Going Back to Bed (This Might Be More Information Than You Want to Know)

Taki, the new kitty in my life, is growing and developing in amazing ways. This kitty was urinating in its sleep shortly after starting to eat well.  That has stopped.  Now, urination is occurring after a meal, and I am able to put her in a litter box to encourage its use.

Taki does not poop regularly, but with stimulation, does. The kitty did poop spontaneously once, when it was in the litter box. So, this is encouraging.

Tonight, Take wandered around and around, and after a meal, found the way into the sleeping basket.  This is amazing to me!

I am so hopeful this kitty will survive.

Sunday is Sheet Washing Day

Sunday is sheet washing day, and today was no different.  I pulled the sheets and pillow cases off the bed early afternoon, at an opportune time when not one of the cats was on the bed.  All the laundry has been washed, dried, and what could be hung up or placed in drawers, was put away. The pillow cases are back on the pillows.  But, since about 7:30 PM, there has been one or two cats on the bed, constantly.  I try very hard not to disturb the cats to make the bed. But sometimes, it comes down to that. It is getting late. It may come down to that.

Enjoying the Day

I have had some chores to do today, but for the most part, I have been able to sit back and enjoy the day.   I bought a lot of stuff to cook on the grill, and sat out to watch it cook, make sure a wayward cat did not try to get on the hot grill (some came around and sniffed) and in general enjoy the outside.   The weather started out grey, but became sunny, and remained cool.  I put on a light jacket when I was sitting in the shade.

I had planned to cook and then package some of the meat to freeze. I did not realize I did not have much foil, and I like to wrap the meat in foil before I put it in a bag.   Oh well, I decided not to get to the store today, and I can get there tomorrow on my way home from a meeting, and work on this one night during the week.

A few years ago, I was visiting my brother.  He was raised Roman Catholic, but eventually converted to being a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He made the comment to me that he really tries to keep Sunday, and not do any commercial activities. He might golf on Sunday, but mostly does home or family things. We grew up in a part of the world where most stores were closed on Sunday, although movie theaters, bowling alleys, restaurants and the like were open. So, this is not really a totally foreign idea.

At the time I mentally scoffed at the idea. But, as time goes by, I have begun to adopt that practice more and more.  I still go to a concert, kayak, visit with friends, go to the library.  And, I do occasionally do commercial things, but have really decreased my Sunday commercialism. 

In addition to groceries, gasoline and the library, my other semi-regular weekend activity is to go to the craft store. I prefer Hobby Lobby http://www.hobbylobby.com/ to Michael's http://www.michaels.com/, Jo-Ann http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp, or Hancock http://www.hancockfabrics.com/.  It used to irritate me the Hobby Lobby is not open on Sunday.  Now, I do not even think about it.  If I am going to the craft stores, I am going on Saturday. No matter which one.

I appreciate having access to stores on Sunday, but Hobby Lobby is an example of a chain that can survive and be closed on Sunday.  So, while I like knowing I can have access to stores on Sunday, more and more, I do not access them.

A Disquieting Visitor

I suppose I should have written about this last night, but did not. About 9:30 PM last night, a young man came to my front door. He was on his cell phone. He asked very politely if anyone was living in my "back house." He was about 5'6" and had a long face. He was clean shaved, and his head was shaved. He was slim. I told him I do not have one, and he apologized, and left, but asked what street this was. Stupidly, I told him.  (It really is easy to get confused about the streets in this neighborhood.  I sometimes turn down the wrong street, trying to get home, when I am distracted.)

I had the house wide open: the front door was locked, but the windows were up.  I had windows up in the front, sides and back of the house. I immediately closed all those windows except in the bedroom, which I lowered and locked.

The truth be known, I have, from time to time, left the house wide open until the wee hours of the morning. I know this is very unsafe, but I am not able to sleep, and I like the fresh air. I have decided I have to be more security minded.

So, tonight, I closed the house just before writing this.

Change of Habits

I am a creature of habit.  One is that I tend to plan a kayak ride for later in the day.  I think this is because during the week, I go kayaking after work.  There has not been too much kayaking this year: the wind has been too strong, and the dust makes being outside uncomfortable.  But, I have had the chance to go.

I was thinking about kayaking later today.  But, I heard the weather report, and it send windy later today, with possible gusts up to 40 mph.  I decided to get out there and get it done.  I am glad I leave the kayak loaded for the most part during the summer.  It makes getting out to the lake quicker, one less thing to do to get there.  

I had a great ride around the lake.  Yesterday, I saw a sailboater loading up to go.  I would have enjoyed watching him on the water. Later in the day, I saw a fisherman launch a 2 person sit-on-top kayak.  Today, there was a john boat out, and the occupant was obviously fishing.  It is nice to get out.

I also enjoyed the birdwatching both days.  Some different birds, some the same.  And of course, the turtles were sunning.

I am glad I am flexible enough to change my habits.

Doing Better

Years ago, I was at a training of some sort, and the comment was made that life is a series of relapses.  It is an interesting concept, and one that I think holds true. And, it does not necessarily apply to drug use or alcohol use, or even illness, although that is the context in which we usually think of relapse.

We go through periods of taking really good care of ourselves physically, then we slack off.  We might diet very carefully, then not pay attention to what we eat, or we gain back weight we lost, or eat the wrong foods, or too little food.  We may have episodes of insomnia in our lives, then we sleep well.  We may exercise regularly, then for some reason, do not have the time, mental or physical energy, or have ill health that interferes with exercising.

The list is endless: we may be diligent about housework, then decide something else is more important. We may have a garden one year, and decide not to worry about the yard and garden the next.  We may become involved in a craft, but then lose interest.  We may study for a degree or pleasure, then decide not to tax our brain.  We may follow sports very closely, then decide to put our time elsewhere. Or, we become discouraged by the performance of a once winning team that is now in a losing cycle.  We may be very active in our community, and then we may decide we have had enough.

I am not sure if life is a series of relapses, but it seems to me, we do cycle a great deal.  And, knowing this, we can expect that there are times in our lives when we are in a down cycle. And, in an up cycle.  

And, being in a down cycle does not mean we are at rock bottom, just we are not doing as well as we would like.  Just like being in an up cycle does not mean we have "arrived," just that we are doing better. So, in a down cycle, we know we can work to turn the corner, and go up. As with when we are doing better, maybe it is the best we can hope for, but that is not so bad. And, we can try not to start a down spin.

Maybe thinking in terms of life going in cycles can give us a perspective on where we are today, and where we would like to be; what part of the cycle we are in, and what we can do to correct or maintain it.

 

Companionable Silence

I tend to be a quiet person, and have for all my life.  I find that when I am sharing space with someone, I do not have the need to always carry on a conversation with them. I can sit quietly near someone, and not need to speak or visit with them (although I may talk to my self.)  This is especially helpful when in a work setting that requires shared space.

My cats do not share companionable silence. They rarely both sit on the sofa with me at the same time.  The same is true for the bed. Even rarer, will they share the sofa or bed when I am not there.  Today, I saw them sitting close to each other. It was probably not for a very long period of time, less than minutes, but for just that time, they seemed to be sharing companionable silence.  Or, I was experiencing wishful thinking.

Reading Crescendo

I have mentioned more than once that I am a mystery book reader.  I have noticed an interesting phenomenon to my reading habit in the last year or two.  There are many mystery books that I really do not care about, but this also applies to the books that I am really enjoying:

As I get closer to the end, and the pieces are coming together, and the mystery is being solved, I find myself wanting to read faster and faster, and more and more, until I finish the book.

This is a bit of a change for me. Maybe it is the type of book I am reading, but there was a time in my past that I really enjoyed savoring a book, and spending time with the characters and plot, without being in a hurry to finish the book.

I am not sure when this change occurred, or why.  Have you had either experience with books.

Being Off

My schedule has changed this week, because the doctor is out, and we are not seeing patients for treatment team until he returns.  I am still seeing patients. And, I have plenty of other work to do, including going to training. 

But, I am off. I want it to be Wednesday night, not Tuesday.  I am afraid that tomorrow I will be mis-aligned into thinking it is Thursday.

Maybe I can re-align myself.

Daylight Savings Time

Most of us have little difficulty adjusting to standard time, when, in the autumn, we push the clock back an hour. It requires a little adjustment, but because it can be the occasion for an extra hour of sleep, it seems not to be a bad adjustment, usually.

Generally, I do not have much difficulty adjusting to daylight savings time. But this year, something is different. Of course, losing an hour of sleep can be a problem. But, part of the problem is that the weather has been so pleasant, that when I get home from work, I do not want to be inside. So, I am outside longer than I intend. But, when I finally do go inside, I still have projects to which to attend, some of which I can not work on outside. So, I expect to complete those projects, although I start later than I am used to doing.

Consequently, I am getting less sleep.  I am feeling the effects of it. So much so, Friday at work was a very, very long day for me.  And, I decided to change my plans for Saturday, to afford me extra rest.  But, here it is, closing in on midnight, and I am still awake.  I do not mind now, but it makes early rising difficult.  And, I keep saying, maybe tomorrow night, I can get to bed early. I also know that if I can force the early rising, I will be able to get to sleep sooner at night, and get my schedule adjusted. It just takes some self discipline.  Of which I am capable, but obviously not engaging in currently.

Insomnia

As per Merriam Webster Online:

Definition of INSOMNIA



: prolonged and usually abnormal inability to get enough sleep


— in·som·ni·ac \-nē-ˌak\ adjective or noun

I have spent various periods of my life suffering from insomnia.  Usually it is manifested by an inability to fall asleep.  Lately, my insomnia has been manifested by waking up about 4:30 AM.  I doze after that, but have not been able to sleep soundly.

Most recently I have been dealing with feeling dragging during the day after not being able to sleep at night.  I blame not adjusting to the time change, because the insomnia has been happening for several weeks, and the only change this past week was the time change.

I am tired tonight, but not ready for bed.  Maybe, when I go, I can go to sleep and stay asleep. That would be a blessing.

Like many of our functions, sleep is a habit.  Maybe I can change my habit by getting tired enough to sleep through and change my rising time.

Take Over

I have a nice office chair to use at my computer desk. A very long time ago, Haiku commandeered the chair, so I have set up a folding chair for me.

More recently, I have set up a folding TV tray next to the chair, for paperwork, or if I am eating a meal at the computer.  Well, the girls have commandeered that as their place to sit while I am working on the computer.

Cats are insidious. They just take over whatever space they want. 

Patience

A co-worker and I were talking about a very good movie that I was not able to force myself to sit through because it has subtitles.  I explained that I am usually multi-tasking when I watch a movie (at home) so subtitles were distressing to me.  I have the opportunity to see the movie in a setting where I would pretty much be just watching the movie, so I am considering it...

My coworker asked me what I do when I go to a movie theater, and I said "Suffer." Which is sort of true.  I am very impatient during the pre-show, announcements, trailers for new releases, etc.  But I am very selective about the movies I go to the theater to watch, and am usually pretty much involved in the story.  But if I am not, I do suffer.

I was re-reading my post from 2-2-11 and realized that both with cooking and watching movies, I do not have much patience. I do not think that is new.  In fact, that has been a hallmark of mine for many years.

One of the hardest things for me to learn, when I went to work at the prison was to be patient:  there are just times during the day when I can not see patients.  There are just times when the officers who bring patients out to see clinicians are too busy to do that part of their job. There is just down time in this job.  It was a most distressing feeling for the longest time, but eventually I learned to slow it down, but also be prepared to do something different when I can not see patients on my schedule.

Cooking

I used to be a good cook.  I probably still could be. I just do not have the patience anymore.  It is very difficult for me to stay in the kitchen to monitor foods that are cooking, simmering, slow cooking. 

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I am just impatient about a lot of things these days.  I find it difficult to sit still, spend long hours on slow moving projects, or otherwise stay the distance.

I used to be like a dog with a bone when there was a project, task, problem.  Now, I am not so persistent.

I am not sure why the difference.  But, there it is...I am not a good cook these days, because I can not patiently wait for things to cook, be attentive and watch closely.

Stress

I am nine spots behind in posting.  I know why.  When I get home, my brain is so full of brain chatter and day to day noise that it is very difficult for me to concentrate and think about writing. So, I do not. 

It would help if I developed a meditation/wind down routine to help me to relax, and to let my brain rest so I can be more creative. 

The word puzzles, jigsaws and other games help me with that, but not as much as they used to.  Obviously, it would help me to have a more serious regrouping technique.

Tea Cozies

When I make a pot of tea, I do not have a tea cozy to keep the pot warm.  So, I have been using a clean dish towel.  It is amazing to me that the dish towel helps to keep the tea pot and contents warm for a couple of hours. 

As I was looking on line, one sight made a distinction between a tea cozy which leaves the spout and handle uncovered, and a tea cover, which covers the entire pot.

Additionally, as I was searching for cozies, I came across a reference for koozie.  If you do not know, a koozie is a wrap for a can or bottle, usually a cold beverage.  Hmmm. Do you think it might be a variation on the word cozy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_cosy

New Years Traditions

New Years' traditions and superstitions vary for us all http://www.snopes.com/holidays/newyears/beliefs.asp.   When I moved south I learned about the tradition of eating black eyed peas for good luck.  Personally, I prefer pickled herring http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herring.  Well, yesterday, I was able to partake of both.

What that means regarding the prospect for a good year ahead will wait to be seen.

Minimum Effort

I have spent a couple of hard weeks at work, and am looking forward to the holidays, with some extra time off.

I have chores to do around the house, but anticipating some days off, I am putting minimum effort into doing household chores...

Having said that, the girls were ready to wake up before the alarm went off at 5:30 this morning... And, I did get up... But I read for about an hour and a half, before I fed breakfast, keeping the breakfast schedule...

I did the minimum chores.  And enjoyed the day.

The Buzzing Door

I work in a psychiatric prison hospital.  Getting into the facility involves passing through 4 locked doors and 2 locked gates.  An electric "buzz" signals that it is possible to open the portal... Sometimes, as I go through the building, I stand waiting at an unsecured door, as if it too has to be buzzed open.

It is really embarrassing in a free world facility to stand and wait for the "buzz" that would allow me access.  But it happens to me frequently...Does that tell you what a creature of habit I am?

Routine

I am a creature of routine and habit.  I have written about this before, including explaining about how I am confounded by changes in routine. 

I was thinking about that today, as I was preparing for work.  Over the years, my early morning routine has changed, yet the core remains the same:  shower, dress, preparing breakfast and snack, tending to the cats, and getting the newspaper.

Beyond that, my morning routine really varies.  I used to read the newspaper regularly...Now, I may do so, skim it, or just open it up so it lays flat when I read it in the evening.

I used to read a morning devotion, a couple of news sights and play one or two word games on the computer before I went to work.  Now, most days, I do not even get on the computer in the morning.

I used to drink coffee every morning, sometimes more than one cup.  Now, even one cup is sometimes too much caffeine for me.  Many mornings, I drink juice or soda, and if I want something hot, it is usually herb tea.

And, while I keep the core routine, the peripheries change:  when I open the windows overnight, I have to have a routine to close up the house in the morning. Or else, I have to return to the house even after I have already reached my place of employment, because I am not sure I closed up the house.

If I want to go to work early, I have to get up early, get through the basic routine, and get to work.  If I am not concerned about getting to work early, I take more time, including with the computer or newspaper.

Some mornings, the cats are wanting attention, and if I have the time, I sit and visit with one or both, depending upon their desire. Even if I want to get to work early, and a cat or two wants attention, they get some hugging and caressing...

So, as much as I have a routine, I realize I am flexible enough to allow variations depending upon the circumstances in which I find myself... I think the lesson here is that a basic routine keeps me grounded, but the variations allow my to adapt, and the flexibility keeps my life from getting stale.