Allison, how irritating about the phone! Long ago, I decided to just hang up on all telemarketers/sales calls. I don't even bother to say I'm not interested, I just hang up. I don't feel that I have any moral obligation to be polite to people who are interrupting my life. But more importantly - how are the kitties settling in?
Dagmar, you'll get through this. I hope you find the house you want and deserve.
Michelle, what was the final tally on your steps?
I saw the orthopedic doc today and he told me I have an arthritic hip that's causing all the trouble. I was surprised, as I was so sure it was more of a soft tissue problem (the physical therapists I saw last year thought so, too - aargh). So the only fix is hip replacement surgery, which I think I'll probably do in the not too distant future. I want to stay active and mobile, and this is only going to get worse so it seems like the only choice.
I am on the DO Not Call List so I seldom get calls but before that time I would just hang up as soon as they started their spiel. One time I did that and she immediately called me back and told me I shouldn't hang up if I didn't want to talk and then she hung up on me !
Allison, how irritating about the phone! Long ago, I decided to just hang up on all telemarketers/sales calls. I don't even bother to say I'm not interested, I just hang up. I don't feel that I have any moral obligation to be polite to people who are interrupting my life. But more importantly - how are the kitties settling in?
I think I make most telemarketers mad. I'll let them give me their whole spiel and then I say no thanks and hang up! I especially dislike paid professional fundraisers. No way in heck will I give them my money! And really, when I say I have no need for something (credit card merchant account) why do I have to explain WHY? Isn't "we don't take credit cards" enough? (Although telling them that we aren't a retail store usually gets them off the phone.)
Culley kitty was on a real rampage today. He kept asking to be let out into the warehouse. We finally shut the overhead doors and put him out there to explore. I think he really wanted to escape, but we're just not quite ready to let him go. He spent 15 minutes in the warehouse before I brought him back in, but he still meowed like crazy. All this week, he'll be quite vocal for an hour or so and then tuck away for a 4 hour (or more) nap. Today he was vocal and busy for over 5 hours before he finally wore himself out and went for his nap.
We will try to catch Mama kitty in a week or so. After dealing with Culley today, we KNOW there is no way we can have her indoors.
From Scott Abel, a wise man and personal training "guru" whose blog I read from time to time comes this thought, which really resonates with me. I have to say, this is what maintaining often feels like to me:
"It's what psychologist Judith Rodin, president of The University of Pennsylvania called “the normative obsession of American Women.” From pre-adolescence onward this “normative female obsession” is a psychological fear of fat that combines itself with restrictive eating and fear of food as well. And counter-intuitively, women of all ages begin to “feel” that if you just get “thin enough” then you will stop thinking about it. Only you never DO stop thinking about it, no matter where you are in your current Yo-yo weight range – and self-esteem ebbs and flows according to how your body ebbs and flows to the low or high range of body-weight fluctuations. But meantime, this “normative obsession” – keeps emotionally exhausting all women who get caught up in its vortex. This isn’t wellness, this isn’t fitness, this isn’t balance – regardless of how the body “appears” – what it is - is endless psychological exhaustion and this exhaustion eventually reveals itself in some area of your life -> mental, emotional, or physical – or worse in your interpersonal relationships. You don’t “diet your way out of it” – you “dieted your way into it.”
Steph: get a second opinion. I don't know how old you are, but it's a rare person who needs a hip replacement before age 60.
Dagmar: I am a geriatric neurologist who deals with dementia patients and their families every week. I have to say, you probably have one of the most stressful elderly parent situations I've ever heard of. You have my deepest respect for surviving your stresses with not only sanity but even your weight maintenance intact.
Dagmar: So sorry to hear about your stressful situation. Just try to find a few minutes each day to focus on YOU!
Michele: Happy birthday Dewey! That's so cute you are having a party. I always celebrate my cats' "adoption day" with toys for each of them.
Speaking of my cats, it's nice enough here in Cleveland to have the windows cracked home and the birds are chirping and my cat Linus came RUNNING into the bedroom when he heard them! I think it's supposed to get cold again next week, but tomorrow is one of my days for running and the weather is going to be beautiful!
News from Gary.
His wife Angie reports,Gary has been released from the hospital and is in a skilled nursing facility for at least 8 days . He has a feeding tube and is on a liquid diet. He has C-Diff infection.
: C-Diff and these are my (Bargoo)comments. C-Diff is a bad infection that is found in hospitals, rest homes and the like. My Ex had it.
I was very afraid of this having happened to Gary, but I am going to try to stay positive about this. Am thinking of him today and wishing Angie strength, as I am sure she must be worried sick.
Just had to log on to say that the description neurodoc posted is what I have seen too much of on 3FC, and why I haven't been posting. I'm lucky that I came by and saw it. This is not the way I want to live.
neurodoc, thanks for that excerpt. It does indeed resonate.
And I'm almost 55. My leg pain started maybe 8 years ago and has gotten progressively worse, and seeing the xray made it clear why. The part of my hip that's supposed to be round is pretty flattened, so there's no way I can get anything like full range of motion. A side effect of a lifetime of obesity, probably. But you're right, I should get a second opinion when I get closer to making a decision.
WardHog, having your daughter chat with the telemarketers is brilliant.
TudorRose, it wasn't quite warm enough here to have the windows open today but I know what you mean about cats and open windows - mine too come running the first time I open them in the spring. They love the olfactory and auditory rush.
Speaking of birds, I have two pairs of cardinals visiting my feeder these days. Such lovely creatures.
DH is all caught up in the house pre-shopping now. Yesterday we did bungalows - today semis! I'm letting him have a few days respite from doing taxes and studying taxes. Tomorrow he's back at it.
I sprang ahead by waking up @ 3:30 - one of my "usual" times when daylight savings is in reverse. Now I'll be getting up @ 4:30 or 5 - much better. And I'll be able to stay up with the big kids until 10 p.m.
Did I mention this getting older stuff blows (much of the time).
Thank you for the Gary update. While it still sounds terribly serious, I'm hoping that the fact that they released him from the hospital is a sign in the right direction.
My steps ended up being about 10,000. I really thought they'd be more!!
now. Yesterday we did bungalows - today semis! I'm letting him have a few days respite from doing taxes and studying taxes. Tomorrow he's back at it. 
