I came across this music video and the joy on the cellist’s face, as well as the music, really spoke to me. It also reminded me of someone. Mr. Guitar Strings, this one’s for you. 
May you have joy in your music. I hope everyone enjoys it.
BTW, The vocal version is pretty great too. There’s a link you can click to it from the video above.
I was about to click “Publish” when I heard this one and had to add it too.
winner-winner, chicken dinner 
Normally, I’m just getting home from the gym about now, but since I’m stuck on the sofa, recuperating from a “minor surgical procedure”, I’m reading friends’ blogs and seeing what else is cool in the cyber-world.
Anyway, a friend of mine posted this video on her blog. I was going to pontificate here but I think I’ll just let the video speak. In reality the way we treat others, no matter who they are, should just start and end with LOVE. Wish I’d seen and posted this on Valentine’s Day.
winner-winner, chicken dinner
Yeah, so pretty much I’m glad I don’t have to worry anymore about being given a toxic pain-relieving drug cocktail which would actually have the effect of amplifying my pain and making me lock-me-up-in-a-padded-room crazy.
The treatment seems to have been very successful and there is not so much pain that I can’t sleep or do whatever else I may find necessary. On an energy scale, I’m about a 2 out of 10 right now. I’m having trouble focusing when I talk – my mind wanders. For some reason writing is a little better, maybe because I don’t forget what I just said.
Normal recovery time energy-wise for this is about 3 days. I’m praying to be normal, because I think that sounds great. Full recovery time is a couple of weeks.
The biggest thing I’ve learned in all this is that you can’t assume that doctors and nurses actually know what is in the drugs they hand out. Research EVERYTHING before you take it. Your life might depend on it.
Keeping it short, but on the road to recovery.
winner-winner, chicken dinner
I have a medical procedure coming up tomorrow. It’s a pretty straightforward thing, done in the doctor’s office. It will take about 20 minutes start to finish. I’m excited to have this done because the problem being addressed has caused me problems for quite a long time (years) and those problems have recently gotten much worse. So I’m looking forward to it.
Right. I’m looking forward to it. As much as you can look forward to something that requires you to hyperdose on ibuprofen and take a Valium ahead of time. Sure, this is how some people prep for the dentist, but I’m not one of them. Anyway, it might be more accurate to say I’m looking forward to being done with this and being recovered from this problem.
I am a little nervous though. Here’s why -
Scene: Initial consultation at doctor’s office.
Medical History – after telling us your life story and the stories of both parents and all blood-related grandparents (thanks for being adopted, Mom), please tell us are you allergic to any medications?
YES. I AM ALLERGIC TO CODEINE.
Nurse: The doctor will see you now.
After waiting 20 minutes for doctor to come into the room.
Doctor: Well you seem to have a hyperattenuated torvalizing malfluence. But we can do an intervenous thrombostalysis and there’s a 90% chance it will fix your problem for good. Are you allergic to any medications?
Me: Yes. I am allergic to codeine.
Doctor: Okay. Well let’s talk to the nurse and have her schedule your procedure.
Nurse at desk: It looks as though the doctor will be out of the office for the next six weeks, but we can fit you in on February 16. Are you allergic to any medications?
Me: Yes. I am allergic to codeine.
Nurse: Okay. We will call you the during the week before the in-office procedure and tell you what time you’ll need to come in and get you the prescriptions you’ll need.
Two days before the scheduled procedure. Phone Rings.
Me: Hello?
Nurse: Hi, this is the doctor’s nurse. We are still working out the schedule for the doctor so we’ll have to get back to you about the time, but I needed to review the preparation you’ll need to follow the night before and the morning of the procedure.
Me: Okay.
Nurse: The night before you’ll have to take this special pill to help prepare your body to better accommodate the instruments the doctor will be using. This medication may cause some pain, so you’ll also need to take a high-dose ibuprofen.
Me: Sounds like so much fun.
Nurse: Yes. Well. In the morning you’ll need to take a Valium before you come in, so be sure you have someone drive you here and home again afterward.
Me: Okay.
Nurse: And then when you go home, you’ll want to take more ibuprofen and also a Lortab.
Me: I’m allergic to codeine.
Nurse: Okay. Then not the Lortab.
Me: Right. Just ibuprofen. (thinking “this sounds SO fun”)
Nurse: There’s an informational brochure that I need to give you. Can I fax it?
Me: No. I don’t have a fax machine, but I have email.
Nurse: We don’t have email here. I could just read it to you.
Me: How about I come by the office and pick it up?
Nurse: That would work out well.
Me: Okay, see you in a little while.
Later at the doctor’s office.
Nurse: Here is the brochure and the little pill you’ll need for the night before. We’ll phone in the prescription for the Valium and the Lortab for you.
Me: I’m allergic to codeine.
Nurse: Okay. Which pharmacy do you want us to call it into?
Me: The Rite-Aide at the north end of town, please.
Nurse: Okay, see you on Thursday.
Wednesday evening Mr. Hot Stuff runs to the pharmacy to pick up my Valium.
Phone rings.
Me: Hello?
Mr. Hot Stuff: Uh, they have three prescriptions here.
Me: What? What are they for?
Mr. Hot Stuff: Valium, Big Guns Ibuprofen, and Lortab.
Me: WHAT?!
Mr. Hot Stuff repeats.
Me: I don’t need a prescription for stinkin’ ibuprofen – I can just take 4 of what we have here. And LORTAB!!!? I’M ALLERGIC TO CODEINE, ARE THEY TRYING TO KILL ME?
Mr. Hot Stuff: I’m just telling you what they have here for you.
Me: Well you tell them I only want the Valium. One pill.
Hang up. Call the doctor’s office even though it’s after hours. Leave a message for the nurse.
Me: This is “winner-winner, chicken dinner”, and I am scheduled for a procedure tomorrow morning. I’ll be there, but I am very concerned that after repeatedly telling you and putting it on my medical forms that I’M ALLERGIC TO CODEINE, you still called in a prescription for Lortab to my pharmacy. I am worried that I will show up tomorrow to have the procedure done and not be aware enough to stop anyone from giving me codeine. I’ll be there for the procedure, BUT I’M ALLERGIC TO CODEINE! PLEASE DON’T KILL ME! See you tomorrow.
Dear Mr. Hot Stuff. I love you. Don’t let them give me codeine.
Just now I’m not so “winner-winner, chicken dinner” :/
We had great fun at the Hot Stuff family Christmas Party yesterday. Everybody brought food to share.
Uncle Salsa's salad.
Mr. Hot Stuff made knishes, which were really good and I enjoyed the salad with the awesome olives made by Uncle Salsa. There was also pizza, gyoza (wontons), quiche, jambalaya, and shish-kabaobs for lunch. With creme brulee and several kinds of cookies and cakes for dessert. Also, Mr. Hot Stuff made toffee.
Does this suit make me look fat?
Mr. Hot Stuff kindly dressed up as Santa and played along with the “Santa Baby” song.
I don’t have pictures of that, so if anyone out there has any, let me know.
Arctic Boy's White Elephant
This is a white elephant gift?
We played the White Elephant Game and had fun vying for “the good stuff”. Mr. Hot Stuff ended up with a pair of ladies’ “Magic Gloves”, while I got a Christmas ornament – batteries-not-included.
Arctic Boy got snow man mugs – how fitting. Unlike the gloves, which did not. Fit – that is.
This year, we gave to Uncle Salsa. We got him a Cuisinart food processor.
The man has been making giant bowls of salsa for family gatherings for at least a decade. By. Hand. I think he’s earned it.
In exchange, Uncle Salsa gave us two puzzles, one of them a photo-mosaic (yikes!) flamingo puzzle, and a huge fruit basket, and last, but not least, “Poo, The Card Game”.
No more hand chopping!
Is he getting even?
I think he’s getting even for the Christmas wish-list we gave him. Maybe we should have left “Anti-Monkey-Butt Powder” off the list.
Grandma and Grandpa Hot Stuff gave the best family history related gifts this year:
Pillowcases embroidered by great grandmothers.
A great-great grandmother’s favorite cookbook from 1916 as a gift for Mei-Guo, the culinary arts student.
It was a lot of fun being with everyone. And yes, 26 years ago, “Santa Baby” got me a ring for Christmas (and I don’t mean on the phone). 
winner-winner, chicken dinner
The Flag Still Stands for Freedom - Always Remember
Today was my first day of the Project Appleseed Shoot. I showed up completely green, knowing essentially nothing about guns, and those awesome, patient men helped me to learn. I never dreamed there were so many details to remember – use the sling, make sure you find your Natural Point Of Aim (NPOA), pull up your “trigger leg” , keep the front sight on the target (while looking through the peep hole, lol), time the shot with your breathing, and as I thought I’d learned in martial arts, FOLLOW THROUGH. Sigh. I felt like I was trying to untangle Chinese noodles in my brain. Ah well, tomorrow is another day, I won’t be starting from zero, so maybe I will make more progress.
One of the challenges I had was that I was shooting right handed, but I tend to be left eye dominant (my right eye has weaker vision, so it makes sense). It really helped when one of the instructors suggested I put a small piece of tape on the left lens of my glasses. It was amazing. It didn’t seem to interfere with my vision, but it reminded my brain to sight with my right eye. Still, I think I may need new glasses, because it was really hard to see some of the targets, sometimes I felt like I was almost imagining the target – probably not the best way to go about it.
The instructors taught about the reasons behind the Revolutionary War and how rifleman skills made all the difference when fighting the regimented British Army. It had never occurred to me that those same American riflemen had fought alongside the British Army during the French and Indian War. They knew some of those men in their rifle sights. Wow. That’s tough guts. What a burning conviction of their rights and the injustices being imposed those men must have had to drive them to that point. Living in China made me appreciate my American rights, but thinking about the powerful conviction those men had and their sacrifice sears it in a level deeper. Now, having actually taken the opportunity and responsibility to learn this skill for myself, I can all the better appreciate what they could do and what they did.
Mr. Hot Stuff gets home tonight. It will be so nice to have him back and I wish I could be in two places at once tomorrow. One more day though, is a small price to pay for the experience and the chance to better understand what it means to have the right to keep and bear arms, and the responsibility that goes along with it.
winner-winner, chicken dinner
This link is for the vegetarians we love who are thinking of joining the military.
Recently I’ve made some changes in my lifestyle that have prompted some deep introspection. I’ve been brought to a place where I am relearning about needs vs. wants. I’m learning to recognize in myself what has been (hopefully in the past) an attitude of gluttony toward food. This attitude has led me to say at times, “I will eat this, because I can and I deserve to eat fun food or decadent food once in a while.” Now I’m not saying people should never eat those things, but for me, the opportunities and excuses were boundless and I often took advantage of them. Frankly, it was making me sick. Very sick. Sure, I tried to blow it off and say I was being “moderate”. Maybe to some perspectives I was. To some perspectives I was extremely healthy in my eating habits.
Nonetheless, it got hard to make excuses about anything when my 5′ 10″ body tipped the scales at over 200 lbs, when my knees and feet hurt, when minor digestive disturbances became commonplace, when I had obvious signs that my blood-sugar levels weren’t stable and were evermore easily knocked out of whack, and I was dealing with some other stuff I won’t go into here. At just the right time for me, a challenge from my sister-in-law, Teach, came along.
The challenge was to watch the show Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, and then make changes accordingly. Teach decided that for her, this meant 2 green smoothies a day, and a more “flexitarian” way of eating the rest of the time. For me, it meant 18 days of raw juices and smoothies and then a transition to an 80% raw, vegetarian lifestyle.
Making a change like this has been a challenge. Learning to think of certain things as “not food” that I had always considered to be food up till this point has been an unusual experience. I sometimes need to remind myself to think about all the wonderful things I am blessed to have as options to eat, rather than dwell on the idea that I’ll never eat a Thanksgiving turkey again, and that I’m not under any obligation to eat food that makes me sick or eat more than my body needs. Thankfully, just as sugar lost it’s appeal when I went off it 15 years ago, meat is also losing it’s attraction for me. Actually, it’s been easier to stop eating meat than it was to stop eating sugar. Ironically, this Thanksgiving may actually be one of my most grateful Thanksgivings ever.
Oh YUM!
I’m sure there will be social consequences as a result of this. I’m ready to accept that. In reality though, it’s probably one of the easiest “diets” to accommodate - just let me eat a big leafy green salad, and I’ll be in heaven.
One of the most remarkable results of this, for me, has been an amazing increase in the amount of gratitude I feel for every morsel that I eat. This sense of gratitude has flowed into other areas of my life and had some astounding effects. I’ve been able to find more opportunities to give to others, and more opportunities to learn and grow in ways that generate more opportunities to give. I’m more satisfied with small things, and I seem to be more in tune to promptings to take action or give service. Don’t expect perfection from me anytime soon, you may not see this stuff on the outside of me, but I know and feel the changes happening inside and I hope they stick.
One thing is certain – I’ve said good-bye to that horrifying 200+ number on the scale, and look forward to seeing where it finally settles out.
winner-winner, chicken dinner
