Thread Drift [Archive] - Page 63 - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

Crankin

02-08-2013, 10:44 AM

OK, well, that was a waste. We waited 1.5 hrs., not sure why, there were only 2 people ahead. DH wanted to be checked out, as he has been sick for 2 weeks, though not as bad right now. We got in and saw why. The NP took a whole history about medications and chronic disease... we have both been here before, oy. She gave me the quick strep test, didn't show anything, but she did send it off to be checked more thoroughly. Basically she told me to do what I'm already doing, despite my plea for developing sinus trouble and kind of flinching when she tapped my sinus area. So then, she seemed to be charmed by DH, and said since he had been sick for so long, he was getting a prescription for an antibiotic! Mind you, he has no sinus symptoms, but his throat was hurting and we were both worried about strep. He also got a scrip for Flonase, that he gave to me. That took, like an hour. We usually go to a locally owned pharmacy, but since we were in CVS, DH felt we should just get the drugs there... I said no, by the time we drive over our normal pharmacy, they would be ready. He didn't see the point, so we waited. And waited. Another hour and a few minutes! Everyone and their relatives must have decided they needed to get their prescriptions at the beginning of the snowstorm. I did buy some Mucinex, as I have never tried that before. It was about 1:15 when we got home. It seems to be working.
I probably should have gone to my PCP, but this is usually faster. Well, I'm at home, going to rest, do a little paperwork, etc. Also am going to make the pork carnitas later on. Tomorrow, the storm won't be over until later in the day, so I might help out with the snow removal, but otherwise, it will be rest until Sunday, when we are going skiing and I WILL feel better.
I think BC/BS of MA is the issue. Instead of giving the minute Clinics a blanket corporate approval, each separate clinic has to wait for approval. Based on what I know about getting on one of their panels for mental health reimbursement, it takes an act of God. They suck, big time for providers, although as consumers, we have "Cadillac" coverage.

Catrin

02-08-2013, 10:48 AM

I hope you are feeling better soon! The carnitas, by the way, are just plain awesome. I never dreamed that the flavor of pork cooked in lemon/lime juice would be so...yummy, tender and moist!

Crankin

02-09-2013, 04:59 AM

Well, today is the first day I woke up without a sore throat, but I still have that "losing my voice" feeling, with a "full" head. The Mucinex seems to really help, so I will continue using this. I am freaked out it will go into my chest, but so far, so good.
The snow is so high outside, that it blew over and buried the exhaust from our heating system. Since our temperature goes down at night, this shut the system off (a good thing, so we don't get CO2 poisoning) and it was cold when I got up. DH went out and shoveled it out, and it is now nice and warm.
I just heard the mandatory driving ban might extend to tomorrow. Noooooooo, I am going skiing! DH just subtly joked that we can say I'm a healthcare worker and I have to go provide emergency psychotherapy, with nordic skis on the car, in case we have to ski in to the patient's house.

SheFly

02-09-2013, 11:03 AM

The driving ban ends today at 4 pm. Hope you're feeling better, and got all dug out. That was a lot of snow! Woohoo.

SheFly

Crankin

02-09-2013, 12:10 PM

Thanks, SheFly. Parts of me are better and other parts, no. I am still not dressed as I write this. Yes, we're all dug out, took DH 3 hours with the snowblower, and that's just for the area in front of our house. The driveway up to our house gets plowed. I certainly don't feel like I should be skiing tomorrow, but there has been a gradual improvement each day. Yes, the driving ban has ended, but I am not going anywhere tonight! We are headed to Northfield Mt. at 9 AM.

Crankin

02-10-2013, 07:55 AM

Still sick, and now I have a fever of 100. Obviously, I did not go skiing. I am not coughing much anymore and my sore throat is gone. Just aching and my head is full, my stomach is weird. I always get freaked out about pneumonia, although I don't have any chest pain. Definitely not the flu; I had a shot 5 weeks ago and this has come on very slowly, nothing like when I had the flu in 1993, which is about the sickest I've ever been, including a 104 degree fever.
It looks like I will be going to my PCP tomorrow and possibly canceling all of my clients. We are leaving Thursday for VT, and it is a non-refundable reservation.

OakLeaf

02-10-2013, 07:58 AM

Ugh. Hope you feel better in time for your trip.

Crankin

02-11-2013, 03:44 AM

OK, after a horrible day yesterday, including a fever of 100 (I never run a fever and my normal temperature is below normal), I think I may be on the upswing. Maybe. My head is still full, but I feel somewhat different, can't quite put my finger on it. Cancelled all my clients, but I am not missing my haircut appt. (priorities)! I am debating on going to the doctor, as I definitely don't have anything in my chest and I doubt I need an antibiotic, which would put me into weeks of stomach hell.
Will keep you posted.

emily_in_nc

02-11-2013, 05:40 AM

Sorry, Crankin! Hope you start feeling better day by day -- I'm betting you'll be fine (or close to it) by Thursday. Once your fever has broken, the worst is over, in my experience.

indysteel

02-11-2013, 06:30 AM

Feel better, Crankin. I, too, get stomach and bowel issues with most antibiotics. Now I take a priobotic during and after the course of antibiotics. That seems to help.

On an unrelated note: Whoever created the at-home jewelry/makeup/clothing/purse Pampered Chef-type parties should be voted off the island. I just got invited to a clothing party. The hostess is a perfectly lovely person and I don't want to offend her, but there's no way in hell I'm going to such a thing. The only way I like to shop for clothes is online.

Crankin

02-11-2013, 07:04 AM

Indy, your comment about the home parties made me chuckle as I sit waiting at the doctor's office. I remember many years ago when I was at a Tupperware party and I offended the salesperson. She was going on about how selling that stuff could make you "rich." I think I said something like "I might not be rich, but I have a professional job and a master's degree, and I'm not selling Tupperware."
ETA: got my prescription for Zithromax. Ear is infected and probably sinuses, too. He said it was probably secondary to a viral thing, but given my "contact with people with poor health habits," he's not messing around.

indysteel

02-11-2013, 08:39 AM

I love Z-packs. They knock out my sinus infections in short order. I hope you feel better soon!

Crankin

02-12-2013, 02:53 PM

Within an hour of getting my prescription, I started wheezing. I had not done that in 7 years.
Took my out of date Ventolin inhaler and prayed. Woke up this morning, wheezing decreased to almost none today, lots of productive coughing. Ear and sinuses better, but I am tired and my coughing is annoying. Got a new inhaler, too.

Catrin

02-12-2013, 03:08 PM

Take care! I hope you are feeling better tomorrow...

Blueberry

02-12-2013, 03:26 PM

Crankin-

I hope you're feeling much better by your trip! What bad timing, and it sounds like a miserable bug!

Owlie

02-12-2013, 04:04 PM

Feel better, Crankin!

I've had a headache for the past two days. I hope it's just the fact that I'm not sleeping well (and consequently not eating properly) rather than something worse.

Crankin

02-12-2013, 04:23 PM

Despite the chest stuff, parts of me feel better. Asthma, I can deal with. It's passing, secondary to being sick and just having too much, excuse the word, mucus. Pneumonia, I cannot deal with. I don't think I have it, as that was something I developed after my first tour, a weekend in Vermont, where I rode in the rain and the temperatures were in the 30s-50s. That also started with sneezing, etc., but I am not having the hurting in the back, etc. My stomach was just killing me, too, mostly my usual stuff, that no one has ever been able to pinpoint, except that "it's probably diverticulosis" and the fact that I have 2 first degree relatives with colitis, which I have a genetic marker for. I didn't have coffee today, just 2 cups of strong tea, and the stomach is 100% better. But tea just does not have enough caffeine in it for me. I have a slight caffeine withdrawal headache, and I don't even drink that much coffee, just like it strong!
I am heading to bed, I need sleep. I actually slept OK last night, but I stayed up late reading and got up at 5:45. When I think back to the days when I had stuff like this 2,3, 4 times a year, I realize how much healthier I am.

Anelia

02-13-2013, 10:44 AM

Crankin, sleep tight and have a good rest. Sleep heals.
Why do they call it "rest day"!? I'm off training today but I decided to get all the house work and chores done today. I'm ten times more tired than on my work out days :(

Crankin

02-13-2013, 11:56 AM

My saga is continuing... but not really too badly (fingers crossed). I felt really bad again this morning and I actually turned around and went home on my way to my first session. Went back to the doctor. I definitely don't have pneumonia or even bronchitis. Basically, whatever sinus/ear infection I have triggered my asthma, which has been lying dormant, for oh, about ten years. So, I have to keep taking the Ventolin inhaler and he gave me scrip for Prednisone, which he said to do at my discretion, since I'm leaving in the AM and I will be out of cell range. I also got a swab for the flu, which I dutifully took over to the lab, but I really doubt I have it. I had the shot, and even if I have it, it's mild.
This doctor didn't know me when I had all of the asthma stuff, so I reminded him that with all of the endurance stuff I do, I never have issues, so no, I will not go on a long term controller. I really shouldn't take the Prednisone, due to my osteoporosis (which is responding very well to treatment), but I know within a few hours it will knock the inflammation down and I will be able to ski. I think I am giving myself permission to take it!
I walked to get a coffee while waiting at the pharmacy, and it is really nice out, about 41, actually good riding weather. It's amazing how when you haven't been exercising outdoors, you don't pay attention to the weather.
I feel really guilty about canceling my clients and my productivity for the month is shot, but I am not giving up on skiing.

indysteel

02-14-2013, 11:28 AM

I'm super excited. My sweet husband surprised me with a new Campy triple crank for my Bianchi in honor of our third year anniversary yesterday. I've long disliked my compact, which I switched to because my old Campy triple's Q-factor caused chronic ITB irritation. Campy recently came out with triples with a lower Q-factor, so I hope this one works for me. The compact was okay, but I was constantly trying to find just the "right" gear or having to shift around a lot to avoid cross chaining. I know triples are out of fashion in general, but I really like them. The crank is surprisingly light, too.

indysteel

02-14-2013, 12:06 PM

He did good! Of course I should note that the gift, as great as it is, was just icing on the cake. He really is a wonderful partner and the gifts were incidental to our celebration. One of the things I love most is that we truly enjoy spending time together and enjoy all the things we do, both little and big. He makes doing something as mundane as grocery shopping or folding laundry fun, and he's a huge comfort to me during less than fun times. I spent many, many years alone and while I wasn't lonely all of those years, I feel really lucky to have found him.

snapdragen

02-14-2013, 02:24 PM

indysteel

02-14-2013, 03:53 PM

I still smile and giggle when I think of the "ride report" he posted on RBR with the old rusty bike frame. You found yourself one of the good ones Indy.

That thread was classic! I'm glad you enjoyed it, too!

emily_in_nc

02-14-2013, 03:56 PM

Hope you're feeling a little better, Crankin, and that your ski trip is a good one. Can't believe how bad your bug ended up being! :( Glad you took care of yourself and went to the doc as needed!

Owlie

02-14-2013, 05:02 PM

Catrin

02-14-2013, 05:34 PM

Crankin - crossing my fingers in hopes you can enjoy this weekend!

Indy - congratulations on having found such a great guy to share your life with! The joy in your post brought a really big smile to my face :)

Crankin

02-15-2013, 01:18 PM

I'm doing OK. See the x country ski thread. No wheezing today and just a little coughing. Lots of (pardon this) mucus in my head, so taking a decongestant. Two more days of prednisone. It was the right choice in this situation.
I love Vermont.

OakLeaf

02-15-2013, 01:31 PM

Glad you're starting to feel better!

redrhodie

02-19-2013, 04:07 AM

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I have a new obsession, which is that I am learning to play guitar! It's been really fun, and not as hard as I was expecting. I haven't been riding at all, but it hasn't been a good winter for it anyway, so it's been good to have something else to do. It's been so long since I've learned anything new, as a total beginner, and it's really refreshing.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and let you know I didn't fall through the ice!

Pax

02-19-2013, 04:51 AM

Cool beans, a new hobby! Glad you're enjoying it.

indysteel

02-19-2013, 05:48 AM

indysteel

02-19-2013, 06:07 AM

I think I finally made a friend in my not-so-new town. As I've chronicled here in past threads, DH and I moved to a small-ish town south of Indy in the fall of 2009. It's been damn near impossible to meet anybody and it's really worn on me. I'm a relatively social person, and it's been a lonely transition.

Well, after my workout on Saturday, I started chatting with one of the fitness instructors about her class while we were cleaning up in the locker room of the town's fitness and recreation center. She invited me to yesterday's class, an offer which I readily accepted. It was fun; we did a combination of Bosu and resistance training and core work. I chatted with her again after class. She's very friendly, is roughly my age (46 to my 43) and works as a teacher in Indy. Her husband works for the same company as my husband (it's a huge company and they work for different divisions). From the sound of it, she's very active and, like me, loves to read. So, we seemingly have a few things in common. If nothing else, she'll be a friendly and familiar face, and I'll take that at the rate I'm going. The rec center, while convenient to my house, is not the friendliest of places. People really keep to themselves there, which is very different from gyms I've used in the past.

I also signed up for the class. It's called "Total Fit" and meets for a hour four nights a week and Saturday morning. There's no way I'll make it to every session, but it can augment what I already do. They try to mix the activities up each class between three different instructors, and that will likely prove beneficial to me, as I tend to get in a rut. The classes at our rec center are crazy cheap ($60 for roughly 45 classes), so I don't mind paying for something that I won't fully use at that rate.

The Universe has thrown me a few bones of late. Late last fall, I realized that there was a yoga studio not too far from my house, which has helped me add in one or two extra yoga classes into my schedule. And my running has gone from near-torture to I-think-I'm-actually-enjoying this. It's taken me a few couple of years to get back to a stable and full exercise routine thanks to the move and a series of injuries. I'm so grateful to have finally found a new normal. It'll soon be road and mountain biking season again, and I'm really hoping for a good summer (if it's not as hot as last summer).

Yay!

indysteel

02-19-2013, 07:09 AM

Good Indy. Can relate to the small-town cold treatment. :)

Even yesterday, I could feel some of the older women in the class eying me, but then again, others were really friendly. I'm a chatty, social person (with a few exceptions), so it's really hard to live someplace like this.

Boy, I really suck at BOSU though. I didn't struggle with balance, but the moves themselves were hard for me to follow. It's been years since I did step, and even then, I did it at home and not in a class setting. I looked like an idiot. :p

Catrin

02-19-2013, 07:14 AM

Sounds good Indy, glad that some things are working out :) Yeah, the Bosu can be a trip - especially after even a short break! I do enjoy it though, it is something different.

lph

02-19-2013, 11:08 AM

Hiya red! Hiya Indy - if I lived anywhere near you I'd hang out with you any day :-)

indysteel

02-19-2013, 11:34 AM

Hiya red! Hiya Indy - if I lived anywhere near you I'd hang out with you any day :-)

Thank, lph. Right back at you!

I had to laugh because I was about as excited to meet a new female friend as I used to get meeting a new guy. But, really, friends are SO important to our well being, at least for most of us. Quality over quantity of course, but the need is definitely there. I've made a new friend relatively recently at work, too, and I was just as excited about her. I spend most of my work days kind of cooped up in a locked office and while I'm not totally alone in that office, it's still really challenging to make friends outside my immediate coworkers. I've been participating on some new projects here at work, too, so I'm just getting out more in general. It's been a good time for me at work.

I am very evenly divided in personality tests between introversion and extroversion, and I consistently have a very strong push/pull when it comes to social engagements. Too many, and I get anxious. Too few, and I get depressed. DH and I do well together because he's not a constant talker, so I can enjoy his company without being "on" all the time, but I had admittedly grown lonely in our town. All of these developments, taken together, are helping me right that imbalance.

OakLeaf

02-19-2013, 01:35 PM

Hi Red! Yay for new hobbies.

Yay Indy!

Happy news is good. :)

Crankin

02-19-2013, 03:35 PM

I can relate, Indy. When I moved back to MA, after years in AZ, I had forgotten how "to themselves" New Englanders are. I am very social, and while I do enjoy and need some quiet time, I need to have social plans every weekend. In AZ, my friends were my family and here, people tend to stay among their relatives or with people they have known for years. Now, I am a totally different person in terms of my interests, and the friends I made 20+ years ago really have nothing in common with me anymore. One, I still see a lot, and the other, I can barely tolerate. I became friends with another woman, who was a mutual friend through #1 above and she has become a cyclist. If we hadn't met our closest friends who we ride, ski, and vacation with, I don't know where we would be. And the funny thing is, is that we had seen them for a few years at the health club, and riding around the area. Then we signed up for a ride she was leading and I took the initiative to ask her to go on a ride with me, after that. I spent years doing volunteer work at my synagogue, and not one friendship developed from that. I felt totally used and stopped volunteering. My experience was totally different in AZ, where new people moved in all of the time, and it was normal to ask them over for dinner or coffee.
Hey, today was the first day in 2 weeks I have felt almost normal. Still coughing, though.

indysteel

02-27-2013, 11:17 AM

Good Indy. Can relate to the small-town cold treatment. :)

Okay, so I've been to the class now about five times in the last two weeks. Most everyone has been nice, but there's this one woman who's just icky. I introduced myself the first night to her and her husband and, since then, she's basically looked right through me, avoiding my attempts to smile and say hi. She did, however, tell me on Monday that I'd taken her spot in the room (oops!) and then made this big production of having to set up her step in another spot.

Some people just never grow out of junior high.

NbyNW

03-01-2013, 01:50 AM

Indy,

Glad you are starting to make some connections. It really can take a while in some places. I had a similar experience when we were living up north. No luck connecting with the locals (except for some awesome knitting groups up there), and I would meet others who were also not from there ... every time I thought I was making a friend, they would move away. Finally decided I should be one of the people who moved away.

Sorry about the mean girl. Some people have no idea how ridiculous they are.

Crankin

03-01-2013, 02:59 AM

indysteel

03-01-2013, 03:18 AM

I have a spot in my Tuesday yoga class that I almost always use. I get there early so it's easy to snag. I was running late last week and it was taken by the time I got there. But I didn't throw a fit about it. In fact, the teacher and I had a laugh over it. I think she was more thrown that I wasn't in my usual place than I was.

Still, lots of the class attendees have been really nice, and I'm enjoying the interaction. It helps put me in a good frame of mind before heading home for the night.

redrhodie

03-05-2013, 04:01 AM

Has anyone heard from Mimi? I hope she's okay.

Dogmama

03-05-2013, 04:40 AM

Just love those people who think they "own" their spaces at the gym. Thankfully, at 5:30 AM, the group is way more mellow. I went to a class at 10:30 AM this week, and the whole place was crowded and full of these types.

tee hee - I have people who camp out in front of the spinning room door waiting for me to get there so they can claim "their bike." Once I had a large grown man actually push through the crowd to get "his bike." Then he complained about the fan.

Some people's children!

indysteel

03-05-2013, 06:41 AM

Has anyone heard from Mimi? I hope she's okay.

I've been wondering the same thing.

BleeckerSt_Girl

03-05-2013, 06:53 AM

Mimi is ok, we communicated yesterday. She's working hard on re-inventing her life now that she's retired and on her own. I'll let her elaborate if she wants, but she's ok. :)

indysteel

03-05-2013, 06:56 AM

Thanks for the update, Lisa. I hope she stops by for a visit sometimes soon. She's very much missed.

OakLeaf

03-05-2013, 07:50 AM

Thank you, Lisa. I hope Mimi's doing well.

Crankin

03-05-2013, 08:29 AM

And you, too Lisa!

Catrin

03-05-2013, 09:32 AM

Thanks for the update, I've been wondering.

redrhodie

03-05-2013, 12:42 PM

And you, too Lisa!

+1 on that! We miss you, too, Lisa.

indysteel

03-05-2013, 01:04 PM

+1 on that! We miss you, too, Lisa.

+2!!!

Biciclista

03-07-2013, 07:38 PM

Hi RedRhodie
Lisa told me you were asking about me. I feel bad posting here because I feel like an imposter, not riding that much, not having any big rides in my future, and not having my sweetie's prowess to brag about.
I AM still riding, but not a lot, I am taking classes (yoga, pottery, italian) and walking as much as i can, doing my best to have a full life as a single retiree. Losing a good husband leaves a huge hole in your life, let me tell you.
I spent much of the end of last year just buzzing around in my house, cleaning, painting and reorganizing. As soon as the new quarter (January) began, i redirected my energy outwards.

Being a widow is hard because you have got this guy that you love and you still want to talk about and most people don't want to talk about him anymore.

After Donald died, I gave a friend a photo Donald had taken of him on his bike (he was going to put it in a show, he liked it so much) and the friend sent an email to our whole club thanking ME for the #$@#$ photo. He never gave Donald any credit at all.
When you lose a loved one, a parent, a grandparent, you grieve, but I can tell you right now, it is NOTHING NOTHING like losing your "better half" I had no idea, was totally unprepared for just how huge this would be.

So what must one do? I stay busy, i make lots of plans with people, places to go, etc; and yet, unbidden, often, tears fall. I never know when it's going to happen, but happen it does.
A LOT. I've cried more in the last 7 months than I had in the last 55 years!. maybe even in my whole life. I am thinking of marketing the stuff; "Widow's tears" maybe it's good for something. So if you met me on the street, i'd act normal, laugh, smile talk... but there's still that hole. If you know a widow, give her a call.

and thanks for asking about me.

Crankin

03-08-2013, 03:09 AM

So glad to see you here, Mimi. You are not the only one here who is not riding that much, so don't fret about that!
Grief has its own schedule and everyone experiences it differently. It sounds like you are doing what's right for you.
How is it going with the Italian? I ask because I sit here with the Rosetta Stone Italian loaded on my computer, but I haven't started it yet. Every time I attempt to learn even the rudiments of a language, I end up getting it confused with the small amount of functional Spanish I know. Maybe, when i start, we can converse in Italian....
It's really good to see you here and I am so glad I got to meet you last summer.

OakLeaf

03-08-2013, 03:57 AM

Thanks for checking in, Mimi. It IS still early, for you, regardless of what others might feel. I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. Keep hanging in there, and don't be a stranger here.

SheFly

03-08-2013, 04:51 AM

Mimi - so glad you checked in. And we LOVE to hear about Don, so talk away! As Crankin' said - grief is an individual beast. It will be four years this May since my little brother died, and I still cry. And that was my BROTHER, not my PARTNER IN LIFE. What you are experiencing is normal.

Come back once in awhile. Share your stories with us. We don't care if you ride or not.

SheFly

redrhodie

03-08-2013, 04:52 AM

It's so goood to hear from you Mimi. You could never be an impostor here. No matter how much or little you ride, you done your time in the saddle. You're good for life.

I think maybe the reason that people don't want to talk about Donald is they're afraid. Fear of saying the wrong thing, fear that all memories of him will be painful to you. And when, as you said, you appear normal and to be handling it well, they're afraid of rocking the boat. Also, you're going through something most of us would rather deny will happen to us.

I will call my stepmother later. My dad died a year and a half ago, so I do know a widow. She also has been immersing herself in many hobbies and social interactions. She plays several instruments, sings and has been taking belly dancing. She would like to date, but hasn't met anyone yet.

Keep coming around! We need you.

spokewench

03-08-2013, 04:53 AM

Mimi! Glad to hear an update. I know it is so hard to lose a beloved husband. My sister lost her Hartman quite a few years ago now and he is still missed by all. It is very different than losing a parent. Keep chugging away and keeping busy and you will live a full life, but grieving takes time! DOn't worry about hte bike thing here; I'm a tennis player now, but once a bike person always a bike person.

indysteel

03-08-2013, 05:26 AM

It's so goood to hear from you Mimi. You could never be an impostor here. No matter how much or little you ride, you done your time in the saddle. You're good for life.

I think maybe the reason that people don't want to talk about Donald is they're afraid. Fear of saying the wrong thing, fear that all memories of him will be painful to you. And when, as you said, you appear normal and to be handling it well, they're afraid of rocking the boat. Also, you're going through something most of us would rather deny will happen to us.

Keep coming around! We need you.

What Red said. It's so very good to hear from you, Mimi. Please don't be a stranger.

Many hugs to you.

Veronica

03-08-2013, 06:19 AM

I'm glad you stopped by Mimi; I had been wondering what how you were. And yes, talk about Don. If you're an impostor I am too, because I have only 28 miles on my bike for the year so far. :D

Take care of yourself.

Veronica

Catrin

03-08-2013, 06:27 AM

What everyone else said...it is great to see/hear from you and please don't stay away! Sending warm hugs and wishes your way.

Crankin

03-08-2013, 09:33 AM

Well, I have 0 miles, V. Outdoor miles, anyway. Usually my first outdoor ride is this weekend and as of this minute, we are at the tail end of a snow storm that has lasted 2 days and we have about 13 inches of snow at my house. I'm more concerned with getting more x country skiing in, because in these parts it's a small window of time to do that.
I think it's probably natural for most of us to branch off into other sports. That way, we don't get burned out. I would say I am still primarily a cyclist, but there's a lot of other stuff I do, too.

Veronica

03-08-2013, 10:41 AM

Yeah, I've had a lot of time on the trainer too. I could have been riding outside, but I don't like having to bundle up.

Veronica

emily_in_nc

03-08-2013, 11:16 AM

Glad to hear from you, Mimi. I suffered greatly after losing my dad in 2005 because it was so sudden and unexpected (car accident). I grieved and cried and kind of crawled into a hole for months and months -- and spent about 9 months off any bicycle. So I'm not at all surprised at what you are going through as I would expect it to be even more difficult to lose a beloved spouse/best friend. We all grieve differently, but I know it is hard to know what to say to someone who has lost a loved one. Even though I've been through the pain of it (albeit in a different way since I lost a parent rather than a spouse), I still find myself tongue-tied around someone else who has had a significant loss.

I hope that you will feel welcome here any time. We're a community of friends who happen to be cyclists. Most of us have probably taken breaks from the bike for various reasons from time to time, but we still belong here, I think.

Hugs to you...

Biciclista

03-08-2013, 12:19 PM

you guys are all awesome. Thanks

redrhodie

03-08-2013, 02:48 PM

You are, too. You are the one who called one of our old regulars when she suddenly stopped posting. You're the one who asked everyone to send cards when another was hit by a car. I don't forget stuff like that. Things like that make this place special to me.

If you don't want to post because you're busy with other stuff, that's cool. But don't stop because you think you don't belong, or think we don't want to hear you be sad.

solobiker

03-08-2013, 03:13 PM

Mimi, thanks for coming back. I agree with what everyone has said here. I would not worry about not riding as much...I don't ride much at all these days but enjoy coming to this forum for the community/family that it is. I have truly missed your posts and feel free to write about Don, I would expect nothing less. All my best and my continued thoughts.

PamNY

03-08-2013, 03:43 PM

Mimi it's lovely to hear from you. I have thought of you often.

I would love to hear more about your husband. His blog was great! I don't think anyone care how much you are cycling (except to hope that you are having fun).

OakLeaf

03-08-2013, 03:46 PM

What Red said.

And, I'm barely riding right now, either.

indysteel

03-08-2013, 04:04 PM

Again, what Red said. You're special and important to us, Mimi. The bike is incidental.

Fredwina

03-09-2013, 03:31 PM

I have a measly(for me) 28 miles. It takes time, I still don't my Mother is over her loss.
speaking of which, I'm making some progess in getting my work a little closer, but I'm also working on Plans "B", "C", and "D".

Catrin

03-09-2013, 04:01 PM

That is more than I have Fredwina, I've not been able to ride outside since just before Christmas, and very little spinning inside. Spring is coming though! Hoping my neck/shoulder won't interfere with my return to riding.

Biciclista

03-09-2013, 06:42 PM

all right you guys. I rode close to 20 miles today. We had one of those rare beautiful days here where it is sunny and winter at the same time.
Rode to bike expo and bought a bolero jacket. Sheila Moon, my colors. got two free teeshirts too.
Got to talk about Donald almost the whole time i was there. :D

shootingstar

03-09-2013, 07:14 PM

Good to see you Mimi here!

NbyNW

03-10-2013, 01:29 AM

Sounds like a great day, Mimi!

And yes, feel free to talk about Donald anytime.

redrhodie

03-10-2013, 08:26 AM

I rode today. I'm so happy that I am managing to keep riding since I've been learning guitar. My MO has always been to get so obsessed with my new hobby that all the old stuff gets put on hold, sometimes forever. I don't know why I'm like that, but maybe since these are so different, it's not going to be an issue.

Fredwina

03-10-2013, 12:48 PM

I'm now up to 37. far cry from 2007, but hey, I got out there

MM_QFC!

03-10-2013, 03:37 PM

I rode to bike expo yesterday too, Mimi; so sorry to have missed you! It was a cold, foggy, 34 degree start but the ride back to Logboom in the afternoon sunshine was spectacular! Also, I thought of Donald while I was listening to Chris Ragsdale's presentation; Donald's blog account of meeting Chris' wife in her professional capacity when he was initially lobbying for an exercise bike in his room at Swedish was a great story and I smiled anew remembering and appreciating what a great raconteur we had in Donald (great randonneur too, of course!).

Biciclista

03-10-2013, 04:09 PM

kajero

03-10-2013, 04:46 PM

I understand all your losses and although I don't know any of you, it's wonderful to see the support you have for each other. I kind of quit riding last August, blaming it on work issues. Now I wonder if it was more because my father died. Maybe although I didn't know it, I didn't ride because of unacknowleged grief. I know i didn't feel like do anything; I thought it was workcausing it. Now i see that maybe it wasn't. Please take care of yourselves. These forums have been a tremendous help for me--for support and advice on everything.

Blueberry

03-10-2013, 06:40 PM

((((((kajero)))))))

Definitely sounds like you've been through a rough year (from your other thread too....) - please don't take my post there as harsh - just cautious. Take care of yourself. I'm not a doc, but that definitely sounds like some depression. These forums are amazing. I feel like many of the people I've met here (even those I've never met in real life) are my close friends.

Blueberry

03-10-2013, 06:43 PM

Speaking of exercise bikes, on April 13th we are going to commemorate/ inaugurate the new exercise bikes at Swedish hospital. We raised enough $$$ for two bikes, one in the Pediatric ward, the other in the Oncology ward. And they're finally ready to go.

Yay, Mimi!!! You know, it's funny - but I think about you and Raleighdon way too much for 2 people I have never met. I read enough about his bike exploits (and I mean that in the best possible way) that sometimes when I don't feel like exercising, riding, whatever - it gets my butt out the door. He was and still is such an inspiration. It's a good thing, and I'm so grateful to you both for sharing as much as you have. Please continue sharing as you feel like it - about you and about him. I'm sure there are still good stories waiting to be told!

Biciclista

03-10-2013, 07:29 PM

Blueberry, many people have said that about Donald. Even some of his doctors. As he was getting sicker, one of his doctors was getting on his bike BECAUSE OF Donald. we'd see the guy on the street and he'd say "I just wanted you to know I've dedicated THIS ride to you too"
I think that Donald finally understood (mostly) how important he was to people.

jobob

03-10-2013, 08:01 PM

Anelia

03-11-2013, 01:15 AM

Very nice video:
http://vimeo.com/60827020#

indysteel

03-11-2013, 05:56 AM

That's great, Mimi. Don definitely has a legacy that will live on and on in more ways than one. He's inspired a lot of people, many of whom he never met.

malkin

03-17-2013, 05:40 AM

Hey! So this is where the cool kids are hanging out nowadays!
It is lovely to see you all.

Crankin

03-17-2013, 08:04 AM

This article is about the status of women in the military and is mostly quotes from/about my DIL's experience. It was just published, although the research was done a few months ago.

http://knowledge.allianz.com/demography/population/?2156/Women-warriors-Fighting-just-as-hard-at-home

malkin

03-19-2013, 06:02 PM

Wow, Crankin. That's hard work.

maillotpois

03-20-2013, 09:58 AM

Hey! So this is where the cool kids are hanging out nowadays!
It is lovely to see you all.

Thread Drift: Where the Cool Kids have Been Since 2006.

:D

indysteel

03-22-2013, 06:04 AM

This week cannot end fast enough. I've had way too many headaches at work. It seems like every time my boss goes out of town, we get flooded with emergencies, none of which are easy to sort out. The minute he walked out the door last Friday, it started. I had Monday off, but spent the morning sorting out one set of emergencies. The rest of the week has been devoted to several others. Of course, most of the emergencies were self-created by the attorneys involved, so that just adds to my irritation.

I realized last night that I totally spaced an appointment for a haircut yesterday evening. I've been "with" my stylist for 15 years, and in that time I've only missed two appointments, in part because I usually stay on top of my calendar (although iPhone's lousy calendar function doesn't help as much as my Blackberry's did), but also because the salon receptionist kindly always calls the day before to remind me. For both the appointments I've missed, I didn't get a reminder call. Now, I realize that it's my responsibility, but still. Grrrr. So, I need to call and grovel. And find time I don't have to reschedule.

And we're supposed to get 10 inches of snow on Sunday. Perfect.

Calgon, take me away.

SheFly

03-22-2013, 06:13 AM

Indy - right there with you! It's been a wicked week at work, and I am finally escalating today that I can't do this anymore. I am a contingent worker for a large computer company, and have been working to try and operationalize a sales learning & development group - bringing some order to the chaos. Unfortunately, every time I think I am making progress, the manager decides to spend more money that the group doesn't have. It would take a whole lot of bottle returns for me to try to find him the almost $1M he is over budget for THIS QUARTER. And he's already over-forecasted for next quarter as well, and continues to approve spending. Sigh.

We also got between 9 and 12 inches of snow this week, and I am hating this weather. I didn't even get on my bike last night when I really could have used it.

Please pass the Calgon.

SheFly

Veronica

03-22-2013, 06:20 AM

Do they still make Calgon? :D

Work has been a little crazy for me too. My students have been great, but several staff members have been placed on or taken leave. We have two retired administrators, who are both great, who have taken over leadership at the school. No one knows why, rumors are flying... Uncertainty is never a good thing. We had a mandatory CPS training yesterday, dropped on our laps very suddenly. We learned we had to go on Tuesday.

Veronica

Crankin

03-22-2013, 06:31 AM

Indy and She Fly, I feel for you. I should be sitting at home doing some treatment plan reviews, but I am getting a pedicure instead! Even I am sick of the cold and snow and I love winter. I am already counting the days until July 10 when I will be ready to send in my application for full licensing. I may just take a few weeks/months off when I get it before I look for a different job. Hoping that coincides with my favorite time of year to ride, late summer and fall.
V, it sounds like someone dropped the ball on mandatory reporting from the information you gave.

Veronica

03-22-2013, 07:19 AM

:( Yeah... those are the rumors.

Veronica

Crankin

03-22-2013, 08:53 AM

Well, I hope it wasn't about one of the teachers or admins at your school. More than likely, someone didn't report a parental situation that he/she knew about and probably ended up with the kids being removed from the home, or some other horrible thing.

indysteel

03-22-2013, 10:25 AM

Hugs to everyone dealing with work stress! Or any kind of stress for that matter.

In an effort to make lemonade from lemons, I just sent off some emails to one of supervisors and to my boss to offer some praise for my coworker's hard work this week. For one thing, the praise was deserved, but for another, it gave me an opportunity to focus on the good, rather than the bad and I hope it helps her do the same. Now I just need to relax and get my blood pressure down. I worked out over lunch and took out some aggression with the weights, but what I really need is yoga.

indysteel

03-25-2013, 12:45 PM

Uh, what? I just yelled at my teenage neighbor and his friends. They had climbed onto their roof and were up on the second story roofline just hanging out for some reason. With five inches of slushy snow on the roof. Now, I lost a friend who fell from him roof while cleaning the gutters, so I'm hypersensitive to the danger, but just how stupid are these kids? They immediately promised to get down and I then watched as one by one, they realized that it's harder to climb up something slippery than it is to climb down. The last of the group was hanging on for dear life. Ugh.

Dogmama

03-25-2013, 02:03 PM

My baby puppy (six years, 100 pounds) is getting a dental cleaning tomorrow. I hate it when they have to go under anesthesia...

Dogmama

03-25-2013, 02:05 PM

indysteel

03-25-2013, 04:02 PM

Thanks, Dogmama. It was a long time ago, but it was one of those freak and tragic accidents that really changed my behaviors. I won't get on a roof and generally won't let DH get on one either.

Catrin

03-25-2013, 04:35 PM

Sorry IndySteel, that is certainly one of those things that has a permanent impact. I am terrified of heights myself but I have always been that way. Good for you, however, for speaking up to the kids. Hopefully after this they will think a second time before doing that again.

shootingstar

03-25-2013, 05:39 PM

I worked in a hospital for spinal cord injured adults for awhile.

Some of them were permanently paralyzed after falling off a roof/heights.

A very popular hardworking local, cycling advocate became a quadriplegic, paralyzed from neck down. He was paragliding and crashed on a rock...

OakLeaf

04-01-2013, 11:35 AM

Today on my run I encountered a roadie whom I'd seen from a distance several times before.

He's maybe a little older than I, always riding alone, has the look of someone who knows what he's doing on a road bike (decent cadence, sensible lane position and road choice, reasonably fitting bike and clothes), but he has a pretty big belly, like he'd maybe been off the bike for a while for whatever reason, and is getting back into it now.

Today it's very hot and windy, and I saw him up close at an intersection.

He had a cannula in his nose and a little portable oxygen concentrator in his jersey pocket.

If that guy isn't tough, I don't know who is.

Crankin

04-01-2013, 03:10 PM

Yeah, that's tough. I won't complain on my next ride.

Catrin

04-01-2013, 04:06 PM

Oh my Oak, THAT is desire to ride!

skhill

04-03-2013, 08:18 AM

You know it's spring when you vacuum in the evening, only to find a mist of freshly-shed dog hair covering the carpet the next morning...

indysteel

04-03-2013, 10:07 AM

You know it's spring when you vacuum in the evening, only to find a mist of freshly-shed dog hair covering the carpet the next morning...

I was just expressing the same sentiment in our house. We have hardwoods and when the late afternoon sunlight hit the floors on Monday, I just about died. The carpet of cat fur is just awful. Time to vacuum and brush. And then vacuum and brush again.

marni

04-03-2013, 04:06 PM

You know it's spring when you vacuum in the evening, only to find a mist of freshly-shed dog hair covering the carpet the next morning...

and if you own a corgie, it takes less than a week to grow a carpet. Honestly, between the projectile shedding maine coon with hairy armpits and the corgie who walks around in her own personal cloud of loose hair, I do dust bunny patrol with the vacume daily and still can't keep ahead.

Ahh spring. Dog and cat hair inside, tree pollen outside, allegra with an occasional side shot of benedryl inbetween.

snapdragen

04-03-2013, 08:01 PM

marni! I did not know you were Of the Corgi too! I have small "puppies" gathering in the corners, it's time to vacuum...again..

Crankin

04-05-2013, 01:03 PM

Just came back from a walk.
It finally feels like spring.

indysteel

04-08-2013, 05:24 AM

Argh! The air handler in my office is making this high pitched whistle/whooshing sound all of a sudden....and it's driving me to the edge of insanity. I have a call into maintenance, but as you might imagine, it ranks pretty low on the list of problems in a 105 year old building.

WindingRoad

04-08-2013, 06:50 AM

Geez Peanut is shedding terrible too! She has little 'mini me's' floating around and I have to go catch them!

Fredwina

04-13-2013, 02:39 AM

I've got an interview about a mile from where my mother lives!

marni

04-17-2013, 07:50 PM

our dear little roweena is a rescue dog with the memory of a goldfish and very many issues so she is constantly alert, barking at something and afraid of everything. She also is blind in one eye and has a shattered pelvis so her gait is funny. Never the less, she is slowly (four years later) willing to trust me when I tell her there is nothing to bark at, and learn to accept that petting is different from being hit. She has obviously been blind in the one eye for years before we adopted her as she functions so well but I tend to think that is part of her barking issue. nevermind, she is a love and gets along well with the cats and the other dog which I inherited from my father in law when he died.

Dogmama

04-18-2013, 05:03 AM

Wow Marni, that is wonderful. I have a Corgi in one of my obedience classes who is blind in one eye. He is one of my best students, primarily because his dad spends time with him. Makes all the difference in the world. Many of my students are from rescue organizations. The owners realize that their dogs have some issues, so they come to me for some basic obedience and getting-along advice. If the owners actually work with their dogs between classes, the transformations are remarkable.

It sounds like you are one of those owners who really cares. Wonderful!

indysteel

04-19-2013, 11:33 AM

marni, you are a dear person for caring for a special needs dog. Sounds like you were both lucky to find one another.

indysteel

04-19-2013, 11:59 AM

Why oh why do I let stuff like this get to me and why haven't I learned to just shut these types of conversations down?

Some backstory: I have an older sister who I've been estranged from for about 10 or so years. That was my choice after years and years of emotional turmoil with her. She's a loving person, but she's also a Borderline, with a history of substance and alcohol abuse. At the time I made the decision to disengage, I just couldn't take "it" anymore. And by it, I mean the highs and lows of my sister's many moods, her lies, and her (mostly) self-created crises. I didn't even know at the time that she also had substance abuse issues; I just knew that her behavior had gone from bad to much, much worse. I had no energy to deal with my own life, a life that was, itself, far from perfect. For those of you familiar with Borderlines, it's very difficult to draw and enforce boundaries with them, so I didn't see much of a middle ground. And so I ended our relationship, and began (and am still in) therapy to deal with, not just my sister, but the rest of my dysfunctional family and upbringing.

So, with that context, when my mother told me today that she "was concerned about my sister," I should have politely told her that while I care about my sister, I am not interested in knowing the details of what ails her. But I didn't have that foresight. My mom proceeded to tell me that my sister is going blind in one eye because of Hashimoto's Disease. Now, there is some truth to that in that my sister has Graves' Disease (as do I) and GD can cause significant eye issues, including blindness. Hashi's and Graves are very closely related diseases. But the other details my mom provided where so factually inaccurate and/or illogical, that it made me wonder if this was just another example of my sister's lies (she has a long history of lying about or exaggerating health problems). For instance, my mom had no answer for me when I asked whether my sister's endo had made a referral (and an emergency one at that) to an opthamologist or ocular surgeon. I can just picture it: At her last endo appointment, the doctor may have talked generally about thyroid eye disease and, from there, my sister suddenly believed that she, herself, is going blind. I've seen it way too many times with her. The last time she called me out of the blue a few years ago, it was to tell me (falsely) that she had lupus.

Suddenly, I was emotionally regressing back to 2001--to a time that was not particularly good or happy for me, and back to a state of extreme conflict over my sister. I know I'm in a better place now, but between the guilt I sometimes feel over disengaging from her and the intense anger she can still inspire, I feel kind of down. I know that Borderlines often lie without being conscious of the lie in the same way that a sane person is, but while I strive for compassion, it's not always easy.

Sigh. Thanks for "listening." I'm not looking for anything in response; I just needed to vent. In fact, if you're read this entire post, you deserve an enormous thanks!

redrhodie

04-19-2013, 02:14 PM

((((Indy))) I know how you feel. I have a similar relationship with my eldest half brother, and I disengaged from him after a minor betrayal. My father constantly tried to get me to become involved in his life and problems. It's really hard to say no, but you have to care for yourself first. Some people are just trouble. They will drag you down if you let them.

I also feel guilt, but I know it's better than dealing with his issues.

Blueberry

04-19-2013, 02:25 PM

((((Indy)))))

Your sister sounds a lot like my father. I'm glad you're in a better place now than you were then. Hang on to that, and don't hesitate to vent/schedule a few extra therapy sessions. Take care of yourself.

indysteel

04-19-2013, 02:38 PM

Thanks, my friends. The hugs are much appreciated.

Crankin

04-19-2013, 02:42 PM

spokewench

04-19-2013, 02:50 PM

((Indy )) - Just hang in there and don't feel guilty - you are doing nothing wrong!

indysteel

04-19-2013, 03:07 PM

Your sister will never change.
Hold your boundaries and care for yourself.
Sadly, although you cannot diagnose a personality disorder until someone is 18, I am treating a 13 year old who is exactly like your sister.

My sister never behaved normally. She was abused by my mother for one thing and the mental health genes in my family did not help matters. Of course, my parents never did anything constructive to help her. Rather, they simply reinforced her attention seeking behaviors. Meanwhile, I did everything in my power to be her exact opposite and, as a result, I got/get no attention from my parents. They don't respond to healthy behaviors.

I hope you're able to help your client. My understanding is that BPDs are very difficult to treat. My own therapist avoids them.

indysteel

04-19-2013, 04:34 PM

Hugs right back, Muirenn. Family, sigh....

OakLeaf

04-19-2013, 06:40 PM

(((((Indy)))))

Owlie

04-19-2013, 07:46 PM

(((Indy)))

lph

04-19-2013, 11:05 PM

Aw, I'm sorry Indy. Isn't it amazing how we know people like this are impossible to deal with and we know to keep our distance and not get involved, and they STILL manage to **** up our heads. I guess that's what's empathy, voluntary or not, does to you...

Crankin

04-20-2013, 03:29 AM

Indy, right now I am just trying to get her to stop self destructive behaviors. She just came out of the hospital. This is a case of neglect, abuse, family history, adoption, and attachment problems. Her adoptive mom is wonderful, but it's a horribly stressful situation for her. I practically live at their home... two 1.5-2 hour visits a week.
You are right, most therapists avoid treating this diagnosis. it's a known "joke" in my profession. Especially psychiatrists, it seems. I've actually had a couple of clients who fit this description, although they were diagnosed as Bipolar Disorder.

indysteel

04-20-2013, 03:40 AM

Yikes, Crankin. Your client certainly has all the triggers for BPD. How very sad. I hope you and her adoptive mom can make a difference. I've often wondered what might have happened if my sister had gotten help at some point in her adolescence or young adulthood.

jobob

04-20-2013, 10:22 AM

A couple of years ago, I deliberately disengaged and eliminated all contact with my birth family. I thought I was very unusual in that respect, but perhaps I'm not.

Hugs to you, Indy.

shootingstar

04-21-2013, 04:53 AM

I slept like a log. I haven't slept deeply and through the night for last few months. But when it happens it's like drinking a deep long glass of water after a long hard bike ride. I didn't ride far yesterday since it started to snow. But did some art while playing some classical music.

goldfinch

04-21-2013, 10:25 AM

It is unsettling to me that there are therapists that avoid BPD or diagnose it as something else to avoid the issues the diagnoses brings. It feels like an oncologist who doesn't want to help people who have pancreatic cancer because it is too hard. I suppose if they are referring people to therapists that are better equipped that would be fine.

My niece has BPD. She is tough to deal with and I take breaks. She also is bipolar. Her social worker believes that the BPD diagnosis is wrong. I think she believes that simply because of the baggage the diagnosis brings. We have had a few discussions and I think her social worker spends too much time trying to be my niece's friend rather than being a social worker. She wants to be on my niece's side and I think that colors her view of reality. The SW is very inexperienced. Once a week the SW picks up my niece and takes her out for coffee. I She doesn't go inside my niece's apartment. You can tell a lot just by seeing the current state of her apartment. She needs to see that to know that my niece's son is safe and being taken care of. I am blabbing about this because I think I need to talk to someone in charge. Her old social worker was excellent but she retired. Ah well.

At least she has others on her mental health team.

indysteel

04-21-2013, 11:32 AM

My own therapist gave up treating BPDs because she found that CBT did not tend to help them. They also tended to exact a huge emotional toll on her, by the very nature of the disorder. A pancreatic cancer patient may be difficult for an oncologist to treat, but not in the same way as a BPD. The extreme love/hate poles that BPDs tend to fluctuate between can be extremely taxing, especially when combined with self injury.

But it's really the first point that's worth emphasizing. CBT may not be the right treatment for BPDs. From what I've read, dialectical behavior therapy may be more effective, but not every therapist offers that type of therapy.

Crankin

04-21-2013, 03:41 PM

You are correct, Indy. CBT does not generally help BPD/O. The standard treatment is dialectical behavior therapy, which is a combination of mindfulness training and some cognitive behavior therapy. However, to bill yourself as a DBT specialist, you really need to have taken the special training and not everyone can do that. I, would love to do it. I have found that I am good at keeping boundaries and I expect BPD/O people to test me, as well as some with Bipolar D/O. But, not everyone is like me.
It is very hard to to deal with someone who is continually self-injuring. My client told me she "loves doing it." (cutting). I bought a book for teens that uses some DBT to decrease mood swings and enhance emotional regulation. I'm not certified in DBT, but I can use this. I do have the training in Mindfulness, as I took the official U Mass course at my local hospital.
Goldfinch, it's hard to treat someone who "tests" you consistently and shows little hope of improvement. I just look for stability and functionality. However, your niece's clinician sounds totally off the mark. Taking her out for coffee? This is what a therapeutic mentor does, not a therapist.

OakLeaf

04-21-2013, 04:40 PM

Catrin

04-21-2013, 04:56 PM

The other thing is that in some states, insurance coverage is much more favorable for certain diagnoses than others. Depending on where you are, a therapist might tailor a diagnosis to allow the client the maximum insurance coverage, and choosing a mood disorder over a personality disorder is a prime example of that.

This makes a lot of sense, insurance being what it is. I've always had a problem with the term 'personality disorder'... it seems such an...unfortunate term though I know it isn't meant that way.

Somehow the term seems to hit at a different level than a mood, thought, or emotional disorder. Perhaps that indicates the challenges presented by them for both the individual and those trying to help them and others around them.

malkin

04-21-2013, 07:00 PM

The other thing is that in some states, insurance coverage is much more favorable for certain diagnoses than others. Depending on where you are, a therapist might tailor a diagnosis to allow the client the maximum insurance coverage, and choosing a mood disorder over a personality disorder is a prime example of that.

Right now, the center where I work is in the process of 'diagnosing' every one of our clients with a dx in addition to autism for this reason. So now in addition to 'autistic disorder' every client will have ADD or OCD or anxiety or mood disorder or some other more reimbursable diagnosis.

Crankin

04-22-2013, 03:33 AM

That's because of the changes in the new DSM. I have a couple of clients with a PDD-NOS dx, but fortunately, they also have another dx. There is no more PDD dx, just Autism spectrum disorder. However, since all of my clients have one of 3 behavioral health providers that work with Mass Health and the special in home therapy program I work in, they rarely question a dx. In fact, this program has been so successful, that anyone in the state can now access it, through the behavioral health partnership, even if the parents have regular insurance. They can't use it for physical health care, but I now have a couple of clients who are in this category. It's nice that the state realized the benefit of intensive treatment, that it avoids future issues, and not just low income people could benefit.
Of course, it took a lawsuit to get this program.

Owlie

04-22-2013, 09:11 AM

Right now, the center where I work is in the process of 'diagnosing' every one of our clients with a dx in addition to autism for this reason. So now in addition to 'autistic disorder' every client will have ADD or OCD or anxiety or mood disorder or some other more reimbursable diagnosis.

That makes me feel all sorts of dirty and I don't know why.

malkin

04-26-2013, 05:11 AM

I think it is because of a change in Medicaid rules for our state rather than the DSM change. I know it has generated some controversy, but I think I like the new DSM Autism Spectrum diagnosis because it does away with a perceived (and incorrect) hierarchy of severity.

Anyway, our current online medical record system has this stupid thing where the dx for PDD-NOS shows up as the entire category, so that printed reports state that the child has PDD-NOS, Rhetts Syndrome, and Aspergers.

Owlie- Coding, billing and reimbursement almost never fails to give me a sick feeling. Fortunately I don't have much to do with it at work.

Dogmama

04-26-2013, 05:38 AM

((INDY))
I've been estranged from my mother for over twenty years. She was actively alcoholic & abusive which resulted in many adjustment problems for me. I made some major life changes that threatened her. She cut me out of her will - literally - sent me a Fed Ex that I had to sign for where I was deleted & her step son was inserted. Just like a word processing program for her but not so much for me.

It totally sucked, I fell into a deep depression and crawled back out. I am not angry at her because that expends energy and keeps the arrows flying. I do not have any contact nor do I wish to have any. It is self preservation. I had to refocus my life and move on. It wasn't as easy as it sounds now but I'm at peace. When I realize that our estrangement is not against her - but it is for my own basic well being - it feels better. Hope that helps.

Oh and riding my bike really helped move energy that I may have directed towards myself (bad daughter, etc. - the usual crap.) I seem to get a lot of clarity on my bike when it's just me, my bike and nature.

redrhodie

05-03-2013, 07:22 AM

I don't know if this is a new thing around here or not, but I just noticed that a lot of kids in my city ride their bikes to school! Little kids, elementary school age. I find that really hopeful for some reason. Do they ride to school where you live?

Crankin

05-03-2013, 09:25 AM

I have actually seen kids riding to school, when I was running in Concord center last year. It's flat and there are sidewalks. These kids knew what they were doing, too.
My neighborhood is on the other side of the highway from the schools the elementary and middle school kids go to. I can't figure this out, as the school I saw the kids riding to is closer.
I remember having to sign all kinds of releases when my younger son was in 6th grade and he wanted to ride to field day, which was about 3/4 a mile from our house (different town). When he got his first nice bike, at the end of 7th grade, I let him ride to school, which was about 5 miles away, and with sidewalks on the busy roads. I remember my neighbors being shocked, and probably another example of what a bad mom I was :). About a year later, he was racing.

katherine

05-03-2013, 10:46 AM

I ride with my kindergartner and 1st grader every day. And if the first grader gets his way we take the long way via the trails :)

skhill

05-04-2013, 07:18 AM

The elementary school just .5 mile away doesn't even have a bike rack. My next door neighbors drive the kids to and fro school every day. Makes me sad. The middle school and high school this neighborhood attends are on the other side of a busy, dangerous road. Even though it's less than 2 miles, I wouldn't let even a teenager ride there in rush hour traffic. No wonder KY comes off so poorly in rankings of health and activity levels.

But I'm glad to hear things are better elsewhere!

shootingstar

05-05-2013, 07:35 PM

I'm not sure. I guess I would have to ride by a school to really know.

However I'm amazed to see a mother and her 2 daughters cycling somewhere whenever I finish work. It is anywhere on/near a longish bike path by the city core downtown. Younger daughter is on the back-end of her tandem. While older one is biking by herself.

And get this: the mother is cycling with kids in ice, snow and -25 degrees C!! This is REALLY tough and quite cold. Because some of those winter icy days, I'm just walking homeward.

redrhodie

05-13-2013, 11:18 AM

I hit a milestone last week! I had yet another clear mammogram, so now I only need to go once a year!
I feel like framing the letter from the radiologist.

I love being normal.

indysteel

05-13-2013, 11:29 AM

I hit a milestone last week! I had yet another clear mammogram, so now I only need to go once a year!
I feel like framing the letter from the radiologist.

I love being normal.

I love you being normal, too. That's awesome, Red. I'm so, so happy for you!

I think some new shoes and cake are in order btw!

indysteel

05-13-2013, 11:33 AM

Has anybody heard from Pax lately? She usually checks in here and there, but I haven't seen any updates from her in a long time. Pax, if you're following along at home, check in with us soon!

Crankin

05-13-2013, 12:02 PM

indysteel

05-13-2013, 12:12 PM

Didn't she get upset about a comment and stated she wouldn't post anymore?
Maybe I am confusing her with someone else. It seems like she stopped posting, started again, and then stopped.
Congratulations, Red! How about some new red shoes?

I think she stopped posting for a time when Mr. Bloom reappeared, but I think she's come back at least once since then. If memory serves, there was a lot going on in her life the last time she posted. Job issues and health issues with her mom. I just hope she's doing okay.

ETA: It looks like she last posted in early February of this year. It seems like it's been longer than that, but perhaps she'll check in soon.

redrhodie

05-13-2013, 12:36 PM

I have had too much cake of late. Birthday yesterday. I do need red shoes!

OakLeaf

05-13-2013, 02:33 PM

Yay Red! That's awesome! :D

Blueberry

05-13-2013, 03:49 PM

I miss Limewave! Anyone heard from her? I feel like we've lost a lot of regular posters in the last few years. I hope they're just out having fun:)

indysteel

05-13-2013, 05:00 PM

Yeah, where is Limewave? I know she changed jobs at about the same time she stopped posting. I hope she's doing well.

indysteel

05-13-2013, 05:01 PM

I have had too much cake of late. Birthday yesterday. I do need red shoes!

Your birthday? If so, happy belated birthday! Go get those red shoes!

redrhodie

05-13-2013, 05:45 PM

Your birthday? If so, happy belated birthday! Go get those red shoes!

Thanks! No shoes this time. I "need" shoes like Imelda needed them. I did get a red guitar amp though!

I bet a lot of regulars will be back soon. Once summer comes, everyone gets back on their bikes and feels less like a te poseur. But I miss those guys, too. And tri girl.

SheFly

05-13-2013, 06:33 PM

Congrats, Red, and Happy Birthday. It was a good weekend for those, apparently ;)

SheFly (still eating cake)

OakLeaf

05-14-2013, 02:34 AM

Well happy birthday to both of you!

I guess it was a good weekend, my baby sister, my step-wife (thanks to LPH for that GREAT term :D) and a good friend of DH's all had birthdays, too.

Catrin

05-14-2013, 02:47 AM

Happy, Happy Birthday to all! I do miss those we have not seen for awhile.

Red, congratulations and let us know which red shoes you get :cool:

snapdragen

05-14-2013, 07:49 AM

So lovely to pop in and see such good news Red!

OakLeaf

05-15-2013, 01:29 PM

16226

lph

05-16-2013, 03:19 AM

my baby sister, my step-wife (thanks to LPH for that GREAT term :D)

Did I say that?? Cool.

It would be even better if I could remember who I was referring to.

:o

eta. Nevermind, found it. I couldn't get back to work until I'd hunted it down.

You're welcome :-)

lph

05-16-2013, 03:26 AM

Oo-ee, Red! Just checked back a few pages, and great news! Celebratory rides in new shoes or old are in order!! :-)

lph

05-16-2013, 03:39 AM

Re: "stepwife" (i.e. Oak's first husbands second wife):

so what do I call my former sister-in-law? Seeing as many couples don't marry over here, me calling her my sister-in-law was considered normal even though they never married. They were a couple for almost 20 years before he died, seven years ago. And she's not formally his widow, but I'd call her that anyway just so people knew who I was referring to.

But now she's engaged! (Whoo! to that :-) Great news.) But now both "sister-in-law" and "ex-sister-in-law" sound a bit wrong. Any suggestions?

Crankin

05-17-2013, 02:52 AM

Read in the Police Log in the Concord Journal:

Wednesday, May 8th, 7:01 PM
" A caller reported a possibly intoxicated man was riding a bicycle and pouring wine into a green water bottle."

indysteel

05-19-2013, 10:33 AM

I love my flower and hosta beds, but boy they're a lot of work this time of year. I've spent the weekend weeding, clipping, planting, cleaning up three years worth of old mulch, and laying fresh mulch. I need a shower and a nap.

Crankin

05-19-2013, 03:26 PM

I hate yard work. Thankfully, my DH likes it. We didn't do mulch this year, thankfully, because I usually help with that. The hostas are up and out; we have to put some annuals on the garden steps. Yuck.

indysteel

05-19-2013, 03:53 PM

Once this work is over, I mostly just have to water the flowers. They're almost all perennials and require little care (well, I could put more care into them, but I don't). I am trying to add some plants each year so that the beds eventually have that English cottage look. DH does all the lawn care--until leaf raking season. Then it's all hands on deck.

NbyNW

05-20-2013, 01:36 AM

Our landlords have done nothing with the back yard -- it's a crappy, weed-infested lawn edged with leggy, tired perennials. I'm drawing up a concept plan this week to run by them, hopefully they will approve it and we can start bidding it out next week.

spokewench

05-20-2013, 05:23 AM

I hit a milestone last week! I had yet another clear mammogram, so now I only need to go once a year!
I feel like framing the letter from the radiologist.

I love being normal.

I'm really glad you are normal! Congrats Red

redrhodie

05-20-2013, 07:43 AM

Thanks everyone!

OakLeaf

05-24-2013, 03:45 AM

OK this is selfish but I have to vent ... next weekend is this big music festival, we've had tickets for months, and now FIL has had a heart attack, DH is going out there today, and although we don't know the prognosis yet, given his age it's not likely to be positive. All I want to do is spend next weekend listening to some really great live music with DH and now it's probably not going to happen.

I hate being so self centered but it is like literally the only thing I have been wholeheartedly looking forward to in over a year.

indysteel

05-24-2013, 04:06 AM

I'm so sorry, Oak. I understand how you feel, and I don't find it self centered at all. Is it possible to go with a friend instead?

Crankin

05-24-2013, 05:09 AM

I don't find it self centered at all. Most of us wouldn't admit to feeling this way, so +1. I agree with Indy. Even though you probably want to enjoy it with DH, can you find a friend to go with you?
Hey, I went out to a planned dinner with friends and led a ride for my club when DH was in the hospital over a weekend, waiting for his angioplasty. He told me to go, but I know a few thought it was selfish.

jobob

05-24-2013, 07:57 AM

Oh, Oak, I know what you're feeling. I don't think you're being selfish, you were looking forward to something and you had the rug pulled out from under you, and you're disappointed.

I've been in sort of a similar situation for a bit over a year now, since May 2, 2012 to be precise, the day my FIL, a very difficult guy to deal with in the best of times, was in a bad car accident and our lives have been somewhat put on hold by him. I've gone from frustration to guilt to anxiety to guilt to anger to depression and back to guilt (the guilt never actually goes away), although nowadays it's not so bad because heavy-duty dementia has set in and DH is more comfortable with going away for a day or two (so long as we're w/in good cell phone coverage). I've become so good at canceling / postponing plans it's like a new hobby for me -- we had a big trip to Vancouver Island & San Juan Islands planned for over a year now, and the lady at the booking office for the lovely rental house on Lopez Island knows my voice now, and she's been so sweet about rescheduling our rental (3rd time now :rolleyes: ). I've lost count of all the other things I/we have had to bail out on -- well, no, not really, I just try not to think about them :p

And yeah, I'm being selfish and self-centered when I resent how he's hijacked our lives, I know it could be much worse and I should count my blessings. And I do. But every now & then I allow myself a whiny interlude. This one should tide me over for a while, thanks for letting me unload. :cool:

indysteel

05-24-2013, 08:49 AM

Oh, Jo. I knew you were going through a lot with your FIL, but I didn't know the extent of it. Hugs, dear. I hope you get to go on your trip. It sounds like you really need it, and FIL will probably benefit if you and LeeBob get a break.

jobob

05-24-2013, 04:07 PM

Oh Indy you're so sweet {blush}. But in my melodramatic ranting I may have made it sound like he's living with us -- that's definitely not the case. Heh, Lee & Dad would have been at each others throats in no time flat if they shared the same roof. :rolleyes: Dadbob was in a nice little apartment at an assisted living facility very near us for about 6 months, until it became obvious that his rapidly deteriorating health required round-the-clock nursing care. We were able to place him in excellent nursing home early this year, which has taken a huge load off us. It's a bit of a schlep from our home but we think it's worth the tradeoff for the top-notch care and pleasant surroundings, Lee goes to see him practically every day and I accompany him once or twice a week. So it's really not much of a burden, anymore (unlike this past fall & winter when I was kind of a basket case, oy) ... I guess the fact that I can talk about it now shows how much better things are. :)

OakLeaf

05-24-2013, 06:57 PM

Oh man jobob ... now I feel extra whiny. :p Although the family situation and personalities sound *awfully* familiar. Glad things are somewhat better for you and your family.

Anyway, thanks, all. Hard to tell yet what the situation is or how it will develop. It turns out FIL has pretty bad hospital-induced delirium right now, and let's just say the level of functioning in the family is NOT conducive to helping him get grounded... I don't understand DRGs these days, but apparently he's technically already been discharged from the hospital, but they're holding him as a 24-hour-a-day "outpatient" until he can get a bed in a SNF. Either that or figure out whether there's an available level of round-the-clock care that would let him go home. MIL really can't drive very far.

So everything's up in the air for now. As far as going to the festival with a friend ... I hate to even say it, but I don't have a single friend locally who's into the festival scene. It's always just been me and DH who go. All my friends around here kind of scoff when I talk about music festivals. :cool: Probably because the ones at the closest venue have an extra stony reputation - all the papers ever report on is the drug busts (mostly minor stuff, but the state patrol likes to make their presence known) and they hardly ever review the actual music, even the well-known acts. :rolleyes: This particular festival is maybe a little more broad-based, but it's farther away, too, one we haven't been to before. I *am* trying to decide how I would feel about going by myself if things work out that way. But it's really too early to know if either DH will be home *or* if I will need to go out there.

redrhodie

05-25-2013, 03:30 AM

Oak, you should go alone. I went to a concert alone last year and it was awesome. If it's an outdoor venue like the one I went to, you will make friends there since you will have the common interest of music. This is an opportunity to find some like minded souls.

Catrin

05-31-2013, 06:31 PM

Oak, I agree you should go by yourself and have fun!

Note to self: when doing kettlebell snatches, don't hit yourself in the head with a 20 pound ketttebell! The side of my head is a bit sore today... For once is a good that that my bad shoulder limits my overhead weight.

Note to Landlord: what do you mean, my rent might go up almost $100!!!!????? I understand market prices but this is rather extreme...and I only have a couple weeks to find something else decent and affordable or I must commit to another lease! Seems unfair since my lease isnt up until September...but there it is. Apparently this is happening to everyone who started with an attractive rent.

Sigh, I am sure I will work something out, but it is stressful....it isn't like I've a lot of extra income.

VeganBikeChick

05-31-2013, 06:37 PM

I feel ya, Catrin. If I were to stay in my current apartment, the rent is going up $230/mo! Ridiculous.

Catrin

06-01-2013, 03:47 AM

I thought MY situation was ridiculous VBC - sheesh! My jaw dropped reading your post. My current place is ideally located for fitness/cycling/nature pursuits and I've been told there is a waiting list even with the new prices. Obviously they have no incentive to negotiate with me and their head office has become strict about getting market rate. I've been told that my rent wouldn't reach full market rate, but currently it is well below it. If it wasn't just me it wouldn't be such a big deal, but it is.

Crankin

06-01-2013, 04:42 AM

That sounds terrible, Catrin. Good luck with finding a place or deciding to stay. Being close to outdoor pursuits is what keeps us from moving anywhere too far.
Heading out in a bit to do a pre-ride of a ride we are co-leading down in Mystic Connecticut. I've never been there, so I am looking forward to it. That, and the fact that it's going to be about 95 here today and the predicted high for Mystic is 80. Although there is that bad air alert, but I am bringing my inhaler, in case. It never gets used, so let's hope there's still medication in there.

Catrin

06-01-2013, 06:52 AM

I've already decided. I don't need this stress and they have already told me that my rent WILL go up. They couldn't, however, tell me how much for another month but kept referencing others who had good rates who saw their rent go up 25-40%! I refuse to live with this stress. Moving is expensive and I need as much advance notice as possible to be prepared.

I've just returned from visiting a property owned by my last apartment management company that I like quite a lot. Much larger apartment, less rent than currently, quiet community and smaller. NO bad reviews, not even on the internet, and I know from experience how well they take care of things (I was with them previously for 6 years). Chances are I will have to go back to driving my bike to ride (outside of starting at 5:30 am on Sat. mornings), but I've done that before. I've plopped down my app fee and holding fee, I will probably still look to see if I can find something closer to downtown that I like as much but this place feels right. I've been checking them out during the evenings to make certain that the complex is as quiet as it appears to be - and it is :) They also provide a moving truck, free of charge, with enough notice!

indysteel

06-01-2013, 09:08 AM

Catrin

06-01-2013, 10:07 AM

When does your lease term end, Catrin? I'm not sure I understand how/why your landlord is forcing you to essentially leave now versus the end of your lease. Granted, I would need to read your lease, but I have a hunch that they're trying to do something they're not allowed to do, either under the lease or Indiana law. It seems to me that you should be able to stay in your apartment, paying the same rent as you always have, until the lease expires. At that point, they can raise your rent or you can choose to vacate. But to force you to commit to a new lease now or immediately vacate sounds like a quasi-eviction to me. I'd be tempted to call their bluff if I were you. But I realize that's stressful, and perhaps they really are within their rights. But it smells to me.

My wording must have left the wrong impression, sorry about that. The owners require a 2-month formal notice before the lease is up. So, while I am not moving until September, I must give notice 4 weeks from now unless I want to pay a huge penalty. This is spelled out in my lease and I knew that coming into this. I will not, however, give that formal notice unless I've something already arranged, that just isn't responsible and I can't swing that penalty. I've already been sort of looking for the last month or so and been very disappointed with my options...until today. I've worked out my budget between now and the move to make certain I will have what I need, now it will just take some discipline!

I just had a heart to heart with a friend who works in the office, and come to find out they just manage for the owners. I've been perplexed at some policy changes that appear to be focused on driving people away from the complex -which hasn't been their style in the 3 years I've been here. She tells me that I am just one of many planning on moving this year, and for the same reason. Apparently the actual owners are unhappy the property isn't making as much as they think it should, but the changes certainly isn't going to help THAT! Meh, I am over it. September can't come soon enough, but I will enjoy this last summer living across the street from my favorite local park!

emily_in_nc

06-01-2013, 12:18 PM

Glad it looks like you might have a good option for another place, Catrin, though moving is never fun, like you say.

When we lived in an apartment in Chapel Hill they raised our rent substantially after our first lease term (just 9 months) expired. Since our condo still wasn't quite finished, we had no choice to pay it as we only needed three more months, and it certainly wasn't worth moving for that amount of time. The management company had also changed in our short time there, and the new company was a real pain in the butt. I knew of quite a few people who were planning to leave at the end of their current lease, including four others in our building -- and they all did. I am sure they're still finding plenty of people to rent there as it is a nice complex in a great location, but the people who had been there for much longer than us were very unhappy with all the changes put into place once the former, friendlier company got taken over by a larger, more "corporate" apartment management group. Yuk.

Good luck to you!

skhill

06-07-2013, 10:09 AM

Is it something in the water around here? About a month ago a dear friend and his wife separated, after nearly 40 yrs of marriage. His friends could see it coming for a long time, but it's still a surprise when a couple that's been together that long call it quits. And then last night, another couple, both friends, announced via facebook that they were separating. They've been married almost 20 yrs, and no one had a clue that there was anything seriously wrong. He had cancer a few years back, now in complete remission, and that sent them into bankruptcy, but they had seemed to be doing really well together over the past year or so. Sigh. It's sad to see all this...

But on the other hand, I'm going to the 55th anniversary party for another couple this weekend. They're just hoping they both live long enough for this state to repeal our anti-marriage amendment so they can have their marriage officially recognized. It should be a great party!

Crankin

06-07-2013, 12:00 PM

Every single couple we were close friends with in AZ are now divorced. One I could predict in 1990, but the others, no. One was married 33 years.
Everyone else from there we were friends with who are still married, moved away, like we did.
Yes, something in the water.

NbyNW

06-09-2013, 07:38 AM

The wait is killing me ...

I ordered my new bike about 10 days ago, and they said it would be in middle of this week. I called Friday to check on the status, and they said they would look into it. Turns out, my bike was sent to the wrong store. They are hoping they will have it on Monday. I will probably not have a chance to pick it up until Friday, at the earliest. Boo.

Crankin

06-14-2013, 03:41 AM

Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day for me. In the morning, we are leading the 29 mile ride for our club's bike rally. Then, at night, we are going to a group celebration of my high school class' collective 60th birthdays. This is not the school I graduated from, but the school I would have graduated from, had I not moved to Florida. So, it's really all the people I grew up with, until I was almost 16. It's a casual, appetizers and drinks thing, not a formal reunion. Already some drama going on, sort of under the radar, which is why DH is going with me!
Yesterday, one of my dear friends from age 12 on called me and asked me what I was wearing. I burst out laughing and said, "Gee, I don't know. What should we wear to the dance?"

Crankin

06-16-2013, 04:24 AM

The party was awesome. Everyone has mellowed. I reconnected with a friend who also had moved away, right after I did, and I had not seen her for almost 45 years! She lives in LA, but has had a life eerily similar to mine, including moving back to NY for a few years, so her kids could have the same environment growing up, as she did (which is almost the same thing I said to her about my choices).
The drama that I thought was happening, was true. A FB romance developing between my ex-bf and another person who also moved away. He's recently separated after a long marriage; see, these things can even happen when you are 60!

snapdragen

06-16-2013, 07:44 AM

Very cool Crankin. Glad you had a good time.

snapdragen

06-16-2013, 07:49 AM

Should I go missing, it's because my Chloe dog has killed me in my sleep. She developed a flea reaction (after 15 years of no issues!) and got a big hot spot on her side. To keep her from scratching herself bloody, I bought her a tshirt at Target. I cut the sleeves off, and removed the neck binding to make it more comfy...somehow I doubt she appreciates it.
16374

jobob

06-17-2013, 08:47 AM

...somehow I doubt she appreciates it.
16374

Maybe if you gave her a say in the design? I hear she's partial to Honey Badgers.

At least you didn't get Barbie or My Lil Pony or girlie dreck like that. We'd be sending out a search party by now. :cool:

spokewench

06-20-2013, 02:48 PM

super dog! watch out, putting that shirt on her is going to make her super strong!

Owlie

06-21-2013, 11:35 AM

Please, don't walk into a bike shop, pick out a pair of super-expensive shoes, then demand that the employees pick out the "best possible pedal" (for less than $100!) because you're spending sooo much money on these shoes, then demand that said employees affirm that the shoes that you are buying are in fact awesome.

:rolleyes:

Crankin

06-23-2013, 06:17 AM

I have a sunburn on my left arm. Totally avoidable and I am pissed at myself. Had a perfectly sunburn free ride and then went to eat, after rinsing off and changing. I rinsed the sunblock off, I guess. As we sat down at the outdoor table, I said, "I'm going to get a sunburn," and I did.
It doesn't hurt, but looks like I'm a dumb azz. Been putting Arnica on it, hoping to tame the redness.

indysteel

06-24-2013, 12:09 PM

Great! Two bomb scares in less than 24 hours--one where I work and one where I park. The first one turned out to be a backpack filled with fireworks and pot left on front steps of the federal courthouse. I'm unsure of the details of the second one other than that it was a suspicious device that a guard detected in a bag going through security at the federal building.

crazycanuckoz

06-27-2013, 11:00 PM

Hello again :), just popping in to say howdy.

Fredwina

06-28-2013, 02:57 AM

Long time no see there! :D

NbyNW

06-28-2013, 01:49 PM

Hi Crazycanuck!

Crankin

06-30-2013, 04:52 PM

I am recovering from being sick, for almost 10 days. It's just getting on my nerves. While it didn't morph into the dreaded bronchial complications, I swear, I felt worse than the last time I was sick, when it did. Of course, this occured right before a planning weekend trip. The weather looked awful, so we didn't bring our bikes. I was secretly jumping for joy, as I never could have done a 40 mile ride with a 4 mile climb. It did rain Friday, but yesterday was gorgeous. We ended up going to Mt. Greylock, where we did a modified type of hike of about 5 miles. No hike to the summit; we did 2 miles on a trail and about 2.7 on a dirt road with a steady 2-3% grade that led to an overlook that was worth it. Then we drove to the summit. I definitely feel better today, but I am going to make myself do no exercise until at least Tuesday. I don't even have 800 miles ridden this year, it's depressing. It's been at least 8-9 years since I did't have at least 1,000 miles by July 1.

emily_in_nc

07-01-2013, 05:52 PM

That really stinks, Crankin.

I hope you feel much better very soon!

Owlie

07-01-2013, 08:35 PM

OakLeaf

07-02-2013, 02:42 AM

Ugh Crankin. Glad you had a nice hike, anyway. Hope you feel better soon. Have you tried black elderberry yet? As often as you get sick, if it were me I'd take a little elderberry preventively every day.

Crankin

07-02-2013, 03:27 AM

Ha, Oak, I hardly get sick at all, compared to the past! My last major illness was in February. The rest is allergies. I've tried elderberry and I saw no benefit.
Murienn, I do have asthma, but it's basically a non-issue now, unless I get sick. When I lived in AZ, I was on a nebulizer every 4 hours. Since moving here, I have been pretty much symptom free, unless, I get a sinus infection or other normal cold and then sometimes, it will migrate. I have tried allergy shots at 3 different times in my life. Every time, they just give me an asthma attack... since it's not too much of an issue now, I deal with it with Claritin and Flonase, which do help. I really don't have tree/pollen allergies, just mold and a few foods. Now that I live in a house that is almost all hardwood, it's another major improvement.
I think some of the part that annoys me is it seems to take me longer to get better now. I know my immune system sucks, so I baby myself and try not to go back to activity too soon. Not easy for me. I went to boot camp this morning; it was a sub, which was a good thing. I was able to do the whole class, but I definitely had trouble with some of the weight repetitions near the end of each set. There wasn't really much cardio, except to warm up, which also was good.
I'll do a little ride tomorrow morning, if it's not raining. Yesterday, I got caught in torrential rain and tornado warnings while leaving a client's house, resulting in a mad drive back to my office in the worst conditions I have ever seen. It was only 2 miles, but I was scared to death. More predicted today, but at least I'll be closer to home.

Crankin

07-02-2013, 09:26 AM

I will give you my "how Arizona was ruined shpiel." Let's see, a whole bunch of people, mostly from the midwest, some from the east, moved there and wanted to re-create their landscaping back home. Lots of lawns and non-indigenous plants. Fake lakes. Houses built so close together, the population skyrocketed, and those people brought lots of cars. No real public transportation until recently. Put them in a valley, with air inversions and lots of dust and mold spores. I bet you get the picture!
Then, there's the whole gene pool of asthmatics who moved there in the 40s and 50s who married each other and had kids with asthma! Huge population of asthmatics.
I think the constant wind and changing temperatures are good for me. The air here is clear, with the exception of very hot and humid days a few times in the summer.
I've only been to Boulder once. Other than not being able to breathe because of the altitude, I was fine...

skhill

07-02-2013, 10:51 AM

For an odd Arizona and asthma and allergies story: when my dad was about 6 or so, he had terrible allergies and asthma, and his doctor suggested they move out to Arizona. The whole family trucked out from Ohio to Tuscon; and this was while WWII gas rationing was still on so it was a big deal. They stayed for a couple years and then went back home. As an adult living in KY, Dad never had problems with allergies or asthma, except for one week. One spring break when me and my brother were teens we went out to Arizona, and Dad was sneezing and wheezing and miserable the whole time, worst when we were in the Tuscon area. Something was blooming out there in the desert that he hadn't experienced in decades and it didn't agree with him.

The native plants can cause trouble too, you never know what you might end up sensitive to.

OakLeaf

07-02-2013, 11:39 AM

The way my allergist explained it, the immune dysfunction is part of your system, the particular sensitivities are developed. So if you're prone to allergies, you may eventually become allergic to whatever you're exposed to. Moving might buy you a few years until you become sensitive to the local allergens - it's not a permanent solution. I had about six good winters in Florida before I was every bit as miserable in cedar season as I used to be in ragweed season before I started getting shots. This year I became sensitive to oak pollen for the first time, too. Oh joy.

Owlie

07-02-2013, 05:18 PM

Yep.
My dad had no allergies before moving to Ohio. My parents had lived in Texas and New York, prior to OH. We took a little family vacation to San Antonio in late March. Bam. He was miserable for much of the trip. Don't know what was blooming down there, but man...

Crankin

07-02-2013, 06:11 PM

Well, I am happy to say that after 23 years, I am still healthier here than in AZ. I *have* developed food allergies as an adult, but it's been consistent across 2 states. In fact, in the past 15 years, some of that has improved, too. I couldn't drink wine for 10 years; this started when I was going through the worst of my asthma/allergies before I moved. Finally, in 1997 I decided to test it during Passover. I was sick of drinking grape juice for the ritual, with the kids. Since I didn't die, I figured it was a sign.

Owlie

07-02-2013, 07:17 PM

Why is moving so dang hard?

Dogmama

07-03-2013, 04:00 AM

Arizona allergies-
Anybody remember the commercial for an allergy medication that said it was "like taking your allergies to Arizona!" I'm thinking it was circa the 60's.

When we're talking about dumb things AZ does (could be another forum!) don't forget golf courses in the middle of the desert. Watering with reclaimed water now - boy howdee- smells pretty awful when the temp is high!

Crankin

07-03-2013, 10:27 AM

Ha ha.
Memories of stinky golf courses. Ranks right up there with driving in a dust storm and having my bathing suit top fall off while tubing down the Salt River.

marni

07-03-2013, 03:48 PM

Why is moving so dang hard? you have my sympathy- you'd think that after 11 moves in 40 years (7 of which were international) it would get easier esppecially since the last move was only the two of us instead the five of us, but it doesn't. Looking at another 2 or 3 in

my lifetime- not anticipating with excitement but.

skhill

07-18-2013, 04:27 AM

A sure sign of our first heat wave of the summer: women who normally wear trousers to work are showing up in skirts and dresses. Me included.

Another sign of the heat: the garbage trucks reek, especially noticeable when you're stuck behind one on a bike.

malkin

07-21-2013, 06:29 AM

I got my hair dreaded!

skhill

07-30-2013, 06:42 AM

OakLeaf

07-30-2013, 07:00 AM

You're supposed to find them on FB, not just show up. :cool:

indysteel

07-30-2013, 07:20 AM

What's up with all the hipster new businesses in the neighborhood not posting their hours? Of course the newest brewery isn't going to be open at 6:30 a.m. when I went past on my run but if they had their hours posted I could better make plans to come try their beers. Seems like almost all these businesses do the same thing.

In my opinion, businesses often do a lousy job, both on FB and on their websites, of stating essential information, like operating hours. It baffles me.

Sky King

07-31-2013, 06:38 AM

In my opinion, businesses often do a lousy job, both on FB and on their websites, of stating essential information, like operating hours. It baffles me.

and phone numbers or some sort of how to contact us information...

indysteel

07-31-2013, 07:36 AM

lph

07-31-2013, 07:55 AM

Okay, ladies. I'm in need of your good juju/mojo/vibes whatever. I wish I could be specific, but I have something to deal with at work later today that's go to really test me emotionally. Please send good thoughts my way. Thanks!!!

Go, Indy! You're strong and confident. :-)

indysteel

07-31-2013, 08:06 AM

Thanks, lph; I appreciate that.

Catrin

07-31-2013, 08:06 AM

Crankin

07-31-2013, 08:21 AM

Good luck, Indy. It's hard to be "tested."

OakLeaf

07-31-2013, 09:03 AM

Good luck, Indy. All the serenity from the yoga class I just did, is flowing your way!

indysteel

07-31-2013, 09:11 AM

Ah, integrity. That is the word of the day. I wish everyone I had to deal with in my professional capacity had it.

Thanks, TEers. I'm going to channel you as best I can.

lph

07-31-2013, 11:57 PM

Ah, integrity. That is the word of the day. I wish everyone I had to deal with in my professional capacity had it.

Thanks, TEers. I'm going to channel you as best I can.

So how did it go? Better or worse than feared? :-)

Today is another day, and all that...

indysteel

08-01-2013, 03:15 AM

So how did it go? Better or worse than feared? :-)

Today is another day, and all that...

It went about the way I expected. Upsetting and infuriating. I wish I could explain, but I unfortunately I can't. I'll be okay; it's just an unfortunate situation. Thanks again for the good vibes.

SheFly

08-01-2013, 07:02 AM

It went about the way I expected. Upsetting and infuriating. I wish I could explain, but I unfortunately I can't. I'll be okay; it's just an unfortunate situation. Thanks again for the good vibes.

If it was upsetting and infuriating, it simply means that you care about it. Don't feel badly for that. We all have those kinds of days at work (ok, maybe not all, but I can certainly empathize). You are a strong person who will get through this, too. Continue to hold the passion for whatever it was - it's what makes you a great person.

SheFly

indysteel

08-01-2013, 09:52 AM

If it was upsetting and infuriating, it simply means that you care about it. Don't feel badly for that. We all have those kinds of days at work (ok, maybe not all, but I can certainly empathize). You are a strong person who will get through this, too. Continue to hold the passion for whatever it was - it's what makes you a great person.

SheFly

Thanks, SheFly. That's very kind.

lph

08-01-2013, 12:00 PM

NbyNW

08-01-2013, 03:20 PM

Sending good vibes, Indy.

Crankin

08-01-2013, 03:57 PM

I am sure you handled it the best way possible, Indy. Go do something nice for yourself!
I am not having bad work days, but a colleague is. I'm privy to the stuff that is happening to her and it is upsetting me. This has nothing to do with clients.
I figured out I was wrong about how many more total hours I needed for my license and I realized after recalculating with the correct number, I will have the hours at the end of the third week in September... the day I do my century! I am starting to think about how I will terminate with my clients. My goal is be out of there whenever I get that piece of paper (October?) and take a little "rest," leading up to celebrating my 60th birthday on 11-4.