Howdy. It’s been awhile so i thought i’d try to write.
the Blue dog – she is now 3 years and a bit old and has grown up healthy and happy(hopefully). She adores her cousins and expects me, come hail or high water, to drive her the 25 mins to the farm on a daily basis for a walk. She doesn’t always get what she wants, but pretty nearly. Our biggest issue right now is when, at the end of a long walk when the sun is sinking and the mosquitoes are feasting, she will refuse to give it up and come to me so i can rinse off the swampy, muck with the frog-laden stink from her belly and legs. I’m not sleeping with that again. So, each evening it’s a challenge between her and me to catch her and force her submit to the necessary hosing-off. Let me just tell you how fucking infuriated i get when she blows me off and turns away when i’m summoning her to me. I had to have the truck door hinges tightened recently b/c she had pissed me off and i took it out on the truck by slamming the door a ‘couple’ of times.
the house – i am currently in the throes of a kitchen remodel (something have mercy on my soul) and it’s OK. I’m at the appliance selection stage and it really doesn’t help to have a brother-in-law whose business is appliance repair b/c he has been critical of every choice i have made so far. Apparently there are no decent machines out there in the world, anywhere. So, i have stopped sharing with him. To his credit. he has offered to do all the appliance installations and (according to him) future repairs. I had a fair bit of wood flooring and some tile left over from the bathroom, so i’m going to try (there is no try) to use them in the kitchen. I have managed to convince myself that NOW is the time to buy kitchen stuff i’ve been wanting but putting off. So, i have a new cutlery set, a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, a bright blue enameled cast iron dutch oven and an air fryer. More to come, i’m certain. Now i have to pick out the cabinets and countertop material and knobs and lighting and paint and a contractor(s) and……..
the body – this morning i am suffering from an unexpected level of post-vaccinal myalgia (misery). I rec’d my first shingles vaccination yesterday and having now taken 500mg of naproxen, 3 hits of CBD oil, and 2 cups of coffee, i may be able to get my shit on the road. I’m generally not a big fan of vaccines for me – i don’t get a flu or pneumonia shot, but my mom suffered with shingles late in life and she did suffer. Thought i’d give the vaccine a try. I did join a local gym 1 month ago and have only missed a few days – i think i will skip it today. My goals for the gym are to gain overall strength, work on stamina and balance, and tighten my core abdominal muscles specifically. My back surgery was 8 months ago and while i initially obtained relief from my left-sided sciatica, unfortunately the pain has returned along with a weird sensation of ‘slipping’, clicking and pain in my lower back. Not present pre-op. Grrrr. My ortho guy himself had a bad accident and has taken early retirement which leaves me feeling unsupported. I am to see the ‘knee guy” in the practice now about my back. I AM NOT HAPPY. So, rather than burn the place down, i started seeing a chiropractor about 5 weeks ago. Honestly, i can’t say i fully understand the science but i do feel a bit better. The nighttime is the hardest b/c my sciatic pain is exacerbated by my favorite sleeping positions and i’m not sleeping well. Bad for the brain.
the brain – i stopped all psych drugs in april of this year and am doing well, give or take a few mixed symptoms (crying spells, intrusive thoughts, a little paranoia, flashbacks). My underlying mood has gratefully been hypomanic which is helping me get through this fucking house remodel. I have noticed some time issues – it’s either moving at a glacial pace or i lose a few hours where i have no idea how it could have gotten so late. In june i rec’d my medical mj card and i have been trying different strains and methods of consumption. Luckily, i discovered vaping and hash oil cartridges – what i reefer to – get it? – as a stoner’s dream. I don’t even have to get OOB to use. Current favorite strains = matriarch and ray charles. I also stopped going to ‘therapy’ for the first time in nearly 10 years and i wish i had quit far sooner. Grand waste of everyone’s time.
So, now i have to decide if i am sufficiently medicated to get outside and use the power washer i borrowed from the b-i-l last night or if i will turn the A/C on, start researching dishwashers and microwaves indoors on my laptop, and try to ignore the plaintive sighs and anxious looks from the blue dog, who of course wants to go for a ride to the farm.
Doc
thebigfarm 