Thursday, August 1, 2013

July 2013 Journalling



1.What was the lowest point of your day?
       Feeling so nostalgic with each thing we did on Kody’s last day. I’m going to miss him. I will post a picture of him swimming. He has the curliest tail, yet when he swims he straightens it up like a periscope so he won’t get it wet. Silly puppy.

2. Today I was so sad. Putting Kody down was so hard. I think I took it the hardest. I’m glad we were able to be with him to the end. He didn’t suffer. They gave him one injection that calmed him, because at first he was breathing so fast, and he had to be muzzled. Then they waited ten minutes and gave the other injection which caused him to exhale and that was it. But when the doctor listened to his chest, he gave him another injection as he said he had a strong heart. Then we left him there and came home. I started cleaning up his stuff. I guess that was my way to cope. I have to work three nights this week. I hope I won’t be too weepy.

3. Hard night at work last night. I was very weepy, remembering Kody’s  last moments. I want to move past that to remembering just the good times, but right now that’s the only image in my head. I want it undone. I want him back. Also work was very busy and tonight is Urology night, my least favourite.

4. Happy Fourth of July to my American friends and relatives, and Happy July fourth to the Canadians.

5. I’m on vacation for 17 days! Have I mentioned I love my job?

6. We’re hosting a dinner party this evening with a Finnaican theme. What’s that, you ask? It’s a mix of Finnish and Jamaican food. It should work. I’m making Finnish fish soup with crisp bread, Jamaican crab cakes with a jalapeno aioli, Finnish cucumbers vinaigrette, Jamaican curried chicken, rice and peas, fried okra and tomatoes, fried plantain, and Finnish pancakes (crepe-type) with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

7. What is the last book you read? Destiny’s Hands by Violet Nesdoly about Bezalel, the craftsman who did most of the work on the tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings. Also, a busy day today. It was our Pastor’s last Sunday before a three month sabbatical. Also, final practice tonight for our DVBS play, with the secret agent theme.

8. DVBS started tonight, with two dozen kids or so. It runs so smoothly now that it’s our third year. The play went well. I’m tired. Not as young as I used to be.

9. Tonight was a wonky night with the play; technical difficulties and forgotten lines. We made grilled cheese using our ninja skills, making twelve at a time.

10. Today my youngest daughter and I went for mani-pedis. Quite nice, but I didn’t get any writing done, unlike the past few days where I wrote about 3,000 words of fiction and 600 of non-fiction. I felt good on those days. This afternoon I made enough mac and cheese for sixty people tonight. DVBS has grown since the first night. There are about 40 kids. They’re loving the play and are getting the jokes.

11. Apparently, while we were doing the first night of our DVBS on Monday, there was a HUGE thunderstorm in Toronto that knocked out power to 300,000 people and dropped a month’s worth of rain in a few hours. Many major roads were flooded and a GO train was also flooded as high as the bottom of the seats on the lower level, so 1400 people, rush hour numbers were crammed into the upper levels until 1 a.m. when the marine unit was finally able to get them evacuated. They used two dinghies and got ten people per dinghy off the train. At one point there was even a water snake on board, someone recorded it on their camera. It was a good week to be on vacation and not worry about commuting nightmares. Can you imagine if you already had a bad day at work on a Monday and then that happens when you’re trying to get home? They were kind Canadians, helping each other charge cell phones and sharing food and stuff. As much of an ordeal/adventure it may have been, it’s not so bad. They were inconvenienced, but never in any real danger. People knew where they were and they were evacuated as quickly as possible.

12. Tonight is the last day of DVBS. The Chief (me) who has been pre-recorded so far, will be making an appearance in person. Some kids have guessed I am the Chief and the voice of Tracker, the dog. I will also try to make some raspberry jam today, and get more writing done.

13. Heading to London for a family get-together since my aunt Merja is here from Finland. We’ll stay overnight. I would have liked to hear Dr. Tony Costa preach at our church, but we can’t do it all. He’ll be back in August.

14. We’re packing up for an attempted beach day tomorrow. We’ll do day trips this week for our Stay-cation.

15. Beach day at Lake Simcoe, at Sibbald Point Provincial Park. Over 40 degrees Celsius today with humidity. I love relaxing by the water. I was so relaxed I didn’t even take pictures, I just ate, slept, read, wrote, and swam. It was so hot, I loved it. The water didn’t even require any time to get used to it.

16. We were going to go check out the Mesopotamia exhibit at the ROM today but decided to wait for a rainy day. We’ll enjoy the sunshine and go to some restaurant patio instead. We have all winter to do indoor things. Summer is short and we are on our final week of vacation, well, until our next two weeks off in August.

17. I’m loving this heat. It’s about 45 C with humidity, or 100 F. My husband and I drove to Cobourg and walked around the quaint small town and ate lunch at a Greek restaurant. Then we went to Ten Thousand villages and saw an art exhibit at the town hall.

18. Enjoyed the Mesopotamia exhibit, learning about the Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian culture. The only thing I didn’t like was the slant against anything recorded in the Bible. It’ll say, the Bible says...but actually...

Also, they put any Biblical event like the Babylonian captivity in quotes almost like they are calling it into question, even though they don’t do it with other events. Yet they have Nebuchadnezzar’s documents telling about the capture of King Jehoichin. They also messed up the Bible timeline, assuming we believe that the tower of Babel was modelled on Nebuchadnezzars giant ziggurat. Nebuchadnezzar was so much later, and Scripture records the tower’s builder as Nimrod. There was also an ancient city called Nimrud. Then we shopped at the Eaton Centre and ate out at a patio. It was stifling hot downtown. I even ordered my first beer. Yes, at age 49! I couldn’t finish it though. I drank about a third, and then went back to ice water, which didn’t leave an aftertaste. Totally exhausted at the end of the day.

19. Nice day. I wrote some more. I woke the other morning, compelled to write the chapter based on the Amalekite raid of Ziklag, of all things. Well, what can I say? When the muse says write! I write. This book won’t write itself. Then I went grocery shopping, and we managed to have a bbq before the thunderstorm hit. We made steaks, grilled vegetables, salmon skewers, corn on the cob, fresh bread and a fruit platter. Now relaxing with a glass of my faux wine. That’s all I can drink these days because of my medications.

20. My husband and I are going to a TFC soccer game. They’ll lose, again, I’m sure, but we’re mostly going to see Thierry Henry who plays for the opposing team, the New York Red Bulls. I hope he won’t be off sick or injured. Soccer games are the only time my husband will agree to wear matching shirts, our TFC jerseys. J

21. Last full day of vacation. I will work three weeks, then I’m off for another two. Have I mentioned I love my job?

22. Still having a hard time, thinking about Kody, even now at three weeks. It’s hard to even drive through the neighbourhood where we used to walk. Oh, puppy, I miss you!

23. I was back at work last night. Short staffed and very busy, but they call it work for a reason.

24. I mailed off the blanket I made for my friend in exchange for a painting. I think she got the short end of the stick, so I paid her. I understand that artists should be paid for their work. My crocheting isn’t art, just a craft, so I wouldn’t expect or want payment for it. It was something to pass the time when my mind wasn’t 100%.

25. One more night. I wonder if I’ve just been away from work for too long, because I feel so disorganized and overwhelmed even when I just have five patients.

26. Errands today: dropping off full bags of dog food at the animal shelter, dropping off old clothing at Value Village, paying bills, working on my novel. I’m more than 1/3 of the way through. I’m aiming for about 60,000 words. Also, it’s our 27th wedding anniversary today, but we won’t go out till next week.

27. Doctor’s appointment today. She called to discuss bloodwork results from last week, but I already had a list of issues to discuss. I’ve been so short of breath, even from one flight of stairs. I also think my hiatus hernia has gotten worse. It slides up into my chest after I eat. Very uncomfortable.

28. So I found out why I’m so winded. My iron (ferritin) is very low. Normal is 30-300 and mine is 4. We don’t know why, so I’m starting on iron supplements and we will check for an ulcer by another bloodtest. Also, I am concerned about my blood sugar, and weakness in my right leg. I didn’t even notice that I’ve been compensating for it by physically picking it up when I’m getting dressed. I need to go back to the neurologist about that. I’m falling apart now that I’m 49. Also my husband preached this morning. He did a good job.

29. Early morning bloodwork done. I am weak but I don’t feel I should call in sick to work, but I really don’t feel well. I am cold and tired and nauseous. Yet I’m working four nights this week.

30. Somedays I prove I’m a natural blond. The mouse needed a new battery so I changed it, yet it still wasn’t working. My husband came home, turned the battery the right way, and surprise, it worked!

31. I didn’t go into work at all this week. Something’s not right. Such vague symptoms. Some nausea, shortness of breath, abdominal fullness. I don’t know what’s going on. I went back to the doctor, and she ordered an abdominal and pelvic ultrasound for next Wednesday. I am also seeing the neurologist on Friday about this new right leg weakness. I am falling apart here!

 

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