Saturday, November 29, 2008

Thanksgiving Recap

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We gathered at Nancy’s house – 27 of us in all, including four who drove in from Delaware. The food was abundant and delicious. While some of the lazier individuals dozed in front of the television after dinner, the rest of us engaged in a rousing game of Taboo. We chose teams in our typical effortless and unoriginal fashion. Guys vs. Girls. We are usually quite evenly matched, and the guys ended up winning this time, but only by one stinking point. Later, my very thoughtful (and very brave) niece, Janet, took a group of the kids to see “High School Musical 3.” Some others moseyed over to the drive-through “Wayne County Lightfest.” A few people continued on to visit with other friends and relatives. Overall, it was a very enjoyable Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Round is a Shape

I am half-heartedly attempting to get back on my WWND (What Would Norm Do?) diet and exercise program. Since May of 2006, Norm has hoofed around 900 days! I don’t think he is as driven as he once was about his walking regimen, but he still gets his exercise, eats well, has low cholesterol, and has kept his weight down. I meandered around the neighborhood on three separate occasions a few weeks ago, but stopped when the weather turned cold. I then decided to drag my exercise bike into the warm, cozy family room so I could ride it while watching television. Did that twice. I really wish that I could achieve the exhilarating euphoria that allegedly accompanies physical exertion. Where are those wonderful exercise-induced endorphins and when exactly are they supposed to kick in? Anyway, now that winter is on the way, we have a couple of ski trips planned. I figure that I really should get into some sort of shape so I don’t find myself whining and aching after a day on the slopes. This is certainly a challenging time of the year for me to try to stay away from snacks and goodies, but I'm going to give it a whirl. I'll keep you informed on my progress . . . or lack thereof!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Rockettes Rock

Jim, Jacob, Nancy, Richie, and I went to Joe Louis Arena tonight to see the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular.” I assumed weeks ago that most of the people at Jim’s office (Jim included) would deem this show “lame,” so I figured it was probably a good bet that their suite would be empty and available. I brilliantly finagled Jim into asking if there were any unused tickets for any of the six Rockettes performances at JLA, and, naturally, there were. Lots. Nancy, Richie, and I had planned to see the “Spectacular” anyway, so getting the free seats in the suite was a bonus for us. Jim, who prior to the show had absolutely no interest in it whatsoever, assumed that he would just go along and watch television inside the suite during the entire performance. Jacob, equally skeptical about liking it, also accompanied us somewhat reluctantly. Afterwards, both Jim and Jacob admitted that it was “pretty good,” and Jacob actually thanked me rather profusely for encouraging him to attend. And, while Jim claims that he really did like it, I think that he was probably just being a good sport and, given another opportunity to see the Rockettes, he would most likely pass. I, on the other hand, love the synchronization of those dancers and could watch them all day long.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Friday, November 14, 2008

Rainbow Fish

Jacob was able to attend his swimming class yesterday, and everything went well. His aching side seems to be completely healed, and the aquatic exercise did not bother it a bit. He twisted his ankle last Sunday tumbling down Richie’s basement stairs, though, and ended up with a huge bruise on the side of his foot. It just figures, then, that this would be the week that flippers were used in swim class. Instead of simply informing the instructor that his foot was hurt, Jacob stretched a fin on over his wound. The tight rubber proceeded to scrape against his already black and blue abrasion, creating a new red spot surrounding his original bruise. With such a multihued foot, one would hope that the boy would be extra careful not to impair it further. If he does manage to add any more colors to it, I will have to take a picture because it will surely break some sort of record for the most vibrant-looking foot injury on a child.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Senior Field Trip

A few weeks ago, Bev received permission to smoke in her room at the assisted living facility. We have to pay additional money for this benefit, and if she is caught using her oxygen while lighting up, the privilege will be taken away immediately. (Bev's solution: Just don't use that pesky oxygen!) Her apartment is now a cloudy, smelly little refuge, where the rest of her smoking cronies hang out because they do not want to spend the extra funds to smoke in their own rooms. Well, at least Bev always has company lately! Since she is not using her oxygen, with the possible exception of a few nights here and there, she is starting to huff and puff again when she walks just a few feet. Her oxygen level is low, and she is becoming more and more forgetful. The funny thing about Alzheimer’s disease is that the sufferers think that they are perfectly coherent and that no one else is remembering events correctly. It makes for some frustrating, yet still often comical, conversations.

Today, the assisted living place sponsored a trip for the seniors to the MGM Grand casino. Bev eagerly signed up for the outing last week, and told Jim that she would need some extra money for gambling. It was a four-hour excursion, with only about two of those hours actually spent inside the casino, yet Bev demanded $400 to drop into the slot machines. Jim gave her $200, but she whined and fussed so much that he caved in and gave her some additional cash. Anyway, who are these valiant employees who volunteered to chaperone, let loose, then attempt to keep track of Alzheimer’s patients running amok inside a huge gambling establishment? What brave souls! Word tonight is that Bev did not win any money, and she became quickly fatigued as she sauntered around the casino, stubbornly refusing to use either her walker or her portable oxygen. The staff members returned to the assisted living facility with the same number of residents that they left with, so the excursion was considered a success. I just hope the memory-altered gamblers were supervised enough to realize whether or not they may have actually hit a jackpot.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Costochondritis

For the past few weeks, Jacob has been experiencing sharp pains on the left side of his chest. The discomfort would sometimes come on suddenly even when he was just sitting around. Wednesday, when he screamed out in agony, I decided that it was finally time to bring him to the doctor. What a compassionate mom I am - only allowing his torture to go on for 17 days before offering to help. We went to the pediatrician yesterday, and after much poking and prodding, Jacob was diagnosed with costochondritis. Huh? The doctor told us that while it is not a common condition, it is certainly not rare, either. Evidently, the cartilage beneath his ribcage on his left side is inflamed, thus resulting in intense pain whenever it bulges out through the ribs. The cause could possibly have been an injury, a virus, or the straining of a muscle. Often, however, the origin is never determined. His treatment is 400 mg. of ibuprofen every 6 hours, and absolutely no strenuous activity. Which is kind of disappointing since his fall aquatics class began yesterday. Hopefully, he will be back in the swim in the next week or two.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day Observations

Today’s presidential election was different from all of the previous ones in which I have participated. A few unusual things occurred. First of all, I wore shorts to the polls. (Ok, they were labeled “shorts” when I purchased them, but since I am short, they actually look like capris on me.) Anyway, our average high temperature for a November day is 48° or so, but today it reached 71°! It actually felt warm outside and I really enjoyed that. I arrived at my voting precinct this morning expecting to wait in a very long line. I brought along my I-Pod and four puzzles to keep me occupied. I was surprised to find myself behind only about 20 other people and was casting my ballot within 10 minutes. Adam came home from school, hurried to the polls, and only waited five minutes to vote. Jim went after work and found there was no line at all. So much for all of the dire warnings about having to endure lengthy lines. That never materialized in our neck of the woods, anyway.

I do remember specifically that in the 2000 presidential election, I did wait in an extremely slow-moving line. The reason that this is still so clear to me is because I was babysitting Jenna and Nick that day, and brought them, as well as Jacob, with me to vote. I vividly recall holding three toddler jackets, so it must have been cold outside, too. It was an interesting hour wait with a 2-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a 4-year-old grabbing at my legs and generally entertaining the otherwise bored crowd. Needless to say, today’s trip to the polls was effortless in comparison.