, no, it's sort of going back into town."
"We need to get out of town; we're headed back to Jesup, Georgia," one of the women said.
"Well, if you need Bobby Jones, it's right up there," I said, pointing again.
The light changed and we moved forward once again. I pulled away from them and was shortly making the turn towards my apartments.
"Good luck, ladies," I said as their SUV disappeared from view.
"Yeah?" I asked, turning down the volume on the Mega Man OC Remix I was listening to.
"Is Bobby Jones B up that way?" they said, pointing ahead.
"No, it was back there," I replied, cocking a thumb behind me.
"Thought so," one of them said ruefully. The light had changed by this time so we both started to pull forward.
"Oh," I yelled belatedly, "you can get to Bobby Jones by going straight this way." And I gestured down Wheeler Road, the way we were going.
We both made an effort to drive alongside each other as they yelled back, "This way?"
"Yeah, just keep going straight and you'll come to it."
Not long after that we got stopped at a light. "Is this taking us out of town?" one of them asked me.
"Well, no, it's sort of going back into town."
"We need to get out of town; we're headed back to Jesup, Georgia," one of the women said.
"Well, if you need Bobby Jones, it's right up there," I said, pointing again.
The light changed and we moved forward once again. I pulled away from them and was shortly making the turn towards my apartments.
"Good luck, ladies," I said as their SUV disappeared from view.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Not freaking out (yet)
I'm searching ""congestive heart failure" "life expectancy"" on Google. So far I'm finding a bunch of articles that say life expectancy depends on the severity of the failure and that life expectancy is shortened. I've only found one article that actually gives numbers, and it was last updated in 2003, so I'm not sure how much it can be trusted.
I think the word a sympathetic news anchor reporting on these numbers would use is "sobering".
But I have to remind myself that four years have passed since this article was written. Maybe something is different now.
I will try not to freak out too much until I see my cardiologist next week and ask her about it.
However, if it turns out that not much has changed and I am not going to live much past a decade from now--if even that--then some things are going to have to change in my life. I won't be able to put off all the stuff I want to do until later. And I won't have to plan for retirement, either, which means I won't have to feel guilty about spending the money. The first priority will be moving back to Kentucky, and after that, getting to England to see Brooke, and getting back to Japan.
And of course, I will do my best to live as long as possible, which means listening to my doctors and taking care of myself. I can't eat like I've eaten my entire life anymore. I have to eat lean meats, vegetables, no fried food. No more desserts. A lot fewer starches/carbohydrates. Heart-healthy stuff. And I need to go ahead and get a treadmill because aerobic exercise is recommended, on days when I feel up to it.
I had a Slim-Fast for breakfast, a Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap with a fruit cup and Diet Dr Pepper for lunch, and a swordfish steak, baked potato, and steamed veggies for dinner, but while those were healthier options than my usual, I will need to move away from eating out as much as possible--it adds too much sodium.
There may be nothing to worry about; iVillage has a list of questions for CHF patients to ask their doctors, and one of them is "Is my heart failure likely to seriously affect my life expectancy?" which suggests that some heart failure might not (although maybe this question is there because it usually does, but I'm an optimist). But regardless of what I hear at the doctor's, I am going to work to make these changes in my life so I can be healthier.
I think the word a sympathetic news anchor reporting on these numbers would use is "sobering".
Although many people with heart failure live for many years, up to 70% of people die of the disorder within 10 years. Life expectancy depends on how severe the heart failure is, whether its cause can be corrected, and which treatment is used. About half of people who have mild heart failure live at least 10 years, and about half of those who have severe heart failure live at least 2 years.So, assuming this article is accurate, and assuming my heart failure is mild (which I think is a safe assumption given that I'm able to work), I still only have a 50/50 chance of living for just ten more years.
But I have to remind myself that four years have passed since this article was written. Maybe something is different now.
I will try not to freak out too much until I see my cardiologist next week and ask her about it.
However, if it turns out that not much has changed and I am not going to live much past a decade from now--if even that--then some things are going to have to change in my life. I won't be able to put off all the stuff I want to do until later. And I won't have to plan for retirement, either, which means I won't have to feel guilty about spending the money. The first priority will be moving back to Kentucky, and after that, getting to England to see Brooke, and getting back to Japan.
And of course, I will do my best to live as long as possible, which means listening to my doctors and taking care of myself. I can't eat like I've eaten my entire life anymore. I have to eat lean meats, vegetables, no fried food. No more desserts. A lot fewer starches/carbohydrates. Heart-healthy stuff. And I need to go ahead and get a treadmill because aerobic exercise is recommended, on days when I feel up to it.
I had a Slim-Fast for breakfast, a Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap with a fruit cup and Diet Dr Pepper for lunch, and a swordfish steak, baked potato, and steamed veggies for dinner, but while those were healthier options than my usual, I will need to move away from eating out as much as possible--it adds too much sodium.
There may be nothing to worry about; iVillage has a list of questions for CHF patients to ask their doctors, and one of them is "Is my heart failure likely to seriously affect my life expectancy?" which suggests that some heart failure might not (although maybe this question is there because it usually does, but I'm an optimist). But regardless of what I hear at the doctor's, I am going to work to make these changes in my life so I can be healthier.
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