Milestones

This morning my daughter turned 30. At exactly 2:32 am, to be precise, thirty years ago today I became a mother for the first time. She was planned, eager awaited, and adored . . . well, at least until she turned about 15.

Being a mother was one of my life goals. I used to tell people I wanted one hundred kids (does it describe my immaturity if I tell you that I was also going to raise them in a castle?) But by the time I got married I'd decided I wanted four - two boys and two girls. I'm not sure if I truly believed I could choose, but I was adament that I'd have two of each. My husband was on board after my daughter was born - but after his son came along two years later he changed his mind. I was crushed, but I realized that it was meant to be five years later when we divorced. I had one child for each hand - what more could I handle?

My little girl brought another little girl into the world in the last year. She was planned for (though she decided that her parent's plan took too long and surprised them), she was eagerly awaited, and she is definitely adored. And I plan to be around when she turns 15 just so I can sit in the background and smile.

Orientation

I did the orientation tonight for the online class I teach. It's just a brief hour out of the students day where they can familiarize themselves with the software, the class, what I expect of them, and what they can expect from the class. So nothing is a surprise.

Wouldn't it be nice if everything new had an orientation?

Although thinking about it again, I suppose it's a mixed bag of nuts. If I'd had a proper orientation of my job, I might not have taken it. If we'd had true orientations for pregnancy and children, would the population explosion come to a grinding halt? What about marriage? If we truly knew the ups and downs (hopefully not in equal measure) how many would take the plunge?

I personally would like orientation for shopping. So many items of clothing (shoes especially) seem not what I'd been hoping for once I'd got them home. But in all the big things, I guess I prefer not knowing exactly what to expect. Knowing might allow me to second guess my decisions and change outcomes that really weren't that bad. I guess I'd rather be surprised. I think you handle things better when they are thrust upon you - what choice do you have. And if, in order to see the good things around the bend I'd also have to see the bad things coming, well, no thanks.

I've made pretty well so far. I'll just let ignorance carry me the rest of the way.

Physical Therapy

I now have to do physical therapy for my shoulder. I have a bone spur. And when the tendon becomes inflamed, the bone spur rubs on it and causes wear and tear. This I understand. What I don't understand is how USING my shoulder - such as in phsical therapy - would not also cause the tendon to become inflamed. Thus the cycle.

I asked the doctor AND the physical therapist this question. Both detailed some gibberish about stronger muscles. I tried to follow, I really did. In the end I just agreed to it because the next step is surgery on the shoulder to file down the bone spur. Physical therapy it is.

So back to the physical therapy - my first visit went well. She throught I was pretty limber and had good posture except that my shoulders came forward a bit - she said this was common because otherwise my "girls" would stick out more and everyone tends to downplay that. I did some stretches and some exercises and felt pretty good. Until she got me on the table to stretch the muscle for me. She poked her finger in one spot on my shoulder and I thought I would leap to my feet in one movement. "You're a little tight there" she said. "Ya think?" She said it was because that muscle was overcompensating and doing things the OTHER muscles and tendons should be doing, but that may have been painful.

So, in other words. My shoulder hurt, but it would have been hurting worse had I been keeping my posture correct and using the shoulder the way it should have been used. Ignorance is bliss I suppose.

Control

When I was a child, we had three channels - ABC, CBS, and NBC - and only one came in really well. There was no cable. There was only an antenna that my dad had hooked up to a rotor that allowed him to turn it from the comfort of the living room. As long as there weren't any storms, you didn't have to tweak the rotor too frequently. And as far as channel surfing went, that only happened when one of us kids were in the room.

Yes early romote controls were your children. I was guilty occasionally also. The TVs I had when my kids were little had knobs also. And the kids would argue to change the channel. "I can do it!" "No, it's my turn!" They turned the channels a little fast so I didn't ask them to do it too often - I was afraid the knob would break.

Then the remote control was invented. It made changing channels way too easy -- just ask anyone who has had to sit next to a person who can surf at the speed of light. My current remote is very intimidating. And since it controls more than just the TV you have to be careful. And, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I fully understand how to work it yet. But I can do the things that I typically need to do.

Someday my grandchildren will be on my knee and saying "No way Grammy, you had to walk over to the TV to change the channels?" And then I'll launch into the story about walking to school, uphill, for a few miles in the snow every day.

Food Favs

Did you ever have a food that was just a "fav of the moment"? Right now mine is tuna salad sandwiches. I've always liked tuna - but I like it better grilled. But lately I've had a hankering for tuna salad sandwiches that won't go away.

I guess you could call it a craving. Typically cravings are associted with pregnancy - but I have them when my body is trying to tell me something. In pregnancy when my blood sugar would drop way low, all I could think about eating was pancakes with maple syrup or glazed donuts. This was, of course, before I realized that there were better ways to up the blood sugar.

Now I have granny cravings - if the digestive system is "backed up" I crave ice cream - a sure-fire way to move things through my quirky digestive system. If I've had a particular tiring week, I seem to crave meat. Every once in a while (though not often) I crave something salty -- who knows why. Breads and pastas are my "I need taken care of" food. And, of course, when I'm feeling particularly bored and listless, I want chocolate.

But the tuna sandwiches have me baffled.

Marathons

Sunday is marathon day. Not races - but television marathons. I've spent many a Sunday vegging in front of the television with various marathons. My list of past marathons include: MASH, Murder She Wrote, CSI (one, two, and three), Law and Order (one, two, and three), Monk, and so on and so on.

Even if it's a show I've already seen. Even if it's a show I don't particularly like. Even if I have other things that I need to be doing. There is something about a marathon that sucks you in and holds you.

But on the upside - it's quality time with the dog.

Summer

Summer is now here. I know it because it's muggy and I'm sweating. I like summer well enough - but I hate to sweat. And that makes it almost impossible to do anything in the summer. Moving makes me sweat.

And if it's not enough that moving makes me sweat, any amount of heat makes me have hot flashes. So now, if I get hot, it brings on a hot flash that has me sweating even when I have the AC cranked up.

So, I'll hibernate in my house until fall. Which is sort of opposite what everyone else does. Hmmm.