Look! On the Table. It's an Art Project!

Oh my goodness.  It feels like it has been at least 10 years since I picked up some paint and got my hands messy.  I fixed that little problem this weekend.

I call this 'Our New Normal' because that is what it is.  Our new normal is two adult children, 3 cats and a dog all living in what I used to think was a fairly large house.  When you see a 60 lb dog jump your couch in the first few seconds that he is here, you quickly rethink 'large'.

No matter.  We are adjusting.  I have Rach's number and can now keep him from charging down to the basement because he is sure that there are critters down there.  (He is right, but we try not to let him know that).  The kitties are adjusting to their new living quarters in the basement.  They have pillows and a couch of their own so they are good.  I have accepted that there will be drool and nose marks on my bay window.  These things can be easily cleaned.  I have even come to terms with the fact that dinner cooking has pretty much been divided between Swim Girl, Alaska Girl and Grocery Boy.  Not that this one was hard.  I am all for parceling out the dinner cooking.  They can have it.  Forever.

These pages were done in an art journal using modeling paste, stencils, Liquitex inks, water, a few jewels and pen.  That's it.  I didn't even gesso the pages.  I love the colors.  Think spring.  And art; welcome back!

How About a Little Ice with That?

What ho!  It is still January and I am well enough to write another post.  I must be in Iowa.  Dang.  Just when I thought that we might get through this month with nothing but really cold temps, along comes this storm.

I can't remember the name of it.  We have three cats, one dog and two grown children living at home and I am lucky to get the correct name on the third try.  I want to know who's brilliant idea it was to name these winter storms.  Computer Boy says that the Weather Channel did some research and apparently more people watch when storms are named.  I am going to take a wild guess here and say these were tropical storms and hurricanes that caused massive destruction and  mayhem.  Not winter storms that come along every freaking week.  I mean, unless it's a huge Nor'easter or some other type of record breaker, a winter storm is mainly a cause for celebration for school children everywhere.  That is, until the middle of June when they are still stuck in a hot classroom.

This being said, it was kind of cool to watch the guy from the Weather Channel on the Weather Channel while he was here commentating on the ice storm.  He was right up on one of the main drags by the cinemas and the highway.  Yup.  We've got both here.  And a couple of stoplights, too.

I wanted to try out my new Canon EF 75-300 mm lens, so I popped outside for a few pics.  And if you believe that one, I know there is some swamp land somewhere that I can sell you.  My popping outside consists of opening the window, raising the screen and sticking my camera outside while I am all bent over trying to get a good picture.  Despite the crappy weather, these didn't turn out too badly.

It's alive.  I think that Computer Boy left a BB Gun here somewhere that could take care of that.

Oh No! Still Trying to Hang in There.

I feel terrible that I haven't been posting, but I am still (again?) sick.  Yup.  I ran a fever all day Friday and Saturday.  I basically haven't been off of the couch for 3 days again.  We are going to have to get new cushions or something because my body outline is going to be permanently indented in there.  Maybe I can chalk around it and freak out the girl's friends.

Went to the stupid convenient care place on Saturday (a different one from the first time-big mistake) and the RNP basically told me that I wasn't sick enough to warrant any medication.  Apparently, I wasn't sick enough to see a Doctor.  All studies show and current thinking is and blah, blah, blah.  She actually wasn't even much interested in the fact that I had been diagnosed with ear infection, sinus infection and bronchitis just 2 weeks ago.  I don't think she thought that I should have been given any meds then.  She even mumbled something about current thinking on ear infections if they don't hurt is to not treat them.  ???

Meanwhile, I was just trying to keep my head held upright and walk without falling over.  I even let my husband take me because I didn't want to drive.  And this place is only half a mile from the house.  I literally haven't been out of my house (except for this waste of my time appointment) since we got back from the movies on Thursday night at 9:30 pm and it is 1:30 on Monday.  WTF?  (This may also be influenced by the strong winds and sub zero temps outside.)

So, here is what my $100 plus got me:

• Take Sudafed or Mucinex or both (duh)
• Use one of those nasal rinse thingys that you stick in your nose and the stuff comes out the other side along with the infection. Freaks me out.  But I did it.  Nothing happened other than the water ran out the other side of my nose.  No green stuff, no yellow stuff.  No stuff.
• With a low grade fever it is probably viral, but if it goes to 103 or better then it is most likely bacterial.  Then I should (get ready for it) go and see my regular doctor.  I will then need drugs.
• The extreme fatigue (think sleeping around the clock) is normal and will 'take a while' to get 'over'.  I have been f-ing sick since Christmas Day.  A month isn't long enough?
• Don't do too much because that is why you relapse.  Really?  So the week I spent coming home from work and lying on the couch the rest of the day was doing too much?  I work part time.  I have read three long books.  I know the television schedule by heart and have seen every Hoarding: Buried Alive episode.  I still have Christmas gifts to look at and figure out how to use.  I haven't touched my camera since I got my new lens.  I still have a gift to return.  I have 2 paychecks to deposit because I don't feel like going through the drive thru at the bank.  I won't eat anything that doesn't take like one step.  So, I am stuck with crackers and applesauce (unless someone else is cooking).   Okay, now I just sound like a lazy ass, but I swear I'm not.  It's just too much effort.  I am not even going to the mall.  This is getting serious.
• Unless the room is spinning or I feel like I am spinning she wasn't too keen on hearing how woozy I feel.  I freaking had to hold onto the wall while I took my shower because when I would open my eyes I thought that I would fall over.  I am still 'unbalanced' (shut up).  No quick movements for me.

Now bear in mind that I return to work tomorrow after a wonderful 4 day weekend spent being ill.  I work at a preschool. My hands are rotting off of my body because I wash them so often in the winter.  Maybe I should tell my boss that I need to stay home until I am over this shit.  That could get me through most of February and then it's a short month until Arizona.  That would work.  Right.

So here is my prediction.  I will get marginally better and recover probably 80% of my energy.  This will last for a couple of weeks and then, bang!  There I go again.  I don't for a minute believe that this is over.  The girls are running scared.  Alaska Girl is taking EmergenC daily as a preventive.  

I hope I am wrong.  Hopefully, my next post will be light and arty.  Hopefully, my next post will be in January, not March.  But, if it is in March, I will be in Arizona.

Haaaaappppppy New Year (sniff)

Happy New Year to all of you out in blog land!  We are cold here, but a bit of a warm up is starting today.  Hopefully it will last until Spring.

I have the transcript below of our fabulous New Year's Eve.  I know, it's a bit late, but you will see why in a moment.  Alaska Girl (with The Rach) and Swim Girl were both gone for the night and Computer Boy was back in Manhattan, so my husband and I had the house all to ourselves.  I should add that the 3 cats were out of their forced confinement in the basement since The Rach was gone.  They were ecstatic.

Please note:  GB=Grocery Boy  YT=Yours Truly

YT:   Unnnnn.  Cough, cough, cough.  Aargh.

GB:  Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough.  Hungry?

YT:  Noooooo.  I am dying.  Hack, hack, sniffle, sniffle.  Unnnnnng.

GB:  (at 9:00 pm)  I'm going to bed.

YT:   Unnnnnnng.  Cough, sniffle, hack, cough.  Ok.  I'm staying on the couch for the rest of my life.

Yup.  That's it.  Our fab New Year's Eve.  We were both sick out of our minds, running fevers and I know that I could barely stand.  It seems that we had both gotten this horrible flu or whatever that is going around here.  Apparently the outbreak is the worst it has been in a very long time.  It's so bad that our doctor's office just told us to go to a Convenient Care 'cuz it would be until the next week before they could see us.  It wound up that I had an ear infection, bronchitis and a sinus infection (I like to be a thorough overachiever).  Grocery Boy had 'something' (his words, not mine) that required drugs also.  Oh, and to top it off, Alaska Girl's eardrum burst one night last week.  Only Swim Girl has remained unscathed.  We are working on that.

Hopefully we will be all better by this weekend.  I will attempt to post some Christmas pics if I have the strength.

Happy New Year everyone.  May you avoid this crap!