The Best Laid Plans...Updated

 It will be a little while before I can get back to writing here. Thanks for your patience. Things have been, in a word, Shitful. 

I hope to see you soon.

Updated

I realized later that this was a crummy and selfish post, and I'm sorry. I'm overwhelmed and not myself. It's not my intention to be dramatic or cryptic, and I can see how this can read as both.

In brief:  Dr. B gave me a steroid blast in an effort to ease the pain I am in daily. It didn't work. What it did do--and I was fully aware of this possibility--was to give me a sleepless night, and that was all it took to break me down. I'm in a bad place right now, and I need some time. It's hard to face that this is my Life, and that no amount of fighting is going to make it different for me.

Again, I apologize for the original post. You deserve better. And I know better.

What's The Deal With My Mouth? A List Of Foods I Don't Eat Anymore

 

Rick and I were chatting after watching a commercial about Thanksgiving food. That led to a few comments about foods that I don't like anymore. I shut that conversation down With The Quickness, as my students used to say. 

You know, I'm the first one to admit that I've gotten ... Difficult with food. But I'm also the first one to admit that I heartily wish It Weren't So. I used to be a genial, easy-to-please eater who had no opposition to any food. I gladly ate anything put in front of me without complaint well into adulthood. 

It's only been in the last several years that I've suddenly become unable? unwilling? to eat some foods that I used to like, and the list seems to be growing. Have my taste buds changed? Am I finally becoming more discerning or unwilling to settle for stuff I merely think is ok? I know a couple of things don't sit well in my stomach, and that makes them Not Worth It anymore. Here is a (partial!) list of

Foods I Don't Eat Anymore

1. Bacon

2. Ham

3. Eggs

4. Pizza

5. Pumpkin Pie

6. Pickles

7. Green Peppers

8. Caramel  

9. White Chocolate

No need to go back over the whole Pizza thing--please.

I've found that smoky foods are too overwhelming for me. If barbecue sauces are smoky, I'm out. I do not like that taste at all. Recently, I tried ham again, and it was not too bad, but that was enough to hold me for probably another year or two. It makes me sad because I make a terrific glazed ham that everyone loves, and I used to love it too. Bacon is probably the most overrated thing in the world, there I said it.

I used to ask for, and get, huge jars of dill pickles for Christmas. I piled them on burgers and all kinds of cold cut sandwiches in addition to eating them plain as a snack. Now? I don't think there's a single jar in my house, here or at the lake. When did this happen? No idea.

When I was a little girl, I got incredible chocolates in my Easter basket. My uncle owned and operated a candy store, and he made all the chocolate molds, big filled Easter eggs, and fondant mints. His chocolate was delicious and all bunnies, crosses, chicks, and ducks were solid, not hollow. I often got white chocolate and loved it. Now? Ugh. How can they even call it chocolate? (By the way, each of us used to get a 12" solid chocolate bunny plus other molds, and yes, we always ate the ears first.)

Rick teases me about pumpkin pie this time of year every year. I make two each Thanksgiving and eat zero pieces. I have tried very hard to like it. I love pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies and pumpkin roll. I find pumpkin pie boring and sad. "Oh, Nance, " you say. "Make a pumpkin cheesecake!" I forgot to add cheesecake to the list of foods I no longer like. 

What are some foods that you've suddenly lost your taste for? Do you share any of mine?

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Better Living Through Little Bottles And Jars: A List Of Stuff I Take That's Not Medicine

Listen, I'll be honest. This is a real Hail Mary of a post because I woke up with a headache (not unusual now with EB/ME) and it developed into a migraine. I had to go to a doctor's appointment that was not encouraging, and the weather is SO GREY and SO WINDY and SO COLD and I'm ... well, let's just not Go There.

One of the discussions I had with Superhero Neurologist Dr. B was about medications. I am not a fan of loading up on a bunch of them, especially if I'm treating symptoms only. If I can manage them another way, that's what I'd rather do. One thing I am willing to take is vitamins or supplements that my doctors recommend if my labs show that I need them or if there is research that shows they will have a positive effect. Here is a list of

Non-Meds That I Take Regularly 

1. Multi-vitamin formulated for women

2. Vitamin D3

3. Vitamin B12

4. Magnesium

5. Iberogast

Because I am on Topamax (generic name topiramate), my body's ability to absorb many vitamins is compromised, especially Vitamin D. I had a severe Vitamin D deficiency several years ago that made me desperately ill and set me on a search to multiple doctors to find out what was wrong with me. It took me a year to recover my health. As a result, I must supplement D3 for the rest of my life. The same thing goes for B12; my levels for that vitamin were also low, and it helps with peripheral neuropathy. I take Magnesium to help with migraines and balance. The Iberogast was not prescribed, but it's an herbal supplement (drops) that help to calm my stomach and gut. Digestive problems are another symptom of ME that I deal with. I find this supplement very helpful for that, and it's just stuff like chamomile, lemon balm, and peppermint. 

Some people call vitamins and supplements the ingredients for expensive pee. I'm following doctor's orders, so I feel vindicated. How do you feel about vitamins and supplements? Do you take very many?  

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A Place For Everything: A List Of How I Keep My Kitchen In Check

 

It will probably not surprise anyone here that I like to Be Organized. Everything has a place, and I expect to find each thing in its place. Part of my fastidiousness comes from growing up in a home where this was not always the case. There were six of us in a very small house, and my mother was not the most enthusiastic housekeeper. My father was zero help in that area, being the breadwinner and quite the chauvinist.

Another reason I came to value Organization was my career. A highschool teacher with an average of 130 students for a class load, I learned that Being Organized meant my very survival. I had a system for everything, with fail-safes built into each of those systems. Nothing slipped between the cracks. My gradebook--yes, the actual black book--was a thing of beauty and efficiency and could tell me volumes at a mere glance. I had to build this empire because teenagers can find any flaw and exploit it to their advantage and to your ruin.

One important place in my own home that I'm quite Organized is my kitchen. It is a small, galley-style kitchen that also includes a breakfast nook. Space is at a premium, and I do cook, so I want it to be efficient and workable. Here is a list of

Ways I Keep My Kitchen Organized

1. Pot Rack 

2. Utensil Hooks

3. Containers With Their Lids

4. No Counter Decor

5. Store What You Don't Use Often 

I'm sure that none of these are revelations to any of you, but in case you have a small kitchen like I do, maybe one or two of these might be helpful. 

Kitchen designers or people who predict trends don't interest me. I want a functional and easy-to-clean kitchen. One of the best things I ever did was get a hanging pot rack. I put the pans I use most often on that and they're always within easy reach, ready to go. The rest of my cupboard can be used for sheet pans, cake and pie pans, and my big pasta pot. And lids (which are neatly stowed in the wire basket from a former freezer). 

I really dislike a big jumble of kitchen utensils like peelers, spatulas, ladles, serving spoons and whisks cluttering up a drawer. Not everything I use/need will fit in a cute crock on the counter. I installed a bunch of hooks, like plain old robe or towel hooks, on the wall, and hung a lot of these items if they had holes in the handles (or through the splines of a whisk). This saves space and the items are right there when I need them.

My good friend and fellow blogger Shirley taught me to end the madness of storing plastic tupper-type containers and lids separately. The summer I retired, I cleared out the plastic container cupboard, tossed any that had no matching lid or container, and stored all remaining containers with lids on them, keeping only the good stuff. It has been that way ever since and it has been life-changing. Trust us; do this.

My kitchen is red, white, and black and full of Holstein cows. I am a Cow Lady. Love them. You can imagine the vast amounts of Cow Stuff I would get for gifts, let alone the stuff I couldn't resist buying for myself. However, if that stuff lived on my counter, I was giving up valuable real estate I needed for food prep and other kitchen work. Rick built me shelves above the door frame and window, and I pared down my collection A LOT. None of it lives on my counter; I can't afford to give up that workspace.

Do I have a huge stainless steel bowl big enough to bathe a baby in? Do I have muffin tins? Do I have three springform pans and lots and lots of wineglasses? How about an electric griddle, ten boxes of pasta, five cans of tomato soup, ten cans of various beans, and dozens of Mason jars for homemade pickles as well as even more smaller jars for pesto season? Heck yes I do. They all live in my basement on the sturdy shelves my husband built in the pantry area. There is no way I want any of that stuff--and more--in my kitchen until I need it.

How many of these methods do you already use? Do you have more to share? 

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Let's Play: A List Of Favourite Toys Of My Childhood

 Theo had his first playdate at another child's home over the weekend. I heard all about it from Jordan yesterday. "They had a wonderful time," she said. "William's dads had converted their entire great room into a playroom. The floor was covered in play mats. There were all kinds of toys. Theo went right to where all the vehicles were neatly parked--trucks, cars, a cement mixer, a school bus--and ran them everywhere. There was every kind of toy imaginable in there!" 

Our boys had a lot of toys, and a great many of them lived in half of our living room, which we simply gave over to them when they were little. They had a Little Tykes basketball hoop in there, as well as a Fisher Price game table that was a glide hockey and pool table in one. I mean, after all, it was where we lived, for goodness' sake. 

When I was a kid, it wasn't like that at all. For one thing, there were four of us. And until I was in high school, my mom didn't have a job outside of the home. I never felt shortchanged or anything, but our Christmases were more modest. I always got the kinds of toys I liked, and my favourites were not spectacular. Here's a list of

Favourite Toys Of My Childhood

1. Colouring Books and Crayons

2. Etch A Sketch

3. Spirograph

4. Play Doh

5. Roller Skates

This list is short because I usually wanted (and got) clothes and books for Christmas and my birthday, along with little niceties like bubble bath and other doodads. I would occasionally ask for a doll, but  looking back, they weren't my favourites. I did play with dolls often, usually on a big blanket spread out under the tree in the front yard with my sister or friends. But the things on this list hold the fondest memories for me.

Every year for Christmas, I would ask for and receive a box of Crayola 64 crayons. I loved to colour, and the year I got The Great Big Nature Book To Colour, I was ecstatic. It was at least three inches thick, and within its pages were the best pictures ever--little animals in the woods, kids picking flowers, birds in nests, kids rowing boats in lakes with fish peeping out from the surface. I loved that book. Now, it's all but impossible to find a colouring book that's not a tie-in with a cartoon or character, or branded in some way. 

When I started being a Play Doh Artiste, there were only four colours, pink, yellow, blue, and white. I considered it a Venial Sin to mix Play Doh, ever. Still, I made wonderful things out of Play Doh and was thrilled to have a sister five years younger so that I could play with it long after it was appropriate.

I rollerskated like it was my job when I was a kid. And, hey, I'm not talking about those sissy skates that are boots with wheels attached that you just put on like bowling shoes. Oh no! I'm talking Change Out Of Your Keds And Put On Your Saddle Shoes In The Summertime And Clamp Those Bitches On By Using A Skate Key Like A Badass skates. These:

from Pinterest

Don't mess with me. I also played jump rope in the street using the telephone pole to hold the rope when we couldn't get another person to twirl. When Susan (my little sister) used to purposely jerk the rope to make me miss, our battles were epic and sometimes bloody. What can I say? Life in the 'hood.

What were some of your favourite childhood toys? Did you ever use a skate key? Anyone else love to get crayons?

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And For The Lady? My List Of Picky Restaurant Behaviours

 Rick and I do not go out to eat very often. This is mostly my fault. I get very annoyed at the prices restaurants charge for even a simple salad. It's outrageous. There are very few good restaurants near us as well, and I won't pay big bucks for mediocre food or food that I could make much better in my own kitchen.

We do have a favourite restaurant nearby, and the food there is always excellent. We know the owner and chef as well as all the wait staff. They take reservations--a must for me--and they will make alterations to any dish (don't like arcadian greens for your salad? they'll sub romaine; prefer no garlic? they'll leave it out). They have a weekly menu of special appetizer, soup, salad, fish, and meat or pasta entree. It's a wonderful place, but pricey. Rick would go there every single week, but I am the rain on his parade.

Here is a list of my

Picky Restaurant Behaviours

1. I do not eat outside.

2. I cannot be seated anywhere near an air conditioning vent.

3. I will not sit at a banquette.

4. I will not wait longer than 15 minutes for a table.

5. I will not order anything that I can make easily at home.

6. I generally do not get beef.

7. I do not sit at the bar.

8. I do not and never will order the salmon. 

I feel like so many of these are things you already know about me or can intuit from reading me all this time. My aversion to camping should make #1 clear. I'm not about to pay money for a meal and then fight the elements to enjoy it. I'm also not going to sit at a long bench and share my meal with strangers. Banquettes are the picnic tables of the restaurant industry. Same with sitting at the bar. 

There is a steakhouse in the area that does not take reservations. It has something called Call Ahead Seating, which I have no understanding of. People show up there and wait as long as an hour or more just to eat. I find that preposterous. Nothing is worth that. I detest waiting for anything, especially if I have an appointment time. 

Sometimes we go to our favourite restaurant--after making a reservation and asking for our favourite server, Lynn--and for a meal I get an appetizer and a salad. And a French 75. And then a creme brulee, because they serve theirs warm, which is so lovely. I try not to add up my part of the bill in my head and get crabby because that ruins the evening for me. Especially if I remembered to bring a sweater.

Am I crazy, or do you have some picky restaurant behaviours, too?

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When Rick Met Nance: Golf Class Explained

Yesterday's mention of meeting my husband in a college golf class provoked some discussion in Comments, enough that I decided to pause my Listing and devote today's post to that story. I'm honestly shocked that in the twenty years this blog has existed it's not been a topic before.

I started my college career in 1977 at Lorain County Community College, working part time at City Bank as a teller. I'd take morning classes, rush home, change clothes, and be at work asap. I also worked Saturdays. Luckily, college tuition at LCCC was ten bucks per credit hour back then, and it was on the quarter system rather than semesters.

Anyway, I was required to take three phys ed classes towards my degree. I was deeply disappointed by this; I had thought I would escape gym class once I graduated high school, where I was a very lackadaisical participant in all things athletic. If there had been a bookathon or a reading olympics, I'd have been all over that. As I made out my freshman college schedule, I scoured the phys ed offerings for anything that met my stringent criteria:  no running, no clothes changing, and no sweating. I was pleased to find three that fit that perfectly--golf, bowling, and marksmanship. 

Another reason I chose golf was because my father was an avid enthusiast of the sport. He played often, disappearing for half the day at least once a week when the weather was decent. He only played nine holes usually, but he never just played the course. He wandered around collecting interesting sticks, acorns, leaves, abandoned bird's nests, and other things in nature that interested him. His golf bag was a mess of environmental samples.

Back to golf class. It was taught by a young, brisk woman named Miss Pugh who was probably in her early thirties, if that, and largely populated by eighteen-year old boys. I was one of about 5 girls in the class. Some days were spent in the classroom, reviewing rules and taking quizzes, but most of the time we were outside in a wide, grassy area practicing putting, driving, chipping, and pitching. Miss Pugh would put us in teams of two or three, give us clubs and tees and plastic balls, and set up an area for us to aim for. 

I hated this part because I realized early on that I hated golf. A lot. It felt awkward and unnatural. And I sucked at it. I was a terrific and accurate putter, but the rest--not so much. I also hated that some of the boys in the class took these outdoor times as opportunities to Play Expert. And get very physical. They'd get behind me, put their hands over mine, and act like they were helping me with my grip and swing. I was quick to put a stop to that.

One day, I was put on a team with Rick and a boy named John. John was very cute (think Benson Boone and Timothee Chalamet) and bougie. We were outside to practice our chipping. All three of us were teeing up and getting ready to address the ball, and John came over to help me. He got behind me and I immediately told him I was fine and could do it myself while maneuvering away from him. I rolled my eyes at Rick and we all chipped. Well, at least John and Rick did. I stood there and watched my ball roll off the tee about six inches, probably from the draft of air my lousy swing produced. "Wow," Rick said, his voice clear and deadpan. "If that was me, I'd pick it up and hit it again."

I was already embarrassed, and now I was furious. Who did this jerk think he was, anyway? I turned around, looked right at him, and said, "And if I were you, I'd go straight to hell."

And thus began our neverending love story, Dear Readers. It continued with Rick pelting John with golf balls, a sort-of marriage proposal another time soon after and me accepting, and Rick getting an A in the class and me getting a C. I've never played golf, but he played many rounds with my father. We've been together 48 years, married 44. Astonishing, isn't it?

 

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Simon and Garfunkel Know: A List Of What I Grow

 

Every spring I walk over to the eastern side of my house that borders the neighbour's driveway to survey the tiny plot of ground that is my herb garden. Once the weather starts to settle in and the days warm consistently, I look to see which herbs have wintered over and which ones I'll need to replant. I clear away the dead leaves and the stray gravel thrown in by Scott's snowblower. (He's a great neighbour, and he'd apologize profusely if he saw me picking out the stones.) I make a mental list of what I need from the greenhouse, and go inside to write it down. 

Some of my herbs have been around for ages, and I so appreciate them. I garden organically, using this product for sturdy growth. When the season is over, I also dry my own herbs naturally by hanging them. Because my herb garden is so sheltered, I often have herbs well into November unless the weather becomes very harsh. Right now, I can--and do--still harvest parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (aka Simon and Garfunkel's Big Four).

This year, a volunteer Campari tomato plant made an appearance, and I harvested the last of those--green--about a week ago. They are sitting in the sun of my kitchen garden window, ripening at their leisure. I was also inundated with a dozen or so surprise jalapeno plants which I placed en masse in huge patio pots along the driveway. They look quite festive now, huge and full of bright red peppers.

But each year, my herb garden is lush and green, full of the same herbs. Here is a list of

Herbs In My Garden

1. Basil

2. French Tarragon

3. Italian Oregano

4. Chives

5. Rosemary

6. Curly Parsley

7. Thyme

8. Sage

My Tarragon, Oregano, and Chives have been with me for over ten years now. I've done nothing to them to inspire such loyalty and love. They have outstanding flavour, and I was cutting chives not a week ago for baked potato.

Many cooks prefer Italian Parsley, but I find that it tastes a bit like celery to me, so I prefer the Curly variety. I love it in salad, and I use it when I make pesto to help it stay green and lift the flavour a bit. I just cut some last night to put in meatloaf.

When I plant Rosemary, I like the barbecue variety, the kind that grows upright. It gives me more space in my little plot. It's also easier to strip. Rosemary is such a beautiful herb with potato, chicken, roasted vegetables, and you don't dare make lamb without it.

Basil = Summertime to me. I make quarts and quarts of pesto. I love a flatbread on the grill, smeared with pesto, topped with tomatoes marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add some fresh mozzarella and that's our go-to lake dinner. It's a shame that I can't winter over Basil, but it gives me so much to look forward to.

Thyme is an astonishing addition to mushrooms and onions. Try it. 

Sage makes all poultry better and it just tastes like Thanksgiving to me. It's also nice with pork. 

Do you have an herb garden? Cook with herbs? What are some of your favourites?

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Presenting Me: A List Of Random Facts To Get Newer Readers Up To Speed

It suddenly dawned on me that a great many of you have not been hanging around the Dept. since I started writing here in 2005. You've had to pick up context clues and figure things out as you go, and while it's pretty easy to catch on, it feels sort of rude to me that I haven't provided some background. I don't have an About Me page or anything, and the Blogger bio is glib and brief.

Quite some time ago, I did post a few photos of myself on a separate page to satisfy the curiosity of a few readers, then took them down. It's a Privacy Thing. Some of you have met me and can vouch for the fact that I'm a Real Person and do, in fact, exist. 

Anyway, I thought today I'd share some random facts about me that might help to fill in some gaps or merely round out your view of me. Or maybe even surprise you. Here then is the list of stuff that's

All About Me

1. I met my husband Rick in golf class in our first year of college.

2. I have two sons:  Jared is 40 and Sam is 37. Jared is the father of my grandson, Theo, who will be 2 in about two weeks.

3. I changed my college major from veterinary medicine to elementary education to secondary education and became an English teacher.

4. I learned to read when I was about 3 years old.

5. I am deathly afraid of snakes.

6. I detest winter.

7. I've lived in Ohio all my life.

8. I am a recovering Catholic who is now atheist.

9. I am almost always cold, and I have three heating pads.

10. I am a huge Dog Appreciator and know almost all dog breeds by sight, but I won't ever own a dog.

11. I do not like pizza.

12. I have a big 15-year old orange tabby cat named Piper; he will be my last cat forever.

13. I used to have a massive and long-running crush on Daniel Day-Lewis.

14. I hate country music.

15. I do freelance writing and editing.

Time is running out for me to post this. It was a tiring day. If you'd like details on any of these, please ask, and I'll be happy to provide in Comments. Otherwise, give me some similar facts about yourself:  Who's your celebrity crush? Do you like country music? Have a phobia? Dislike a popular food? Let's hear it.

Things I Learned From My Father

 

My dad and Mac

I awoke with a headache, thanks to a big front that's moved in. Sometimes migraines can make me feel emotional and a bit...close to the edge. Maybe I dreamed about him, maybe it was Rick greeting me this morning with the election news of all the Democratic victories, but I find myself thinking of my father so much this morning. 

For those of you who are new here, my dad was a lifelong union man, a steelworker, a former professional fastpitch softball pitcher known as the Lorain Tornado, and staunch Democrat. He was a first generation American, born of two Croatian immigrants. He was a WWII veteran, a deep reader of philosophy, an appreciator of music, and a guardian of Nature. He was also a terrible chauvinist who perplexingly encouraged his three daughters to be independent, confident, free thinkers, to never need a man, and to stand up for themselves always.

Here is a partial list of some other

Things I Learned From My Father

1. Look someone in the eye when you talk to them.

2. Don't be part of The Common Herd.

3. Some people simply cannot help themselves, and they need help from others and their government.

4. The anticipation of an event is just as important as the event itself.

5. Every person has value.

6. Be a good listener and you can talk with anyone.

These are all pretty self-explanatory, but they helped to make me a good teacher, parent, and person. All of us were raised without prejudice, and we were expected to be kind. In the later years of his career, Dad was a security guard at US Steel, working the gatehouses where big trucks came in and out and the workers left after their shift was over. So many of them hung around just to talk to my father, sometimes for an hour or more. It wasn't uncommon for us to be out and about and have several people come up to him and chat, even when we were on our cross-country trip! He knew everyone, and everyone wanted to stop and exchange a few words. Oddly enough, my father used to grumble about this often, saying he preferred to be left alone.

Growing up, I was often frustrated by my demanding father. He was old-fashioned and strict; he seemed as if he didn't trust us. I know now that he didn't trust the world and the people around us. He saw what was out there, more of it than we did. His own childhood was ugly and rough. I wish he had tried to make us understand.

He did see the results of his endeavours, however, both in his children and his grandchildren before he died 25 years ago. I know he found great joy in that.  

Eating My Words: A List Of Nevers That Are Now Alwayses (Is That Even A Word?)

Many, many years ago I was a person of absolutes. I used the words Always and Never liberally in my conversations, and I really meant them when I said them. So many things seemed so clear to me all the time. Distinctions were not fine; they were obvious and defined. I found decisions relatively easy and clear-cut. 

In short, I was an idiot. And young. And lacked the wisdom and experience to know very much at all. As time has gone on, I've learned to stop using words like Always and Never. Instead, I say things like, "I can't imagine myself ever" or "At this point, it's my habit to". 

As you can imagine, I've had to eat my own words many times. Here is a list of

Things I Said I'd Never Do, But Now I Do Them All The Time

1. Text

2. Use the word Text as a verb

3. Go out in public wearing leggings

4. Be okay with my kids having tattoos

5. Wear sneakers any time but for exercise

6. Let Rick go to the grocery store with me

I know, right?

Back in the early days of cellphones, I could not understand how anyone wanted to type on those itty bitty keyboards and pay for the privilege. It just seemed ridiculous to me. I hated all the stupid word shortcuts, too:  ur for your or you're; l8 for late; cu for see you, etc. They irked me. Then! Students started using the word Text as a verb, and worse yet, they added tense endings to it. "He texted me that he'd be absent today." Aaarrgghhh. I swore I'd never, ever use Text as a verb, let alone pay for typing out messages on a minuscule keyboard. Not me! Oh, ha ha it is to laugh.

I held out on leggings for a bit longer, but not by much. Black leggings are my uniform, and you will never, ever pry them out of my grasp. I wear them 3.5 seasons out of the year, and I don't care if I have to use the lint roller every single time I step out of the house. It's worth it. 

Tattoos are so mainstream now that my initial objections seem quaint and stuffy. I still wish my sons did not have them, but that's mainly because they are my babies and I remember them as that. All that beautiful, perfect skin that I knew every unblemished inch of. But their ink doesn't change who they are, and they designed meaningful illustrations, mostly of family emblems and symbols. Will I ever get a tattoo? I can't imagine a scenario in which I would.

See? I've learned to never say Never! How about you? Have you had to eat your words like I have? Or has it usually been your habit to avoid that situation? (I'm pretty good at this now!)

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Cheers! A List Of What I'm Drinking These Days

Back in the days before my Miracle Migraine Medicine, I used to drink Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper all the time. I drank these sodas at school in the classroom even though they gave me tremendous gas. The students used to love when I belched. It was such a bizarre juxtaposition, seeing me standing there, dressed to the nines and teaching Honors English, yet suddenly letting out such enormous burps that usually took me quite by surprise. But once I went on Topamax, the days of drinking soda were over. That med causes a very unpleasant reaction with CO2, and I can't drink anything with lots of carbonation anymore. I manage, somehow, to survive, rest assured. Here is a list of

Things I Can And Do Drink

1. Water

2. Decaf Coffee

3. Herbal Tea

4. Cider Hot Toddy

5. Champagne

6. Martini

7. French 75

8. Wine

9. Some Beer

10. Bloody Mary

Looking at this list, one may think, 'Wow. Nance is a boozy lady.' I wish. In reality, I am a cheap date because it's rare that I have more than one cocktail or craft beer. My tolerance for alcohol is laughably low. I'm a small person, and even after one sip, I start feeling it. 

This lady is the most hydrated person in the world. I drink water constantly. It is always at my side. I had to switch to decaf coffee shortly after I retired because it started making me jittery, and I didn't need the caffeine to keep me going through the day anymore. Now I drink coffee because I love it.

Last night I was chilly and exhausted after a day spent with Theo (so worth it!). I warmed up a huge cup of cider with a cinnamon stick, a clove, and a shot of Canadian Maple liqueur. I put myself under a blanket, put my heating pad on high, and luxuriated in front of Netflix with Piper snoring on my lap and the toddy cozying me up from the inside. Highly recommend.

What are your go-to drinks these days? Have you had to give any up? Do you belch like a teen boy in a contest?

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Stripping Down: Another Life List

 

About a hundred years ago, my son Jared and I had a blog together called Stuff On Our List. We wrote list posts about all kinds of stuff and then offered a few comments about some of the items on the lists. For November I've decided to use that format for my posts here. Let's get into today's list of

Things I'm Not Wearing Anymore

1. Makeup

2. Jewelry

3. Wristwatch

4. Wedding ring

5. Bra

6. Fussy Shoes

7. Glasses with those nose pad thingies

Let me be clear:  I have not Given Up. I don't drag around the house in sweatpants and slippers looking slovenly and pathetic. These are all things I stopped wearing well before my recent diagnosis. I still look Very Nice and Presentable. At any given moment, I could answer the door and be perfectly fine if it were, say, a handsome dignitary or sophisticated billionaire offering me a generous check. I do still wear mascara, geeze.

Many of you might be Nitpicking and say, "Nance. Wristwatches and Wedding Rings are Jewelry. You are redundant." To you I would say Perhaps, but I think of Jewelry as things such as earrings (I donated all my earrings and let my three earlobe holes close); bracelets (I have a huge collection of sterling silver ones); and necklaces (I have lots of sterling silver chains, too--necklaces began to trigger migraines). I stopped wearing my wedding ring when my weight kept going down, down, down, and it fell off. I also had to have it cut off once when I injured my hand, and that was awful. 

Years ago, I wore wonderful high heels to work every day. My students were astonished that I didn't own any sneakers. How devastated they'd be to know that I wear sneaker-type shoes every day now--soft, rubber-soled slip-in shoes that are comfortable but still attractive, like these. Or black Mary Janes that are knockoffs of these. Of course, I have many others because some habits die hard. I'm especially fond of these. And I have them in white, too.

Have you given up on Wearing Some Things, too? Why? Do you think I'm giving up too easily? Chat me up in Comments.

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Oldies But Goodies: My Past In Concerts

 

My younger sister often goes to concerts. She and her husband drive to nearby states to see their favourite bands and she sends me video clips. I haven't been to a concert in over a decade, and that one was in a private box at The House of Blues in Cleveland. I was the guest of a big shot on the board who is a former student and was also my financial adviser at the time. It was the perfect situation for me because I didn't have to worry about people standing up in front of me, people dancing around next to me, or people holding up their arms or their phones in front of my face. 

I've wisely stopped going to concerts because I know that they are simply not the place for me. I'm not going to pay big bucks to listen to thousands of people sing along and annoy me in other ways. I'd rather stay home and listen to music in comfort.

In my youth, however, I did go to concerts, and thankfully, I didn't have to pay exorbitant prices. At the risk of all of you furrowing your brows and repeatedly asking Who?, here is at least a partial list--in no particular order--of

Concerts I Have Attended

1. Eric Carmen

2. Seals & Crofts

3. James Taylor

4. Harry Chapin

5. Genesis

6. Peter Frampton

7. The Cars and Wang Chung

8. Phil Collins

9. Rod Stewart

10. Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks

11. Stray Cats

12. Michael Crawford

13. Trans Siberian Orchestra

14. Aretha Franklin

15. B.B. King

16. Neil Diamond

It's entirely possible that there are more and I can't remember. 

Seals & Crofts was my very first concert. My best friend and I were huge fans, and her parents took us to see them at the Ohio State Fair. I was in probably 8th grade, and we were both so excited. Eric Carmen was my second concert. He was a Cleveland boy, frontman for the group the Raspberries. He went solo and had the big hit All By Myself. He played at a local high school's theater, and my older sister and I went. I was 16 at the time. You aren't the only one wondering why these acts were playing at such relatively obscure venues.

There are a few of these on the list that I saw more than once, like Genesis and Rod Stewart and Phil Collins. A few were concerts that weren't chosen by me, like B.B. King, Neil Diamond, and Stray Cats, but I went and had a great time. The Aretha Franklin concert happened after a Cleveland (then) Indians baseball game. Aretha arrived in a big Cadillac that drove right onto the field. She had a huge entourage, and I have no idea what all those people were doing because they sure didn't sing with her. 

There are some concerts I would have loved to have seen:  Elton John, Queen, Tina Turner, Carly Simon, and Earth, Wind and Fire, among others. Heartbreakingly, I had plans to see Elton John, but that was the year I got very sick with mono and strep. He played Cleveland without me--an Official Elton John Fan Club member!

My older sister actually saw The Beatles in concert in Cleveland. Can you even imagine?

What are some of the concerts you've seen? Do you even know who these acts are?

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