Life is like a box of chocolates, ya never know wut yer gonna get

Life is like a box of chocolates, ya never know wut yer gonna get

Sunday, April 25, 2010

a slow period

slowly getting better.  there was a period of no pain this morning!  i was limpless for about an hour.  that was encouraging.  i am afraid life is more boring than usual lately, so there really is nothing to write.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

just another day...

doc told me it will take 6 to 8 weeks for my knee and wrist/hands to heal.  he told me to use heat, massage and wear braces.  he prescribed a stronger anti imflammatory for me, since the ibuprofen is not working.

so... heat and massage are good.  :)

WOW!  it just started raining torrents!  it is awesome to see, hear and smell.  :)  love it!

doc wants me to quit working so strenuously in the garden...to limit my time spent on each activity.  impatience and obsessiveness are my strongest suits though!  well then, i guess i will clean up inside and perhaps do some sewing...or finish my book...

i do need to find something to wear to my baby sister's wedding in may.  the dress code is casual elegance.  so that should be easy...simple, dark, with embellishments added.

watched "The Informant" last night with Matt Damon.  True story.  good movie.  i found myself not able to guess the ending.  boyd knew the ending cuz he remembered reading it in the news.

interview on monday was good - sort of.  what i mean is that i did well - I was emotionally, mentally stable throughout.  i presented myself well.  the hr director looked bored.  there were other applicants waiting in the hallway when i left.  guess it was interview day and he felt done, even thoguh he wasn't.  he told me that there were many, many qualified candidates for this one position.  i won't hold my breath.

i've been thinking about training for a different vocation.  my current interest is in horticulture.  perhaps we could grow a salable crop here.  i will research the possiblites further.  mira costa offers an associates degree and/or certification.  wonder if i could still receive my unemployment benefits while training?  hmm...

another boring entry.  i will look into putting photos on this blog. 

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Sunday the 18th of April

chicken is in the oven baking.  potatoes have been peeled and are sitting in a bowl of water, waiting to be cut up and either deep fried or baked.  brocolli is still in the fridge - hoping i don't forget him.  salad is made (leftover from last night).

hands, arms and leg are well enough to do some more gardening.  i transplanted pumpkins, tomatoes, cucumbers - from the seedling bed into small pots.  the garden bed is being prepared as i write.  loads of well aged horse manure from across the street is being dumped across the south eastern quadrant.

baby chicks are thriving.  none have died yet.  :)  seems that we usually lose 10% in the first month.

i'm about 3/4 through a book called "The Bridge of Sighs" by Richard Russo.  It was hard to begin, but I am now thoroughly enjoying it.  Thank you Laura for the recommendation.

i bought a new pair of pants and blouse for my interview tomorrow.  Same as what I wore before, just a size larger.  :(

i am now going to watch the movie "Auntie Mame".

Oh!  We really enjoyed an off beat movie called "Howl's Moving Castle".  :)

it looks and feels like tornado weather this evening.  kinda windy and the leaves are swirling upward.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Hurrying Hazzard

i decided my hands and wrists were healed enough to do some work this morning. i got cucumbers and lettuce transplanted and stairs in the island formed (almost). boyd got the go-ahead from the neighbor about using his tractor, so we had to hurry up and unload the trailer so we could load it with manure for composting.  We pulled all the items out of the trailer and I wanted to sweep it out because there were some metal and paint shavings in with the leaf litter.  I proceeded to climb into the back of the trailer without using a stepstool.  normally i can still do this - but it is because i use arm strength to pull me up.  with my hands and wrists still healing, their strength is not there - so the strength had to come from my right knee.  right leg up, muscle flexed and GIGANTIC POP!!  i went down.  embarassed i got myself up as quickly (and awkwardly) as possible, hobbled to the house and downed 4 ibuprofen.  i continued to walk and do work.  as i walked and the ibuprofen did its magic i felt okay for about 60 minutes.  but the pain soon returned and  grew until i had to stop and come inside for a closer look.  my right knee is swollen.  so - ice, elevation, ibuprofen and rest.  ugh.

and, of course, it is friday.  if i choose to go to the doc - i go to urgent care.  i'm always afraid i'll get sick there.

idiot

this wouldn't happen to a pre-50 jennifer.

Nerves and a New Suit

I actually have a job interview on Monday afternoon.  In La Jolla at La Estancia Hotel.  The position is Restaurant Supervisor in their "Mustangs and Burros" Restaurant.  The human resources director thinks I am a great fit for this position per our phone interview and resume, etc. 

I am very nervous.

I am afraid of getting a job.  I am afraid of loving a job and then having it yanked from me.  I am afraid of not fitting in.  Not being good enough. 

I have to face this fear.  I probably will not get the job - but I need to interview anyway.  I've been in my cocoon long enough I think...and I do not want this fear to paralyze me.  That is like being in a self imposed jail cell. 

boyd says my job problems have stemmed from me taking jobs that i wanted to use as stepping stones.  they were not really what i wanted - they were step away from what i wanted.  he says i should only take a job that i really want, with a company that i can respect.

So - I will go look for a new suit.  I am certain my old one will not fit.  Dammit.  20 pounds in six months gained.  (insert big sigh here).

what colors are my colors now that my hair is gray and white?  guess i will research that when i research the hotel and restaurant via the internet.

another big sigh.

Baby Chicks are here!

we went to the feed store yesterday and picked out 24 baby chickens.  the dealio is - 8 free chicks if you buy a sack of feed.  it used to be you got 10 chicks per sack - but - well, you know.  6 rhode island reds, 6 bard rocks and 12 aracanas.

boyd made them a little cage and a heater lamp with a waterer and feeder.  they seem happy - and so far, none have died.  that's the thing with chickens - our experience has been that they don't all live.  yeah.  so - i told boyd that the chickens were his thing.  i will do the dogs, cat and llama - he does the chickens.  he's cool with that.  he loves the way they imprint on him and he trains them to do little things.  he likes it.  he says he is going to be more proactive in protecting them from the coyotes, hawks and rats this time around.

before we went, boyd looked on the internet to see how to sex a chick.  we want only 2 or 3 roosters.  when you choose blindly you end up with about 1/3 roosters.  so we tried to decipher who was what sex - at first by looking at their bums - but that was inconclusive to our untrained eyes.  so then we tried the leg hang method.  supposedly when you pick the chick up - the rooster pulls his legs up and the hen lets the legs dangle.  i also employed my hang your hand in the cage method.  the ones that attack your hand are roosters.  it will be interesting to see how well we did in our choosing.  i hope they are not all roosters.  most roosters turn into chicken dinner.  we will keep some roosters because they are great protectors of the flock.  it is awesome to watch him warn everyone of an approaching hawk or other danger.  he is a violent mate however - I don't care for that part.  the hens loose their feathers on their necks.  ick.  but, we do want to have more babies - so i guess i will have to deal with it.

smokey and the dogs are curious about the odor and noise from the caged area.  smokey is actually more than just curious.  age has not affected her appetite that much.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

figurin' it out

the worse part of the allergic responses has finally gone.  i have still been outside in the grass, plants, etc...but walking, not messing around in the dirt.  i think the thing that caused the worsening was in the dirt.  perhaps a mold.  i did find a crop of mushrooms growing with the onions and garlic this morning. 

my hands and wrists are slowly healing.  taking gobs of anti-inflammatrory and wearing a brace on my right wrist to remind me to not move so much.

have not yet had the interviews.  they should happen this afternoon.

boyd's mouth is healing.  the surgery went well and he should be fully healed in another week.  i am glad he had it fixed.  without the extra bone he should be able to enunciate better.  that will make him happy.  and that makes me happy.

we got a letter yesterday about the zoning plan here.  all the work boyd did with the county and the city was for naught.  they will not give us (or anyone else in this area) what we want.  We are limited to building 2 houses here.  that was very discouraging.  another neighbor, however, called boyd this morning to discuss the situation.  they might have one more chance to speak their piece.  this whole ordeal has proven to us that the government is run by thugs who are not here to help us.  they have their own agenda and it is governed by money.  just because you "own" land does not mean you can do what you want to with it.  it seems un- american to me.

Monday, April 12, 2010

weekend woes, etc.

it is difficult to write in this brace thing on my right hand/forearm.  i strained it.  yup.  getting old sucks.
i figured my muscles would adapt...like in the old days.  the muscle pain would eventually subside and the result would be more strength.  when my arms went numb i figured there must be a problem...so i took some time off.  after some ibuprofen and rest - the pain localized and i realized my wrist was strained.  i can barely move the dumb thing to 90 degrees.  it used to feel good to do that.  now it causes me to make monster face.


allergies are worse than ever this year.  of course, i have been outside more than ever this year.  doing manual labor in the sunshine - working in dirt, grass, weeds, plants, animals...all known allergies of jennifer.  i have been taking benadryl pretty regularly, but lately it has not been working.  in fact the allergic responses changed to a more difficult symptom.  breathing became much more labored in both my nose and my chest. 

dammit!

i wanna grow a garden.  i wanna work outside.

stupid body.

my time off has helped.  i feel much better - but not totally okay.

i have two telephone interviews this week.  i have mixed feelings about them.  i feel angry when i think about it.  like i assume everbody who wants to hire in f&b has that certain mind set that will hurt me.  f&b is alot of work for not much money.  i am good at managing crews and overseeing that everything runs efficiently.  but i hate having people try to hurt me in the name of business/politic...whatever.  i take everything personally.  and just because someone tells me it is not personal - that's shit.  a cop out.  it is personal.

i think that my crews are special because i do take it personally.  people need respect in order to give good work and good attitude.

argh

Friday, April 9, 2010

I did not know this...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/scott/how-to-correctly-pronounce-authors-names


Do you pronounce these names correctly?  I got most of them wrong.  Good thing I never met them and embarassed myself.

:)

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Emma

Emma is a wonderful dog.  She is a very intuitive animal and I love her.  She responds to certain attitudes, key words, voice inflections and physical situations.  It is fun to watch her. 

Since I've been working outside - she has been with me alot.  When I sit on the ground she comes over and covers me with dog loves.  Messy - but happy and fun.  When I am working she does not get in my way, but she stays nearby and keeps her eye on me - quickly responding if I let out a shriek.  Those shrieks happen if I find a gopher or a snake...sometimes a lizard or mouse will run past or over my feet.  She has eaten a few gophers lately.  Maybe that is why she hangs out with me...I scare the gophers up.  Hmmm...

She helps me work when I am pulling weeds.  All the animals do - it is funny and it makes me happy.  They all begin to eat grass...they figure Mom is grazing, guess I will too.  They all like to eat the oat grass.  It is Magnet's favorite too.  (Which lead me to research oat grass --- it is very healthy --- and I would like to grow my own oatmeal eventually, but that's another story)

Emma knows her boundaries well.  She is not always obedient though.  You can tell which rule she will eventually break.   When you introduce something new to her she gets a certain sparkle in her eye  - and you can be confidant that she will eventually break that rule or boundary.  She is certain that the world is really hers and she is humoring you for the time being.

As she ages she is not quite so bossy with the other animals here.  She turned 14 years old on March 1st.  I think she is arthritic in her back and legs and feet.  She also has some tumors on her chest.  I thought they were cancer...and they still might be, but she seems healthy and strong for the most part.  Her age has slowed down her ball chasing too.  She still loves it, but only once or twice - and not so far please. 

I like Emma.  I like her personality, her bull in a china shop charm.  My baby sister called her a tank.  She is built solid and low to the ground.  She's my tank.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Houston, I think we have a problem...

You ever feel like you have resolved an emotional issue and find that it is only your mind that thinks it has been resolved?  Your body is still in angst and will forcefully show you that you are actually upset. 

When will they be in sync?  Ever?

I dunno...

I had an appointment with Patti today.  I got ready, drove to her office, parked the car, went up in the elevator, began walking down the hall towards her office and it hit me.  IBS.  No warning at all and BAM! I was outta commision for at least the next hour.  I wrote Patti a note and was going to leave it in her office.  It sounded like she might be alone - so I knocked and left her the note in person, while I edged towards home. 

So embarrassing.

She is very sympathetic and kind.  I will call her to reschedule.

Why now?  I have not had an IBS bout in over 2 months.  Is it attack of the yeast again?  My diet has not been great lately.  Or is it the upset I have been feeling about going to a family function in the near future?  Maybe both.  I have felt angry for the last 24 hours or so...at myself and the unsettled crap that always rolls around in my mind when it comes to parties or social stuff.  I feel strong when I am in my own element, but if I have to be out of my safety zone I am very uncomfortable.

I really needed to keep the appointment today.

A Goat Named Baby

The bleating returned.  The kid was not bbq!  Baby is a young female goat that the neighbors are keeping for milk production.  They think she is pregnant now.  She is about the size of a pygmy goat...still a young un.  She is a pretty brown color with some black markings.

Baby is currently tied to the fence between our properties.  She is in the shade of the willow tree as her owners construct her pen nearby.  When Magnet saw her he sounded the alarm!  What the heck is that noise and that small animal next door?  He was extremely curious, so I haltered him up and we went to meet Baby.  The dogs decided to join us, as they had not been properly introduced.  We all exchanged nose/face hellos and the dogs got the foot stamp and the snort.  She was not fond of the dogs, no matter how polite they were being - they were wolves to her.  Emma and Abbey were polite, but you could tell by the gleam in Emma's eyes that, given the chance, she would chase Baby for fun.  Abbey's caution turned to friendly and then to indifference after she got the foot stamp.  I think that the foot stamp is universal for Stay Away!  Magnet and Baby had the best exchange.  She likes Mags and I tied him out there for her.  She calmed down with him nearby.  After he'd stared at her for a long time he began to graze and that, I think, was comforting to her.

I am happy that Magnet now has another herd animal friend nearby.

Did I mention that Baby is pregnant?

:)

Animal as Pet or Food?

We heard a young goat or sheep bleating yesterday.  He or she sounded alone and lonesome.  We surmised that it was coming from our neighbor's garage.  Shortly after Bill and George returned home with their relatives who are visiting from Greece, the bleating stopped.

When I first heard the young creature I was happy that more of our neighbors had decided to keep farm animals.  I was daydreaming about happy little lambs and kids playing in the meadow when I realized that the young animal had been put into a bbq pit for a family meal.

As much as I enjoy the thoughts of being "off the grid" - I don't think I could eat an animal that I had to kill.  Granted, I have never been in a situation where I felt starved.  Perhaps then I would do so - but if I have money in the bank I will purchase butchered meats.  The thing with me is that I personify almost everything.  Everything has a spirit.  Everything has feelings.  Even my plants and rocks.   I talk to them and care for them.  I don't have that native American sense of "circle of life" - or the habit of thanking my food before I kill and eat it.

I've seen some turkeys that I could kill though.  They were mean.

I am NOT a vegetarian.  I'm just a sissy.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

My Common Cold

Last week it was - work, work, work, in the sunshine and lovin' the heat and sweat...and then the allergies came.  And then I got sick.  Ugh...a cold has had me in limbo this week.  I thought the sore throat was allergy, but it kinda morphed into a regular old cold.  I finally gave into it and sat around feelin' sorry for my dumb ass cuz I have not been taking my diet routine seriously for awhile.  Hence, a lowered resistance and a cold.

It never fails, ya know?  When I am sick I make plans to adhere to a clean food routine, with all the right carbs, proteins, etc.  But, when you are sick do you want to eat salad?  No.  You want comfort food.

Last night I started making brown rice.  I did not know what to eat, and I needed to use up the food in the house.  So I sauteed an onion, a green bell pepper and a red bell pepper and some garlic and added it to the simmering pot of rice.  Then I considered the ground sirloin that I had defrosted two days before and thought I'd better at least cook it up so it doesn't go bad.  So I cooked it in a crumbled form, added some garlic salt and pepper, drained the grease.  What the heck!  I added it to the rice pot too.  Then I scraped up the pan the meat cooked in and made a sort of herbalicious gravy and poured that flavor into the pot as well.  When the rice was finished cooking it was dinner in a pot.  Boyd has been keeping a food journal, so he needed to call it something for his list.  He called it Inside Out Stuffed Peppers.  It was good.  And it was comfy.

I'm getting better, but still cussing the stuffed sinus and impromptu clearing of sinus.  Not something to do in public yet - so I'll settle for the couch, the computer and television for awhile.

Ugh.