Maintainers Weekly Chat November 10 - November 16
 

DW warms me that this joyful warmth is scheduled to end real-soon-now as our Canadian friends send down some Arctic air. Got to get serious that my winter coats are where I think they are.

I'm so glad that Halloween is behind us - and glad that I didn't buy any of its half-price left overs. Now, to get the head aligned for Thanksgiving.

Bill, surely you can't have lost your winter coats in only six months... ;)

My work life has settled down to only two projects at the moment. One is a new client--a publisher specializing in computer-programming books. I'm a bit rusty on the tech style, but it's coming back.

Oscar, our cat, has stabilized on his Gerber's cuisine, but who knows for how long? At least he's not dropping weight anymore.

We don't "do" Halloween, so no leftover candy or other things to fret about. Our community had a trick-or-treat food drive, so we donated to that. It helps to remember that some people don't get enough food.

Two days and counting before the temps take a nosedive here. I need to dig up some parsley for winter bunny greens! Plus, it's looking like it would be a great idea to get my down coat into the cleaners ASAP. I might need it sooner than I'd like, and I wore it hard last winter!

"Ran" a local 5k on Saturday morning with zero training due to peer pressure. Um, hey, that's not a good idea, I've confirmed. I'm so sore today that I was actually laughing out loud at myself walking from my car to the building today - I am certain I bear a strong resemblance to an extra from a zombie movie. Nothing's working quite the way it should.

Glad to hear Oscar's plateaued for the moment, JayEll.

DH pulled a good one yesterday - he was constructing beehive frames and had a staple deflect. It went up into his thumb and hit bone. Ow! He's going to call his doctor this morning and find out what he needs to do. I am sure a tetanus shot is in order at the minimum. Both of us have heard several anecdotes of how much "fun" bone infections can be, so he is properly concerned.

Oh, gosh Becky, that's gotta be painful! Staples are usually barbed, too, so even not getting it in the bone is terribly painful.

Good to hear Oscar is doing well for the time being.

My Dad was hospitalized over the weekend due to either a continuing infection or a blood clot. I tried several times to call him but couldn't get through. My sister finally relayed the information that he is to be discharged today so I'll call him tonight. Meanwhile we're flying up there Friday.

Glad you're going to see your dad, Allison. I'm sure you're relieved he is getting released.

Ouch, Becky! That sounds awful. Good thing you couldn't see me snicker watching your zombie walk.

Glad Oscar is still enjoying his Gerber diet.

Not to rub it in, Bill, but the weather is gorgeous here in Arizona! Dd has classes this morning, then we are going to lunch and the zoo. I was contemplating trying a bikram class here but my stomach is off. Guess it doesn't like keeping a college schedule and eating odd things at odd hours. Definitely off my normal meal plan... Hoping I'm not gaining much! I fly home tomorrow and will get back to normal.

While my back isn't great, it's definitely on the mend now.

Well, I quit the PTA. I'm hoping that some of the stress that has piled on in the last few months will settle down now.

Wow! You are brave! What did they say? Good job taking care if yourself!

Nothing nice at the bottom line, Michele. But it will get better.

Good move, Shannon.

I was never the stellar parent who volunteered to help out in PTA, AYSO and other organizations, but there were times when I could see the backstabbing that went on and it further strengthened my resolve not to get involved. Granted back when the kids were in elementary school I was working full time and barely had any extra time as it was. As they got older and I could, I did join a group and got elected as President for two years. I'm sure I made a few enemies there because of decisions I made but years down the road I think most of my transgressions (if that is what they were perceived to be) are forgotten.

Shannon, you did the right thing. There is no reason a bunch of (or even one) parents should give you such a hard time for volunteering.

Shannon, volunteering should be something you want to do, not something you feel like you have to do. Good for you for recognizing what it was doing to you.

I met a goal today so I wanted to share. While I've been able to touch the floor with my fingertips (legs straight, knees locked) for a while, I haven't been able to stay in that position for any length of time. My hamstrings just couldn't take it. Today I stayed for 30 seconds with my fingers on the floor. When you're in your 60s, sometimes you have to measure success in tiny increments. :)

:bravo: Shannon

:cp: Sheila

I'm happily back at home. Trying to contain the Houdini dog so that Nattie cat has some place in the house the dog can't go. Complicated. Lots of baby gates.

Dagmar :D

Bill, thanks for the reminder about upcoming cold weather... I'm still living in denial that winter is coming to NY as the temps have been in the 50's lately! But yes, time to dig out the coat...

JayEll, glad to hear your cat is eating a bit.

ICUwishing - OUCH! I'm such a wimp I'd probably have been at the ER immediately if I stapled myself. Although, now that I've seen some of the workings in at least one ER, maybe I'd re-think it :dizzy:

My rotation next block is in a hospital near my hometown, so I'll be staying with my parents. I have mixed feelings about that, but anyway. I talked to my mom on the phone last night and she was telling me how at dinner my dad had mentioned to the dog that I was coming home and he got up and ran to the door to look for me... gahhh my heart melted! :)

Iris - that is so sweet about the dog!!! Awww. We tell our dog that too and when she first left for school we used to have him talk on the phone to her. He never understood it. But our golden retriever that died a few years ago was so smart, when my DS was in college we would say that he is coming home and he would run to the garage door. Still miss him 2.5 years later.

Shannon - good for you! Since I'm a teacher I never had to do that but I was a volleyball mom and a baseball mom and I would just take a back seat. Crazy parents! Oh the parent-teacher conferences I could tell you ... but I can't. I would like to write a book one day - I could maybe get tons of teachers to send me stories of their conferences and it could be like "chicken soup for the teachers" but it would be "crazy parents" :)

Becky - I was so nervous reading your post that you were going to say he got stung a bunch of times! But that sounds horrible as well!

Michele, I know just what you mean... when I visit my DD at her college, I get completely out of whack. Plus it's in NYC so I am up way later than I am at home! And eating dinner at 11 or something crazy. I visited her the last 3 Octobers but I didn't make it this year. :( I know we will go up for graduation in May so debating if I should go up in Feb. But I would probably freeze!

I was able to donate blood today! The last two times my iron was too low. This seemed odd because it had never been low in the past. I tried to take iron pills when that first happened, but I didn't like them, so I stopped and I didn't change anything. A friend told me that you shouldn't exercise the morning that you give blood or your iron might be low. So I didn't exercise today and it was fine. One thought does come to mind though.... my DD became a vegetarian and when I visited her for a month in CA I pretty much just ate that way too. And it was right after I came back when I was first scheduled to give, and couldn't and then a month later tried again and couldn't. But now, I'm back!

Sharon...my iron was low for awhile and I kept getting turned down to donate. The iron pills don't agree with me. I focused on eating foods with iron, particularly spinach. My iron levels went way up and have stayed there!