Odin's Day

Since being out of work, I've completely lost track of what the days of the week are, it all just flows into one great river of writing time, punctuated by physical therapy and weekends which I recognize because Jason is home all day.

It's sort of nice. Sigh. Too bad I've gotten all addicted to things like having a roof over my head, electricity and food.

Nothing new or exciting to report today. And you know what that means!

Kittens!

Twosday!

Two things I'd like to say:

1. Welcome to our new reader from the US House of Representatives! Now, whoever Henry Brown had reading my blog only felt it necessary to check in once a week or so, since I primarily babble about cats and writing here. Y'all are already watching me on Twitter and that's where most of my political slings and arrows are thrown. Don't want you to have to spend any more of your valuable time (and tax payer funded salary)than necessary following the babblings of an old cat lady.

2. I am very excited to start physical therapy this morning. Now that story may change between now and this afternoon. But I am fairly tired of gimping around and look forward to seeing how much function has been restored.

And now, the real reason y'all come here: Kittens!
(Note to our new Government reader. Twosday is celebrated on Tuesday, see how that works? Because I have two cats, on Twosday, I post pictures of them together. How subversive!)


The boyz say: The GOP is watching her again??? HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Hello Poor Intern Who Got Stuck Reading My Blog!

I'll try to be remotely interesting for you. Poor thing. Hope you like kittens.

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Monday Funday?

I get to drive my car today. Trying to decide where to go. It'll probably be something exciting like Total Wine or Publix. Whoo-hooo. The thrilling life I lead.

Today's writing task includes changing the timing of an plot line in book two. Which means I have to go through the entire manuscript and re-time everything. But if I'd paid attention and thought it through in the first place, I wouldn't have this egregious incongruity rearing its head in book three. Plus I've decided one of the characters is gonna have a mystery boyfriend.

And after that fun, I must edit at least one of the outlines.

The boyz say: Our Monday plans. Well, we might get up to eat.

Caturday!

Really, it's Harry Potter Day!!!!!! So, so, so excited. Gonna gimp on out there, crutches and all. Nobody tell me how it ends!

Thor sez: Yeah, we're excited.

Knee recuperation is going well. Enough of the swelling has gone down for me to see the knee cap and TA-DA! It's pointing straight ahead instead of off to the right. How exciting is that?

Loki sez: Let me see!

Working my way through my things to do while out on FMLA. I have outlined both manuscripts. I have written first, rough draft synopses of each, I have sent both out to a very qualified reader and am very excited to get some critical feedback before I begin the final edits of Book One and the second draft of Book Two. I have written a little plot summary (that bit you look on the back of a book to see if it interests you or not) for each. I have sketched out the plot points for Book Three because it is clattering around in my head like something loose in a pressure cooker and I needed to release some steam.

Thor sez: I've counted eleventy-billion "and then"s.

And the most dangerous thing that has happened to me all week: Jason showed me the Keds website where you can not only get old fashioned, regular, normal sneakers, but you can DESIGN your own colors!!! I need someone to come take my debit and credit card away until the urge passes.

Thor sez: Yes, leave them with us. It'll be safe.

Loki sez: What was it again? www.catnip.com?

Fawns!!

First fawn sighting this year! It's always exciting to look out the kitchen window and - Oh, there are baby deer in the yard!




Momma Deer was a little nervous and they only stayed a few minutes.

Twosday!

Hanging out.

It's Like Christmas! Not Really.

I've been waiting all weekend for today. The day I get to take off my mummy wrappings and see what lies beneath. This is what I've been poking and prodding, trying to determine what is wrapping and what is flesh.

My ortho doc is known for his giant dressings, so who knows what can be under this?

Down to the surgical gauze now, not looking that bad.

Awww, he signed it. (Actually he initialed it with me pre-op as part of the safety protocol.)

Hey. That's not so bad. The goose egg on the right is where most of the pain has been since yesterday. Hopefully with the wrappings off, I'll have a little more range of motion and and start working it a little more.

Oh, it's betadine making my skin look so yellow.
Now, on to the really exciting part of the day: I get to take a shower!!!!!!

Loki sez: Please do!

Saturday Catch Up

Surgery yesterday went fine. I managed to rein in my massive case of grumpiness after my noon surgery was pushed back to one pm due to air conditioning issues at the center that morning. Everyone got pushed back, but the staff was as nice and wonderful as they could be.

It was just the whole hadn't eaten nor drank anything since 10pm the previous night that had me grumping.

But there seems to be far less pain going on that my previous clean up of that knee. But then, contrary to popular opinion, I've actually been a better patient, being a good little girl and icing and elevating and doing my range of motion exercises.

My doc was dodgy on the how long should I expect to be out of work question. He only said that having 6-8 weeks of FLMA planned probably wasn't a bad thing, didn't think I have to be out quite that long, but too soon to tell.

More when I go see him for my follow up appointment in a week because I have absolutely no memory of him coming in to see me after surgery. I don't know what drugs that most wonderful human being of an anesthesiologist gave me to prevent my normal post-op puke-a-thon, but it worked.

And just because they told me not to bathe or shower until Monday, doesn't mean I can't actually bathe or shower. It just means I shouldn't get the dressing wet. A couple of trash bags and some painters tape took care of that. I will admit getting into the tub by myself was bad patient. But I did ask for supervision getting up out of the tub, so that's good patient.

Whining for wine last night was annoying, but good patient. Getting up and just getting a glass after Jason joked that he'd probably wash down the Lortab with a beer, ya know, was semi-bad. I didn't wash down any narcs with it.

My doc is famous for his enormous dressings and I'm curiously waiting for Monday to unwrap it and see what is dressing and what is knee. (Last surgery it was approximately the size of a basketball, BUT, I had no adult supervision and the phenergan they gave me as they wheeled my puking ass out the door (this was NOT at the same place, nor hospital system, just to be clear), knocked me out so bad that I didn't start ice/elevation until almost 36 hours post surgery.)

Wondering about PT now. It'd probably be cheaper to join that gym in the mall Jason goes to ($20/month) than pay for PT. I know how to rehab a knee. ROM, easy weights, steps, cycling.

The boyz say: Yeah, that giant thing on your leg is freaking us out a little.

Thor's Day!

Three pictures of Thor I took yesterday.

American Savages

We as a society aren't but a few steps from the proverbial brain-bashing neanderthals of long ago.

We put a pretty veneer of Christianity and love and goodness on ourselves, but it seems to crack pretty easily.

I haven't followed the Casey Anthony story very closly. I am aware of most of the story, but haven't watched any of the trial. I got the idea that she most likely did kill her child, but there wasn't enough evidence to convict. That's a shame.

But it is one of the very basic ideals of America - innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Does this suck lemons at times? Yes, it does.

It surprises me that so many Americans seem to think that just because "every one knows", a person should be put to death.

Damn.

Here is a thought. Children who live on your street, in your neighborhood, in your city are being abused, neglected and murdered by their parents.

How about you do something about that? You can have more impact there than screaming and frothing at the mouth on news comment sites and twitter.

And I know why this case has captured such interest. Too many young, white mothers look at Casey Anthony and see (at least on the surface) someone not that much different than themselves.

And it's scary.

So you rant, disparage and distance yourself as far from her as you can.

I see a lot of young mothers these days running in some terrified nightmare that they might do one single little thing that will ruin their child's entire life for ever and ever.

I see a lot of young mothers putting up fronts for their friends, family, total strangers on the street, so that no one will think anything but that she is the most perfect mother in America.

That's a lot of stress.

Every time something like this happens, I hope that it will allow for an open, honest discussion about the stress and frustration of being the perfect mother.

I have a dream that some day, mothers will be able to say, "I'm depressed" and not hide it.

That mothers will be able to say "my kid is jumping up and down on my last nerve today" and not be judged.

That mothers will be able to feed their kids a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner one night because they are exhausted and not feel like they are damaging their kid for life.

I'm not saying that Casey Anthony was a good mother who just cracked one day, it's fairly obvious she was an accidental mother who didn't want to be one.

I'm just saying I wish something good for mothers would come from these horrible things.

But instead we get screaming, horrific threats, blaming, anger and outrage.

Nothing productive, nothing positive.

Thor sez: Remember that time you accidentally locked me in a closet for 8 hours when I was a kitten? And I turned out just fine.

Happy Fourth of July!

The boyz say: We're ready to party like it's 1776!

Mumblings

This fourth of July weekend, I have been subjected to several articles quoting studies that "prove" that Republicans are more patriotic than Democrats.

Well, golly.

(Didn't the republican congress just veto pay increases for those soldiers in combat who are protecting our great nation? Just asking.)

But I digress.

Here is what I think.

We all love our country.

Some Republicans seem to love America as a child loves a parent.

Completely, unquestionably, and willing to fight anyone who says anything negative about it.

Some Democrats seem to love America as a parent loves a child.

Completely, unquestionably, recognizing and taking pride in the good, but willing and able to look at that which can be improved and working towards improving it.

Is chest thumping, flag waving, I'm a better American than you really helpful in these times?

So fly your flags high, and remember that your fellow citizens are not the enemy, they are your neighbors and friends.