9-158 (7/6/22) -- Inertia Prevails

The day was sunny and warmer than we've had for a few days. Last night there was a frost warning for parts of the area even though it was much warmer during the day yesterday. It is the last hurrah of the transition phase of spring, I guess. I'll admit that I did very little today, with the continued fatigue barring major activity. It is all diminishing, but comes in waves at times. I chatted with a friend for our weekly check-in and labeled the multiple jars of jam. There were a few cleaning chores tackled, so it wasn't a total loss of a day, just not very productive. 

Inertia is the word of the day or week. For the most part, I've remained at rest due to the force of a headache. Once the symptoms disappear, that force should act upon the inactivity and get me moving again. That is my bastardization of  Newton's First Law of Motion <smile>. Hey, I had to take physics for my undergraduate degree and I try to use it whenever I can -- makes use of the time spent in a 6-credit class plus lab. <grin> The song shared today is a parody of Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. The parody lyrics fit much of what I've felt over the past several days. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Inactive -- Weird Al Yancovic

 

9-157 (6/6/22) -- Fruit or Vegetable?

The headache is a bit better today -- no pain but still major fatigue. I did manage an outing to the grocery store to get 5 or 6 items. I found a few other things on sale while I was there, though <smile>. When I got home I realized that I hadn't gotten milk, to I walked out to get that on Main Street.Then I settled into making jam. I had some frozen rhubarb that I thawed and used to make a conserve that mom used to make. It has raisins, oranges and lemon and the flavour was amazing right out of the pot <smile>. The recipe made about 8.5 pints that were in 14 jars from pint to tiny sample jars <smile>. I will let it rest for a day and then delight in a slice of brown toast with jam. Yum. 

I felt very domestic today <grin> cooking jam and supper things. I found a goofy song about the vegetable -- or is that frui -- that made me laugh. Hope it can bring you a smile, too. And while edible stocks make rhubarb botanically a vegetable, it is often called a fruit since it is used in sweet desserts. Your trivia fix for the day <Grin>. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

A Slice of Rhubarb Tart -- Monty Python group 

9-156 (5/6/22) -- Big Party

The blasted headache is still hanging on. It has partly subsided, but still poking at me at times. I'll get through it but there will be bits of complaint along the way <grin>. 

Between small household tasks, I listened to part of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant today. It was difficult when the news channel kept interrupting for general chit-chat about things they thought were royal, but not celebratory in any way <sigh> Finally, I found it online, but had without interpretation of the four main segments of the parade. At the end, Ed Sheeeran performed Perfect while photos of  the Queen and HRH Prince Philip were projected on the palace walls. The finale followed that performance. I was so pleased to see the Queen available for a brief balcony appearance with the heirs and family. That made me smile but brought tears, too. 

Later I found pieces of the Party at the Palace from last night online. This made me smile more. <smile> The still photos and video projected on Buckingham Palace told the story  of her lifetime not only her time as monarch. Several wonderful performances were part of this evening event.I loved the segment with songs from five musicals with the opening banter sung between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lyn Manuel Miranda. The opening video was the Queen having tea with Paddington Bear where she shared with him that she kept her marmalade sandwiches in her purse rather than a hat. <grin> She does have a great sense of humour. 

I chose to share here the opening sequence of the concert from last evening. I loved the entrance of the guitar player who wasn't on the palace rooftop for this jubilee celebration -- but they found a wonderful high point. <grin> Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Platinum Party at the Palace opening -- Queen with Adam Lambert

9-155 (4/6/22) -- Hum-Drum Day

The day was sunny and cool again. I remained indoors doing weekend chores. A rhubarb delivery from a friend's garden resulted in a great large fruit crisp. This is great as dessert, snack or breakfast. When the rhubarb is fresh and crisp, it makes a superb crisp. I have frozen some in the past, it makes a passable crisp, but is best for jam. Actually, I have a conserve recipe that includes raisins, oranges and a lemon. It is very tasty with scones or just plain toast. <smile>  

The headache is on its way out, but there is still huge fatigue today and some lesser pain. For those reasons, I purposely did less than a usual weekend day. Most of the laundry got finished but less done in cleaning that I'd hoped. All that is undone will be waiting for another day to be done. No worries there <smile> and no house elves to help with it all <grin>. 

I was reminded of a song for a mundane day by a friend recently. Today is the day I'll use that one. <smile> Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da-- The Beatles

9-154 (3/6/22) -- Block the Sun

My strength came back partially today so I did a short walk to get bread and eggs. After a rest at home, I drove to campus to update the laptop. We are required to login on campus not by wifi but by hard-wiring into the system to update the laptop and the Windows license. Otherwise, I get locked out and the laptop becomes a rather heavy paperweight. So, I made that trip before it all quit over the weekend or sometime when IT is not around to rescue the machine from going dark. I often wonder how my colleagues who have been working from home or are out of the country on sabbatical manage with this every 6-month dance with the system. I must have a chat with several of them to see what work around they have used.  

It was sunny today, so I wore sunglasses and a ball cap pulled down to shade the eyes well -- still some residual photophobia today along with bits of fatigue and pain. this migraine will last a few more days and I've likely had the fatigue aspect since earlier in the week. These things generally last about 7 days. I believe I am on the down side now. 

A song came to mind that made me giggle -- much needed today. <smile> One line (also the title) explained my experience going outside today. Stay safe.  Enjoy! 

Blinded by the Light -- Manfred Mann

9-153 (2/6/22) -- Pain Identified

 What I thought was a sinus headache last evening intensified as I tried to fall asleep. I had difficulty waking this morning just like yesterday, but today there was increased fogginess and minor residual pain. A migraine. I planned to spend the day resting in bed. I wanted to go to get bread and milk, but the thought of going outside or walking the couple of blocks to the store was more than I could take -- and driving was out of the question <smile>. So, I stayed home indoors. 

Migraines are interesting --  unpleasant, but interesting. Sensations involve pain but others create greater incapacity -- severe fatigue where staying awake is difficult; cognitive issues so clear thinking and word finding become impossible; dizziness; nausea; phonophobia; photophobia -- the latter being why these blog posts are late -- even dialing back the brightness on the screen doesn't work on such days. There are different types of migraines that I get. In recent years, major fatigue can be the main symptom -- no pain to speak of. The one I am in the midst of has more pain along with aversion to light and sound, which aren't all the common for me. It has been years since I've had one that hurt as much as this one. That is a good thing in the larger scheme. This may be triggered by the flowering trees that cause allergies. I used to get three types with distinct triggers. Now there seem to be two types. Today's is aberrant -- something different than the 'usual'. 

 Thinking of a song for today, one came to mind that might explain what a migraine feels like -- disorienting, discordant, and nonsensical. This was a song that introduced this band to me and I was certain I didn't need to hear much more from it. Then a musical friend showed me that they weren't a one trick pony and I found some that I would listen to often. That also makes me think that when this headache leaves, something more pleasant will arrive. Keep safe. Enjoy!

Elephant Talk -- King Crimson

9-152 (1/6/22) -- Continuing Journey

This blog entry brings more on one of my favourite concepts to ponder -- liminality  While pondering this yesterday and today, I realized that I thought I'd traversed the no man's land that opened up when I retired. It seems, though, that I landed somewhere livable in the middle of the liminal space. Here I stand only part way across the space. 

This shouldn't be surprising since life involves growth and development through the entirety. Without that we'd stagnate. It feels like the spot I found in the middle of the journey was only a resting spot and I didn't move further thinking it was the destination. That explains some of the experiences of feeling lost and missing big parts of self identity. Early into the retirement process, the pandemic arrived, which made the rest stop appear as a safe space to weather that storm. As we move from pandemic to endemic disease states, many of us have discovered the desire to move forward again. This pondering reminded me of a meme I'd seen a while ago -- "Last year she survived. This year, she will live."  Moving from the survival mode puts change front and centre. Metaphorically, the change to living mode means stepping away from the rest stop and back into the great unknown as I move to the expected retirement state of being. Continuing this journey will be challenging, as is any major life change. It will be worthwhile. Staying where I am will only enhance the discomfort and anxiety -- like being stuck alone on a desert island -- the first few days will feel positive due to being able to rest, but the rescue process must continue. So, here I am -- the transition continues.

Lyrics from a country song fit the thoughts of living vs. surviving and the journey to a balance that favours living. Several lines fit my personal journey where some days are better than other days and some times of day are better than others. Keep safe. Enjoy!

Living -- Dierks Bentley