<p>Good morning. I’m way behind on things here.</p>
<p>DTE, so sorry to hear about your MIL. I always try to put myself into others’ positions mentally, but it’s hard to make myself think about being where she is. I keep thinking of that scene in Scrubs where JD’s patient is coding and he says “Get me a box of kittens, stat!”…the doctor pours the box of kittens on the patient and he smiles and comes out of it. When I think about being uncomfortable (or worse), at the end of life, it would sure be nice to have a young animal of some kind around, whether it be a human toddler, a puppy or a kitten.</p>
<p>NM, I hope your H is healing well.</p>
<p>This summer I was in my two favorite cities - Paris and Barcelona - in the course of one trip. I concluded that Barcelona is now my favorite city…it has the beach, is easier to get around, better (i.e. more reasonalbly priced) shopping, less crowded, etc.</p>
<p>Here is my annual report of food eaten at the State Fair of Texas (every item was split with H):</p>
<p>biscuits and gravy - B
fried butter - B
fried PBJ & banana - an A, as always
fried gulf shrimp boil (2014 award winner) - A
fried loaded baked potato - B+
tornado taters - A-
fried tres leches cake - B+
caramel apple - A
corny dog - A-</p>
<p>What is fried butter? (Do I want to know?) Is a corny dog different than a corn dog? (I had a corn dog at Disneyland’s little red wagon last year - mmmm. Probably the first one in fifteen years, but fresh and cooked well.)</p>
<p>The fried shrimp sound good. </p>
<p>Shawbridge – I hope Shawson gets some sleep. Is the math class one that is likely to be graded on a curve?</p>
<p>@arabrab, I suspect that all of his courses that are graded on a curve. His math class is under control. His advanced programming class is the one that did not have the prerequisites for. Fortunately, he has a lot of ambition and serious intellectual horsepower. So, with luck, he’ll pull through.</p>
<p>Arabrab, fried butter is actually just like a very buttery little roll. You pop the whole thing in your month because, when served at precisely the right temerature, the center is filled with liquid butter that squirts out. This year the butter was abosrbed into the breading, which I liked better (H didn’t which is good…maybe next year we can skip it.)</p>
<p>This is the first time we’ve gone to the fair kid-free since 1990. It was pretty fun. We did things that we had never done before, like test drove pick up trucks on a course that included large rocks and steep hills.</p>
<p>That sounds like great fun, Missy - and isn’t it nice to just hang out on your own timetable? Good for you! I’d skip the fried butter, but definitely have had things on a stick one would never dream about on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair. </p>
<p>Oh lord, missy! That sounds awful and fun at the same time!</p>
<p>dte - So sorry to hear of your MIL in that situation. It is my worst nightmare.
I hope I go while in my garden or my sleep - with all my faculties. It’s a big wish but may happen. Genetics is not particularly on my side for a long life. ;-)</p>
<p>BTW, how is the PPE training going on at your hospital? I can’t remember if I was trained in universal precautions as a student or in the hospital. I remember taking very strict care with patients with TB of the bowel, hep B and a host of opportunistic infections with AIDS patients - although the goal there was reverse precautions. Similar to what is being promoted now with the buddy system.</p>
<p>I can’t believe that as a school nurse, I’m getting all sorts of these updates from the CDC. I guess I’m linked in on a public health level. I have two complete sets of PPEs - booties and all but I have them in stock forever - a precaution against the student with a bout of projectile vomiting, I assume.</p>
<p>D just sent pictures of her, S, the GF and another friend doing a Color 5k in Brooklyn somewhere. Good lord! Too funny! They were absolutely covered in powdered dyes popular in India - and on college campuses with a sizeable Indian student population!</p>
<p>MIL’s 80th is coming up - her daughters have not suggested a thing. H and I have but we can’t even get them to commit. I’m ready to strangle them.</p>
<p>Moda, I’d like to go to the Minnesota State Fair. I’ve been told that it’s the only one that may rival the State Fair of Texas.</p>
<p>Starting November 3rd, I am going to be working on-site at a client’s corporate headquarters for six months. (I will remain a partner at my firm.) It is a very good opportunity but I will be doing something totally different than what I do now. I hope the “learning new things” part of my brain still works.</p>
<p>Because it’s important (due to complicted lawyer ethics rules) that I am not percieved as being “part of” their legal department, I will have an interior office. I have already ordered a full spectrum desk lamp from Amazon and am going to bring some low light plants to help me stave off depression. [I am aware that it is quite ironic that I am anticipating things to bring to furnish this office that is not supposed to appear like a permanent office, but I know myself and I just can’t work in a dark drab environment.]</p>
<p>I will also confess - only here - that this assignment will likely ruin my Thanksgiving and Christmas, because I am used to taking time off around the holidays and I will only be able to be off work on the company’s official days off. But I can do anything for six months.</p>
<p>You go, mp! You can do it – and I’m sure your brain will work just fine!! Going back to the State Fair tasting list – I’m not sure I could get through that entire list, even splitting it with H. Or, I should say, if I did get through the list, my system would surely regret it the next day! I try very hard to avoid fried food since having my gallbladder out. (Sorry if this is TMI)</p>
<p>Our mischievous little puppy is still up to all sorts of antics – some funny, some not. As I keep saying, it’s a good thing she’s cute.</p>
<p>Looking ahed to the holidays (which I’m in partial denial about; my mindset is somewhere back at Labor Day), we’ve decided to have Christmas here at the beach. That was a pretty easy decision – all the decorations, etc. are here, and I’m not hauling them back to Cambridge. I have no idea how Kiley (see preceding paragraph) will be with the tree, but I’m sort of expecting the worst … :)</p>
<p>Missypie, with my new job, I am back to the beginning for taking any personal leave. In the job I’m leaving, I have over five weeks of leave accrued, plus I automatically get the week of December 25 through January 1 off as paid leave. So we can work through the holidays together.</p>
<p>It sounds like an interesting opportunity for you! I hope you enjoy it!</p>
<p>My dear aunt has only hours or days to live. Her family is surrounding her. H and I are so glad we visited last month when she was alert and, also, because it became clear that she did not want to continue the treatments. I have decided not to fly back for the memorial but contributed money to help out. My Aunt had nearly everything planned and did not want flowers and such. My personal world feels like it is shrinking as she is my connection to my cousins and such. I have become close to her Grandson–a young adult-- and his fiance. They will be visiting in March. </p>
<p>congrats mp. Does this mean that the family will have to give you a nice T-Day and Christmas dinner? You will be the guest! They will clean up!</p>
<p>Mod–is the upcoming interview at a Med school that your S is jazzed about? Good energy sent his way.</p>
<p>I finally accepted that the Holidays are coming and am feeling too much pressure right now.
I also need a place for H and I to stay in Palm Dessert area to get out of the gloom that is already here and won’t leave for months. Had thought an apt. or condo but then realized that what we liked last year was the resort life. We enjoyed having restaurants on site and lunch served at the pool.
Anyone know a good resort that has units with kitchenetts? (of course, mp, I am kinda counting on you…).</p>
<p>S and DIL and G’S are coming for Thanksgiving and then again the week before Christmas. G’S now needs a bed to sleep in away from his parents. We moved all of my excercise equipment to a spare bedroom so now the room next to theirs has S’s first twin bed set up for his son. I went to Macy’s and buy bedding but came out great spending only $126 on a waterprove matress cover, sheets, duvet and comforter. Hunted through clearance and then another 15% off. </p>
<p>D arrives for a week this Sat. She has decided she does not want to be a surgeon. Hates the hours.</p>
<p>Finally getting my flu shot today and expect my doc to give me magic pills to get this extra weight off that I put on last Holiday Season with all my time in the hospital with H and friends.</p>
<p>Shaw your wife has the right idea about escaping the cold later. Let us know when we all get picked up </p>
<p>CBB the imagery of your puppy and tree made me smile. Maybe you should hang dog biscuits along the bottom…</p>
<p>Tell me what they are when you get them. [Shaw, you can skip this part if you want.] I was having hot flashes that just became more frequent and complex as the years went on. I finally decided on HRT about 2 months ago. Now I am down to 2-3 mild hot flashes per day BUTnow the weight is piling on. So annoying that my choice is hot or heavy.</p>
<p>Can’t help you on Palm Desert. But if you switch to Sedona…</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your aunt (and the likely disconnect with the extended family), @oregon101. I’m thinking about maybe Baja California Sur for someplace warm. </p>
<p>@missypie, given the stagnation you’ve described in the legal practice (e.g., some deadbeat clients), this sounds like it could be a valuable experience living with a client.</p>
<p>ShawSon is taking mid-terms. He had told me over the weekend that he was having trouble being as motivated as he needed to be (this after a 48 hour stint to finish his assignment). I told him the last couple of times he told me that, he found a GF and got motivated. He said, “I’ve already had one date” and now has another date coming up with I think, the same woman. Not letting the grass grow under his feet. Plus, he’s getting together for dinner again with the beautiful one, but as I suspected, that’s purely platonic. </p>
<p>I’m going to stop out there in a week or so when all the midterms are behind him. Mostly for moral support. I’m then going to get to fly on the A380 from San Francisco to London. On my only other flight on an A380 (London to Hong Kong), I loved it. There is actually air or humidity or something. Just felt better after a long flight.</p>
<p>Cool article, Shaw,
Hugs, Oregon.
Missy, I’m sending you the “fun assignment mojo.” Just be kind to yourself re: reduced holidays. You don’t have to be the one who “creates” them Assign the others the privilege of making sure YOU have happy holidays ;)</p>
<p>Thanks Shaw. Great article. I’ve actually been doing some of those things and feel a bit better. I took Monday off to basically “reboot” myself. Came back with a different attitude. If I manage to get up and go to the gym I will. If I’m just too burnt from the day before and need a bit more sleep I’m not beating myself up about it. I’ll eventually get back there 5 times a week but if I make 3 or 4 now it’s OK. I’ve giving my self some slack. Lately my boss has been complaining about a new colleague how is moving into our area. I have just been smiling and nodding and well not really listening to a think that he is saying. Bad I know but I just find it easier to just look like I’m agreeing with him and then I go and do my own thing anyway. I have been trying to figure him out and I just don’t think he does well with stress. I have had kids and worked and know what REAL stress is as I’m sure most of you here do. He’s permanently engaged with no kids so he ONLY has to deal with work and as far as I can tell he doesn’t do much else except work anymore. If that’s the life he wants okay but it’s not me and I am learning to not feel bad when I have done my time and it’s time to leave. After all the work is still here in the morning. Wonders what a day off and some time in the sewing room will do for me! </p>
<p>RM- good for you, and you have the right attitude.</p>
<p>MP- Good luck with the new challenge at work. Having just gone through/going through a lot of work related changes and having to learn a lot of new stuff, I know that it’s tough at first, but there comes a time when you start seeing a little light come through. And then pretty soon, it all comes together. Added bonus - this supposedly keeps us young! Ha!
Can you enlist your family to help with the holidays? They might enjoy that.</p>
</p>
Assign the others the privilege of making sure YOU have happy holidays ;)</p>