(Just a note -- blog posts turn up on my Facebook feed as a note; this is old news for anyone reading on FB.)
I've been sick since last Tuesday evening: allergy-induced Bronchitis. I get it at least every other year, around the same time, with the same symptoms every time. Throat suddenly hurting? Inner ears starting to itch? I know exactly what to expect. Knowing what's coming (and that it will pass) does not help me be any less of a big wuss. I'm tired of the deep, painful cough and the phlegm. (Let's leave it at that, shall we?) Whine, whine, whine.
I can't really nap, because laying down makes the cough worse. Things were so-so until Friday night (at least I got through the work week mostly unscathed), but I spent the weekend propped up on the love seat in our little library room here, with some DVDs (the entire run of Frontier House today) and my Giftmas knitting. If nothing else, I got quite a bit of knitting/finishing done! (Working with the pink stuff to the right at the moment.)
It's very important that I get over this in the next few days. We have family coming Thanksgiving evening, I have some knitter friends coming over on Sunday, and on Monday next, I start a new job.
You read that right! I'm sure many people who are reading this have been in similar predicaments: your company is going through rough times, or maybe is already reorganizing; rumors are flying, and you don't know what's coming at you next. So, you get your resume updated and maybe post it online -- doesn't hurt to be ready, right?
What I didn't expect was to have a call within 2 hours of posting the resume, and a request for an interview the next business day! I posted my resume on Friday, had a formal interview on Tuesday and a job offer the same afternoon. (Right about the time my throat started to hurt!) I'm very excited about this new opportunity. With the market the way it is right now, I know precisely how lucky I am.
Hope this finds everyone healthy and well!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Hack, Cough, Wheeze
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Finishing
John is a faithful reader of
nataliedee.com, and makes sure to send me links to any knitting-related comics (plus any other geek thing that he thinks I'll find funny (he's almost always right)).
This is appropriate because I decided that I had to finish any works-in-progress (WiPs) before I got too deep into my Christmas gift knitting.
I'm doing really well, too. I finished ½ of a pair of socks a friend's baby several weeks ago, but hadn't gotten around to starting the second half. Earlier, I ran out to the car and found the project bag(gie) and knit while we watched our usual eclectic selection (Dagon and 1 disc of Monty Python's Flying Circus). It's a cabled sock - my first cabled project ever - and I've got about an inch to go in the foot before I start decreasing for the toe. This little guy has rather large feet -- the socks I knit for him pre-birth didn't come close to fitting when he was a couple of days old -- so I hope the toddler socks will fit!
Other WiPs: a gift for a friend that really requires a small amount of knitting, then some finishing and sewing, and my socks. I'm not counting a scarf I started, because I'm not sure I want to finish it anyway. I figure if it never made it into my Ravelry queue, then it's not official.
In other news: I don't think I mentioned that I'm on a crazy-strict medically-prescribed diet (and John is on it with me). I have pledged to not use my blog (or Facebook or Twitter) to continually post updates on what I'm eating (or not eating), how many calories taken in, how much weight lost, etc. But I'm feeling so much better, and that's excellent. Whenever I'm tempted to cheat (actually pretty rare), I just picture my dad's feet. He lost both legs below the knees - in stages - and I had to help change bandages on occasion. Now that I seem to have high blood pressure in addition to the diabetes, I have no choice if I want to hang around.
I do need to plug one of my favorite finds (may have been mentioned before): Fage 0%. It's Greek-strained yogurt, but I use it as a substitute for sour cream. May not be the best thing that the yogurt reminds me of sour cream, but hey, it works. Some of the food we get is pretty boring, but some "sour cream" and low sodium salsa really makes a difference.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Better Than I Thought
Last week, John called to tell me about something he'd heard on the radio: recent studies show that chamomile tea is very good for diabetics (here's a link). I'm all about the black tea. I don't like herbals, generally, or greens; however, I decided that if I was going to try this, I was going to go all the way.
I popped over to Adagio, and ordered a bunch of stuff (got a partial Christmas present done while I was at it): a 4 oz. canister (huge) of the chamomile, which is not all chopped and processed, but looks pretty much like the picture shown in this entry. I also got some of the sample canisters, which are adorable and only $1-$2 each (great way to try out flavors), and some paper tea bag/filters. I have a press, but it's frequently a pain to use, so I figured the paper filters would be easier. (They are, and they are not expensive - 100 for $3.)
The box arrived yesterday (quick shipping!), and I dutifully packed up the tiny sample canister of chamomile and a handful of filters to bring to work. (I figured I could keep the big canister at home and refill the little one as needed. We'll see how that goes.) I remembered reading that chamomile is especially good sweetened with a little honey, so when I went through the McDonald's drive-through for my morning caffeine fix (large unsweet tea, xtra ice), I got them to sell* me a handful of their little honey packages. (Next time I go to the grocery, I'll get a honey bear.)
The 2-and-4-oz. sizes come in nifty canisters with a clear lid and sturdy metal closure. (Tea needs to be kept out of light, so I'm not sure why the lid is clear, but I'll keep it in a cupboard anyway.) ETA: Mystery solved! The lids are UV-protected, so they're safe to keep out.
Results
This morning, I made my first cup of chamomile tea w/ honey (brewed 7 minutes). And, hey -- it's pretty tasty! I can easily manage the recommended 2 cups a day, at least at work. (After my morning caffeinated version!) I have a lovely tea kettle at home, but tend to flake on stuff there. Here at work, there's a "cafe" at the end of my aisle, with hot water at the ready.
Gift Certificates
If you want to order some tea (you can make your own blends, too), I can highly recommend the chamomile, as well as the cherry and peach (black teas), oh and Christmas. Yum. I can get you a $5 gift certificate if I have your email addy. It will cover shipping (only $3.75 ground, free if you spend over $50). Just drop me a line. I'm not signed up for anything -- I don't believe I get any points or rebates or anything.
*McDonald's has cracked down on all condiments in a big way. You can only have a couple of sauces, ketchup, etc. before you have to pay extra. Since I wasn't ordering anything that needed honey, I didn't mind paying at all (10¢ ea.).
