Personality Quirks

My husband has this 'thing'... A personality quirk, a habit, an annoyance... I'm not sure how to describe this 'thing'.

He will not buy a new or almost new car. No way, no how.

He got sucked into spending a ridiculous amount of money on a car back before he knew me, back when he was making ridiculously good money as a machinist. He spent and spent and spent on that car, and then changed jobs and was stuck with it for a very long time.

Consequently, WE will probably never purchase a car from a dealership.

In the 11 years we've been married we've had 10 or 11 cars. When the old car dies, Jake finds a car in the newspaper and we go track it down. The one we've got right now was purchased in a restaurant parking lot...

And it's dying. Like all of them. Each car has lasted a year, maybe two. Then we have to figure out some way of unloading it and getting into another half-dead car. And we don't know a Miracle Max...

He's owned ridiculous cars up here. A Dodge Omni with half a seat in the back (We have 2 children). A cadillac so old my mom might have been born in it. Cars that guaranteed there was no way I could drive around Fairbanks in the winter without a cell phone, just in case I have to call for somebody to come rescue me.

Don't get me wrong. I become kind of fond of each them. In a derogatory sort of way. I found myself rubbing the dash board of our current junker this week and whispering, "Come on, old girl, you can do it!" as we tried to merge with the traffic on the Expressway...

I love my Jake, but I wish he'd figure out a different method of dealing with transportation...

Recovering

Surgery recovery is going slowly.
I went back to work this week and every day I have come home and CRASHED. I've had a 2 to 4 hour nap every afternoon, and have been doing little else. Some reading after dinner, but that's about it.
I am looking forward to playing with some polymer clay when I feel better!

Ode to Sleeping Pills

Though I have tried, I have had no rest.
Last night I slept 8 hours straight-
Thank you, glowing wings of Lunesta.

Painting tiny little butterflies

Beth has started an Etsy shop to sell her Polymer clay beads. And if she has started making poly-beads, you can bet I've followed. Because it's fun!!

Right now, I'm working on a stash of pretty little painted butterflies to use in earrings or as pendants on a bracelet. I am delighted with their appearance, and am almost done. I've varnished the top to protect the paint and sparkles and now I need for it to dry so I can decide if I'll varnish the back as well.



At this moment, I am very pleased with them. I hope that continues all the way to the sticky-Varnish end. I will not be surprised if I realize I should have put the holes closer to the edge...

After surgery photo

I'm laying on the couch all sad and tired, when my littlest decides she wants to cuddle.

So we get her over & behind me (away from the incisions),

when my oldest decides she wants in on the cuddle action...

Except she didn't fit. Not with my stomach all messed up.

Jake kindly offered to take a photo in lieu of a couch cuddle.

Looking at this photo you'd think Jake told us to make silly faces!

But he just said 'Smile!'

Surgery Recovery

It's been a week and a half since my surgery and I am doing better.

The first week I was groggy, tired and in pain. I pretty much came down to eat, and stayed in bed the rest of the time. A couple days ago, I started to feel better and I'm doing pretty good now.

I've been to the grocery store and made it half-way through the trip! At that point my body said 'I'm done, take me home.' But I still had to walk out on my own power, AND I made it.

I'm still shaky and I have NO stamina. Taking a shower wears me out. Eating dinner wears me out. Painting little tiny butterflies wears me out.

The biggest complication I'm stuck with right now is that I'm not sleeping. I hope you understand, I don't mean I'm having a little insomnia. Or that I'm having to lay in bed for an hour or so to go to sleep... I'm NOT SLEEPING. Last night I went to sleep around 8 a.m., and slept till between noon and 2. I had been in bed for a very long time before I went to sleep...

I did some research and found out this is a fairly common side-effect of going off the vicodin. The withdrawal can cause fairly severe insomnia. Goody. Something new... Only it's not.

I've always had insomnia. Always. Mom has stories about me being a baby and a young child and not sleeping. This new insomnia is different, though. This isn't like my nice, friendly, rather tame insomnia. He's a nice puppy I cuddle, read books, and wrestle with, and then I lay down and get to sleep with him in about an hour.

No, this new insomnia is like some great mean polar bear. I am fighting this guy every night for HOURS. He sits on my chest and roars at me for HOURS. I can't even tell myself nice stories or create little day-dreams. Nope, this bear is too loud- roaring, "You can't sleep, 'cuz I'm not lettin' ya'! Give it up! Ha-Ha-HAAAA!"

So, not only am I tired from surgery recovery, I'm also tired from Vicodin withdrawal. Remind me to never accept Vicodin after surgery again. This is ridiculous.