How hot can it get?

Well, according to the thermometer at the kitchen window, it got to 110 degrees in the back yard today. Now, we get FULL sun in the back yard in the summer, so I now that that's probably not a true temperature, but it was true enough for me!

I went up to Greenwood to help Dan move Jen's HomeSweet studio to the basement. Fortunately, they also had friends who live nearby there too and the husband is young and strong. So the guys did the really heavy things before I got there. But there was still plenty of things to move down the 2 flights of stairs. It was a good workout and it felt good to help. And Eli gave me a hug when I arrived! That alone was worth the trip. :-) This was step 1 in getting ready for the new baby. Move the studio down to the basement, so they can move their bedroom back into the bigger room upstairs. Then Eli moves into the room they are vacating and the smallest room stays the nursery for the new baby.

I am surprised to find my weight still trickling down. And trickling is the right word. But it's better than going in the other direction. Last year, I longed for a metabolism that actually burns the food I eat rather than storing it. And now I think I have one!! No one would ever call how I eat a diet, but weight is still declining gradually. I read that when someone with a healthy metabolism eats, they burn the calories. A person with a sluggish metabolism would gain weight. I've been really focusing on my workouts more this year. And I don't just work out in the morning. And it's paid off. I guess the whole metabolism thing still works for us old farts too. Thank goodness something still works!

So I'm now down about 37 pounds! Amazing. Jay keeps calling me "skinny minnie" which is funny because I'm still over 160 lbs and about a size 14 ... getting closer to a 12 though! That's a far cry from skinny. But it makes me smile, so I'm sure he'll keep saying it and I'm ok with that. I've never been skinny, so I have no delusions that I will be now. I am more than happy to be thinner than I was and feeling as good as I do again. This side of the hill is no picnic, but I guess it's up to each of us as to how miserable it is. Attitude is key. I just hope I can keep mine positive even when things get tougher because I want to feel as good as possible as I continue my slide down the hill.

Long HOT Summer

I took off Friday and Monday for a long 4th of July weekend. We didn't go anywhere. We just relaxed and did fun things. It was such a pleasant weekend.

It's been brutally hot this summer. We didn't have a June. We're having 2 July's. Yuck. But we're still riding our bikes after work every day. I haven't lost any more weight, but I am still shrinking out of clothes, so I guess things are just firming up. When I say shrinking, I'm not talking 2 more sizes or anything. But I'm easily into a 14 (closing in on a 12) now and a plain old large t-shirt fits me just fine -- no more XL unless I just want a baggy fit. So I'm pretty happy. I was exploding out of my 16's, so 2 sizes is good in my book.

I'm also noticing more definition in my arms which is pretty cool. Now all this involves a lot of working out. Well, a lot for me. A real workout every morning, 5 days a week. Then every day at lunch I do a serious walk. In this heat, I'm doing an inside walk where I walk a back hall and then do a flight of stairs -- I started out doing 2 laps and then a flight of stairs. So I'm doing more stairs now ... like 12 flights of stairs! And then our bike rides after work. So, at 58, I think I'm getting a lot of exercise. And it seems to take all of that to replace my old jogging routine. I wish I could still jog, but I can't. My knees (especially my right knee), say no.

So, all in all, not bad for an old broad sliding down the back side of the hill.

Happy Fathers' Day

It was a pretty good weekend. We had dinner at our favorite place Friday night -- Adolfo's in Ocean City. We love that place.

Jay flew on Saturday. I went to the Bass outlet to spend the gift certificate that my mother-in-law gave me for my birthday. It's been quite a while since I just went shopping for myself. It was fun and it was even more fun because I was buying smaller sizes. Not a tiny size, but smaller than I was. I'm happy.

I called Jay and met him for lunch and then we visited with friends at the airport for a bit. Then we headed home to get ready to head up to Greenwood for our grandson's birthday. It was a pleasant gathering and Eli was certainly having fun. He was more than a little aware that he was the star. :-)

Today is Fathers' Day. We started the day with a light rain (which we need DESPERATELY). I told Jay that I gave him rain for Father's Day. :-) I did make him bacon and eggs for breakfast ... of course, I had some too. Having a nice breakfast together is always a nice way to start the day. Then he headed to the airport and I did my usual chores. Plus I made an amazing (no kidding) dinner. I made fresh bread in the bread maker -- I just used it to make the dough while I did chores. Then I shaped the loaves into baguettes and baked them in the oven. They turned our yummy. And I made his favorite ... chicken cutlets. I also make baked plum tomatoes -- those things are the bomb. Add a little salad and you have a kick ass dinner, if I do say so myself.

So Jay had a nice Father's Day. Jen called this evening when she finally had time. He was thinking she forgot, but she didn't. A good weekend. It's a shame that tomorrow is Monday, but oh well. Gotta make the donuts.

Happy Birthday To Me

So, last Friday I was turning 59. I really have no desire to "celebrate" my birthday anymore. I'm not loving how I look anymore or all the changes that are going on in and on my body. But here I am, so deal with it.

When I got to my desk on Friday, there was a little vase with some hydrangea cuttings on my desk with a cute/funny card. What a nice treat! Then there are a few of us who go to the cafeteria at the hospital for coffee every morning. Different ones of us make it each day depending on what's going on. But on Friday, EVERYONE seemed to be able to come to breakfast. And one of the girls stopped at Panera's a picked up a coffee cake. mmmmm. Another nice treat!

Then I got an e-card from my daughter. It was pretty funny. But the card mentioned that I was 58. But I'm 59, right? Nope. Do the math. I'm 58! Somehow, I lost track of my own age (probably not a good sign), but I actually ended up being a year younger! I'm 58, not 59!

Then Jay took me out for dinner at one of our favorite places ... Adolfo's in Ocean City. Yum. It ended up being a really nice birthday. We babysat our grandson Saturday night and Sunday. There was a big air show in Ocean City, so we took Eli on Saturday. We watched it from the beach in front of our condo with some friends and Jay's mom. It was perfect!

Today, our daughter, Jen, and her husband came to pick up Eli. We watch the 2nd day of air show and visited. She brought me my birthday present which was a fat quarter of her hand, block printed fabric (http://www.homesweet.com/). I had wanted some of her fabric to match some pillows that I got from her last year. So she gave it to me for my birthday! Lovely. I LOVE her stuff.

Tonight, Jay took me and his mom to Captains Galley so I could get one of the best crab cakes on the planet. And we even got dessert ... so bad, but so good. All-in-all, one of the best birthday weekends ever. A little family. Good things. And I'm a year younger! It just doesn't get any better than that!

A good day

Today my mother-in-law and I went up to Lewes to see Jen at a craft show held by the group "Delaware By Hand". It was a bigger show/fair than we expected -- Jen too. She said that she did fairly well. Yay. I really do love her work. And we enjoyed the craft show. So many clever and beautiful things.

My ex/her dad stopped by. It's so hard to see how old he looks. I know it's because he has never been a terribly healthy person and hasn't taken very good care of himself. But Jen and Dan both said that it had been a good visit so far, which is good. The kids also explained the logistical issues of going to DC for Memorial Day and he hadn't realized how far it really was. Plus, I don't even know how he could walk from a metro stop to the Vietnam memorial and they'd never be able to drive down town -- rolling thunder will be rolling in addition to all the other tourists. It would be insane and they helped Brad realize that. So they'll find fun things to do locally.

Jo and I hit a couple of new junk stores on our way back home. The consignment store in Millsboro was awesome! We will definitely be going back there. I even told Jen about it because I think she and Dan would love it. :-)

And, because no report would be complete without a health issue of some sort ... I was also feeling a little crampy today and I did a little spotting again. Crap. This time it was bright red, so I'm wondering if it was a delayed reaction to the biopsy on Monday. I'll make note of the date so I can tell the doctor if I experience more. There won't be another biopsy though. They can just schedule the D&C if it comes to that.

Whew

I got the results from the biopsy and it was clean! No further treatment AND no more biopsies. And the mamogram was negative, so everything is ok.

Of course, I can't be happy with that. I have to cause drama SOMEPLACE. My ex-husband is coming to visit my daughter this weekend which is no big deal. But he wants to go into DC on Memorial Weekend and visit the Vietnam Memorial. Jen and Dan said they didn't want to go because of the traffic, etc. But Brad is insisting. He makes me mad when he's being selfish -- which is all the time.

1. It's a 3 hour drive to DC on a good day. That's 6 hours in a car seat for my grandson. And that's if they're lucky. I'm sure it will be longer on Memorial weekend.

2. They will be standing in long lines to look at a wall. A 4 year old will be bored and won't understand the idea of a Memorial. He will be bored and fussy.

3. It's a lot of walking in the sun and standing around in crowds and Jen is pregnant.

4. They don't want to go, Jen knows that Dan doesn't want to go. She feels caught in the middle which is stressful and doesn't need the stress ... she's pregnant.

I understand that he wants to go and he wants to share it with Jen, but he's being selfish. He asked and they said no thank you. It annoys me that he continues to put Jen in this position. She would gladly go with him another time ... just not Memorial weekend. He has no idea what DC is like on a holiday like this. He hasn't been in the area, except for short visits, for over 20 years!

Since I can't do anything about Brad, I attempted to fortify Jen. I sent a pretty harsh email telling her that her dad has always been babied and he's selfish and she needs to not carry on the tradition of catering. I wanted her to be able stand up for what she wants. But I think I overdid it. :-(

I really do think that it would help them have a more honest relationship with her dad and I have to think that's a good thing. But that's not for me to say anymore. She's not 8. She's a grown woman with a 4 year old and another on the way. So I should shut up. But she's still my little girl inside and it kills me to see her getting twisted in a knot. She doesn't deserve it. She's been nothing but a good daughter. But I have to shut up now. All I can do is hope that the visit goes well and she doesn't have to go into DC.

Now what?!

A couple of weeks ago my boobs were really sore. I really thought that, if I didn't know any better, I was about to start my period. EXCEPT that I haven't had a period since the beginning of 2006! Lo and behold, last weekend I spotted for about 3 days. Ugh.

So I contacted my GYN and asked her if I should be concerned. She said not yet, but I should have it checked. She wanted to do an endometrial biopsy. I have had an IUD, so I figured it wouldn't be any worse than that. WRONG! Yowza! I can't even describe the feeling. It's not pain like stepping on a nail or cutting yourself, but damn, that hurt. I know I was doing a lot of heavy breathing. I think I hyperventilated almost to the point of fainting because my fingers were cold and tingling like crazy. I finally asked her to stop and she did. She put a cold compress on my head and left me to lie down for 10 or 15 minutes which I very much needed.

The good news is, because there are relatively few nerves in the uterus (though I'm pretty sure she found them all), or whatever, as soon as she stopped, the pain/uncomfortableness stopped. And there wasn't any lingering discomfort or pain. I just felt weak from almost passing out. We even rode our bikes after work like we always do.

So now I wait to find out if I have plain old hyperplasia or nasty dysplasia and the course of treatment that will ensure that I never have to have another endometrial biopsy.

I swear, it's 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I've lost weight. Improved numbers in my blood work. Am feeling better and more fit. I just have this uterus issue to sort out. At least, for now, I'm still ahead overall. Eventually it will be 1 step forward and 2 steps back. :-( So I guess it's not that bad yet.