A Little Ginger to Brighten My Day

The weather here has been cold, damp, gray, windy, and with that low gray cloud cover that makes me sting. Benji and I got into LA late enough that by the time we had dinner it was late, and with the pain I couldn't sleep until midnight.

I was wrong about the traffic direction in that photo last evening, BTW. It was headed away from the Oscars and toward Hollywood proper, probably to parties.

My work day was really hard. I felt disoriented coming back and focusing and it seemed that every bit of data I looked at brought more questions than answers. "Here, use these codes, they should give you more cases of gonnorhea." I got one case, only. "Here, use procedures from the order record, not the charges record, that will run faster." It did, but gave vastly different results. Why? It was one of those days.

The light in my cloud was a visit from little Ginger and her owner, a very nice woman, a former World History teacher. We have known them a bit from the dog walks, and both dogs love Jose, the night security guard with treats. We met them walking this evening and they came to visit afterwards. Benji and Ginger played very nicely together, even sharing treats, toys, and 'Moms'.

Here is Ginger, the beautiful and spunky little 13-year-old Yorkie:


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Oscars Night in Hollywood

Benji and I arrived at LAX about 7:30 and it was bustling but not crazy like it often is. He remembers LAX now and knows his way around. He brings lots of smiles. We dropped our bags at the apartment, Benji had dinner, and we went out to Cravings at Sunset Plaza for dinner. I love their beet salad and chicken picatta.

Benji hangs out and has a snack with me.

At the table next to us a young woman was showing off photos on their phone from a party she'd been to and I heardher say, "See, Brad and Angelina were there."

Now all the traffic on Sunset is headed bumper-to-bumper toward the Oscars, almost none coming the other way - luckily the way we go home, just around the block.



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Benji Likes It When I Work on the Couch

Usually I work in the office but today used tge laptop on the couch. Benji couldn't get any more relaxed, or close, than he is.



All is well here in Tucson where we are finishing up our second week of working here. I am much better. My legs are better!!

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Today I Finally See the Flowers

You know how you can get so miserable sometimes, and your internal pain gets to be so extreme that you just stop seeing around you? I realized that's the way I had gotten.

This week I started really noticing my surroundings again here in L A. As I walk Benji, there is this profusion of flowers: bouganvilla, irises, lantana, carnations, calla lilies, tiger lilies, bird of paradise, gardenias, azaleas, jasmine, red roses, and yes, yellow roses.

I realized, hey, it's really beautiful here in a way. I had been focused on the dirty sidewalks and parking garages, the congestion and parking troubles. The Angelenos(?) have no problems with using lots of water and importing plant species - they're just worried about saving the rainforest.

And the people watching has just been prime. I saw Jesus again. And just today in 60 degree weather a woman wearing a fur Elmer Fudd hat as she drove to work. And this evening an older black woman in an all-white knee length dress and white shoes with a full-length black crushed-velvet cape with hood. Women in the office often have the look of the nightclub about them, with holey tops, cleavage bouncing, and strappy metallic and rhinestoned shoes. As soon as the weather climbs into the sixties you start seeing flesh exposed, buff chests on the gay men and everything on the women. I saw a young man wearing what had to be a woman's lacy ruffly blouse. At least I would assume it was a woman's blouse. With all the gay specialty shops here it may have been made to fit a man.

But it has been a good week. Work is going extremely well. I am getting really fast at cranking out code. A woman in Infection Control here loves me and will be presenting our project at a meeting next week. I put together a Powerpoint for her.

We are in a pre-implementation lull as most of the staff is getting ready to put in their physician order entry system at the hospital. So next week may be very quiet. I have a new cube neighbor who has personality plus - and lots of toys and llamas.

I am still dreaming about Mother sometimes but they are all good. In one, she was "back", riding in the back seat of my car, chatting away as usual, and we were telling her about some of the silly things she did when she was sick.

Dad is doing alright it seems. He is still getting hospital bills. He is doing a lot of rabbit hunting when the weather allows.

We all seem to be healing OK.

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News! News!

Ok looks like another post didnt go. This one came a week before the last one.

I get to work from home in Tucson all next week!

You have noooooo idea what a blessing that is going to be.

I saw my rheumatologist here in L A and I am not better, my legs still very painful. Shoulders hurting from the harder bed. We are tweaking a few medications. Other than that nothing newsworthy.

But I explained how I literally cried at the idea of another week here, dreading the pain and cold in our unheated office (probably stays between 62 and 65). I asked if she would support me with a note to work from home and she said "Sure."

So she wrote it for altermating weeks at home for a month and then I will be back for a recheck.

Don't worry, Pam, I will be here when you come to L A.

So I was able to get a flight out and Benji and I will be in Tucson by 2:30 today!! Yeah, my own climate control!! My own bed! Yeah, no traffic and sissy men and snobby fashionistas!! Yeah for my craft room and office!! Yeah Benji's dog park!! Yeah Page (masseur and friend) and Angelica (acupuncture and friend) and Bryan (chiropractor and friend) and Paul (handyman and neighbor and friend) and neighbors and hugs!!!! Yeah!!

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All is Well - Last Friday's Post

This is last Friday's post that wouldn't "go" for some reason ---

Benji and I are just finishing our week at home and are much better now. The change in my meds seems to be kicking in and I am more lively and able than I have been in a while.

Most of the week when I was not working was spent working on the house, picking out accessories, arranging the office and getting it, the bathroom, and two purple walls in the living room painted. I started to do the painting then stopped myself. I realized it was not the best use of my time and energy. Yesterday I spent hours it seemed putting books on book cases. I finally have enough book cases to hold them all. And yes, Jessica, I have enough books! Many of them have not been out of storage since college. My

Here are some photos.

This is the old tired in-the-way Ohio version:


Here's my new Arizona version:


Other new accessories all from the Goodwill store in the Foothills:


I know, why kissing angels? Because my parents have an almost idenical pair of bride and groom kissers that I used to play with when I was supposed to be napping in their bed.

Pink for my fifties kitchen:


A pot for cacti on my patio table:


A ruby red rose bowl, something I had actually been watching for on eBay, to put on my red bedroom dresser:


Living room still in progress:


New flooring:


Dining room in progress:


My red bedroom:


Milk glass from Mom's, pictured here in Ohio with the kissing bride and groom.


Doily from Grandma Swain:


A pillow cover from Mom's for the red room.


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