April 29, 2011.

Well, I had my PG Tips tea and bread pudding all lined up, this morning, and watched the highlights of the Royal Wedding. I do so love it when America gets out-flag-waved, out-romped and out-pomped: it's utterly refreshing. Even if the Windsors are getting a bit crusty and dusty in their dotage. No need to bet on what Elizabeth II wore. Always steady, safe and secure. Oh, BUT, did you see some of the ghastly abominations that were passing as ladies ... HATS?. Thought that Catherine's dress was suitably a bit of ooh and aah, and thank-goodness she didn't have a meringue topping, nor a toe-tripping train to have to contend with. She was there to get married, dammit-and, besides, the media were creating quite enough extraneous BS for everyone as it was. Katie Couric with her dupe for a Lady Di hairstyle about made me gag, but anyway...I do so love a good wedding! *Sniff. I'm also extremely glad that the vows exchange was streamlined down to two minutes. It'd just have been their extreme bad luck if some old priest got up there and gabbled on ad nauseum about the sanctity of marriage and how God is an all-loving, all-knowing God (sentiments which likely would have made Charles squirm). No, they are a young, modern couple, who are living in a much more secularized and straightforward society.

"Beanie" is home sick again, today. Same issues. Last night was awful. I ended up phoning R at work, which I rarely do, and he came rushing back home. Poor Beanie was in absolute agony. What to do?. Take her back to the very same, solitary ER who misdiagnosed her in the first place?. On a Thursday night?. So, no, we kept her home and pushed fluids, instead. We're in watchful, waiting mode for the rest of this weekend. Nothing exciting planned. Just keeping everything as quiet and relaxed as possible.

On a plus side, despite what *some* may think from some of my FB status updates, my own health is good at the moment. I put it down to a 2,000IU intake of Vitamin C every day, in combination with getting more exercise. Far less of the general viral symptoms that so commonly featured in my daily life and blog updates throughout 2009/2010. My foot has healed beautifully, and is now unrecognizable compared with my foot prior to surgery (cosmetically and functionally). Booyah!. Besides, I would never have passed my recent required physical and medical exam for my Health Verification for my externship, if I wasn't fit and well.

It's a sparkling, glowy, sunshine-filled day outside. Don't be fooled though. It's nice in the sun, but that stern coastal breeze sucks all of the warmth right out of you. Inside Friday!. I like!.
 

April 27, 2011.

So, what's been Happening in the Rainbowapple Household, since, er, October, 2010?. Your very best guess would be as good as (if not better than) mine, lol. However, if you're unfortunate enough to have been following me on FB, not a whole LOT has changed-just a variant on same-old, same-olde. Anywhoo, we are still situated in the same, old villa, with the 17 guinea pigs, an ever-increasingly senile and vague cat, and the odd guppy or two (or seven). Oh, and up until recently, temporarily caretaking three baby ducks and nine baby chickadees. Thank-goodness that the aforementioned ducks were re-homed-as Hughie, Louie and Spewy were so, unbearably smelly!.

"Beanie" has endured a rough few weeks, while bravely battling a viral illness that she picked up from school. She's still a little fragile, weepy and not as active and thriving as usual. Poor kid. I'm worried that there is something a little more serious happening with her, rather than just a virus, but time will tell if my instincts on that pan out.

I recently completed my Clinical Orientation for my Clinical Rotations, including a Professional Rescuer certification. I'm just waiting on an email, with the next steps and set of instructions.

R right royally pipped me off on Easter Day night, by working from 5pm-1:30am. He earned an easy $400. But, I really, really hate being home alone at nights at the moment, particularly with Beanie being so below par. Still, I have spent a bit of money lately, in lieu of a more stellar than expected tax return, this year-three new pairs of pants, a new shirt, a new sweater, and something...Chanel. Oh, and sparkly new paint plans for the landing and the porch room

Off to read and comment on some blogs. Not being upgraded is like losing the keys to the community....
 

February 10, 2010.

Still sick. Stayed in bed till 1:30pm. Not sick-sick-just that achy, non-specific run-down feeling. Run down from what exactly, you may ask?. I'd like to know, too, since I've been doing sweet nothing much at all, lately. Maybe that's why. I'm wasting away while in this wheelchair. Can't wait to be up and around a little more. Baby steps.

Back to maintaining "A's" in school, again. It takes consistency, rather than smarts.

Wrote to my half-sister in New Zealand. That'll wake her up. The last time we exchanged emails, was last Summer, and we were in Thermopolis or thereabouts.

For purely amusement purposes, hubby and I have been watching Hulu, again. It's either that, or read my textbook on anatomical positioning. The resultant excitement level is enough to lift my blood pressure to 'registering'. A serious case of 'bedhead' isn't helping my morale, either. Still, I'm warm, dry, fed and watered, so my actual needs are few.

I'm terrible at responding to comments. I'll get to them.

Any plans for Spring??.
 

January 28, 2010.

Off my head on pain meds and pigging myself on herb Brie cheese and Saltines-with apple juice chasers. What do I have to look forward to tomorrow?. An at-home facial, with the works, followed by our earlier postponed shopping trip for Beanie and I. She has a PJ Party at school and an after-school library visit with Grandma, tomorrow, too.

Why is the general populace so suitably surprised when it's revealed that politicians are far from perfectionists-and are just as prone to lying, cheating and extorting as the ordinary masses are?. People hold politicians to a higher moral standard, so that the greater the transgression, the farther that the politician falls.

My foot must be making healing noises, because I can touch some of my toes without hitting the roof at the mere thought of doing so. Each toe still takes turns at registering pain complaints, but my tolerance is better.

I was downgraded from an A in my Strategies course to an A-. Now, I dislike all general education courses, just because I can. It's that b of an instructor. My new Mosby's Medical Dictionary was delivered today. My highlight. It weighs 21.2lbs. Not exactly intended for easy commuting, is it?.

Films I've seen recently that I've loved-"Whip It" and "My Sister's Keeper"

I wonder what would happen if I cut my ponytail off?. My husband would be pretty distraught. As would "Locks for Love".
 

January 28, 2010.

JD Salinger has died-author of "Catcher in the Rye". He was 91. He died at his home in New Hampshire on Wednesday. Source: Reuters.
 

January 19, 2010.

I'm going to take more pain medication shortly and go back to bed. One of those days, when I need to hit 'Rewind' and see if there's an improvement. Lots of pain, and these meds are seriously messing with my mind. I've tried my best to get to various comments, but I'm truly lagging behind. Give me a couple of days, and I'll be back-brighter and more lucid, I hope.

It's still pimply sissing out. At this rate, I'll need Dora the Explorer flotation devices for my wheelchair. We swim, er, drive to Stanford tomorrow.

Superb overnighter with Beanie, last night. My kid is such a cool child!.

See you in the wind...or rain.
 

January 17, 2010.

Yet one more day of disorientation-it took me all afternoon to pull myself together sufficiently to do anything too constructive, beyond mellowing out in my chair (my now constant companion). Now, as I'm cautiously moving from out of the fog, and into the sunlight, my general awareness is a little sharper. I suspect my moodiness has something to do with the drug cocktail that I've been consuming- that, and the fact that I have only been outside once since my return from Stanford. If you've experienced the layout of my internal and external home environment, as Kare has, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that, too: inaccessibility. Further, it's been 'pimply sissing' down and blowing up half or more of a hurricane outside, this morning. While hubby was at work, this morning, two loud bangs shook the whole house, all of our windows rattled, and the power flickered three times. Something fell. As to what, where, whom or how, I don't know. No idea. I'm still sitting here, so I don't really care that much. If it was important, I'll discover it later-not now.

Camping out on the downstairs living room floor is a rather pleasant part of my recuperation. A film highlight has been seeing, "Julie&Julia". Cute.

My desk needs cleaning-something that I can do.

Happy Sunday!.
 

January 09, 2010.

Well, here I am, of sorts-still in Stanford's Surgical Unit. Guess they've ended up keeping me here until they can get my vital functions and pain better managed and sorted out. In addition, it's the weekend, and no-one in this hospital is into doing much of anything, anyway. I may well be here until Monday.

My surgery went well-three surgeries in the one, as it turned out. Surgery went for just over 2 hours, and then I was in the recovery unit for 5 hours after that. Everything is still very swollen, and pretty painful. I was on an IV PSA, oxygen and i.v fluids until late last night-now just on a basic monitor and oral meds. My nerve block ran out of juice at 1am yesterday, so that was no fun at all.

Gotta keep this short. My nausea is oppressive, and I have a 'woolly' head-my ears and nose are blocked, and I have a pain headache related to the pain in my foot/ankle/leg. Besides, I need to keep changing position a lot.

Need to email my college and let them know what's happening, too. Hope Kare is o.k.

More later,
love,
annabel xxxx
 

January 01, 2010

I hope Kåre Enga en Costa Rica is prepared for the remnants of half a restaurant that are presently sitting on our front porch, and yard. Yes, I do mean literally. It's annual re-fit time @ HANA. Not only that, but the recycling of cans, bottles, and plastic for the Sushi Spot, that is likely a little disconcerting. Still, the house itself proper is perfectly warm and cozy. Our old villa has its quirks (like a laundry room that STILL leaks)-but that is a part of its charm. I need to mop out the mud room, especially after the torrential rain that we had in the early hours of this morning. But, it's tropical outside, with a breeze to match-which is what Kare wished for, and for which I was most grateful for this morning, while I was sorting recycling out in the yard. Time to keep going!.

Happy New Year!.
 

December 27, 2009.

Ours was a most relaxing/relaxed Christmas-likely THE most relaxed that I have experienced here in the U.S. We had pancakes with special Strawberry sauce for Christmas Eve supper, followed by New Zealand Christmas gifts. My mother had managed to send us a most interesting selection of books, and my brother remembered our love of "Roses" chocolates. My husband surprised me with a print of my favorite painting by Orr Marshall-"Graffiti Girl"-and the accompanying narrative as written by the artist, himself. Such an awesome gift!. I gave him a warm sweater, which he's been needing for his work. "Beanie" was [amazingly] in bed and soundly asleep by 10pm!. Tree was lit, our presents stacked underneath and "Beanie's" gi-normous stocking filled by 1am, after which, we crept up to bed ourselves. On Christmas morning, "Beanie" crawled into bed with me at 7am, and we slept until 10am. Next, was Christmas morning in the Rainbowapple household-a happy and peaceful event, punctuated by "Beanie's" exclamations of, "Oh, just what I always wanted!. Thank-you, Santa!.". My in-laws gave me the non-Ipod-Ipod, which holds 2000 songs, or 4GB, and my husband gave me some Arden goodies and treats. Not forgetting numerous snacks, a gumball machine...and chocolates en-masse.

If Kare visits, we have a vast collection of films on DVD, football on the big-screen, five different kinds of tea, hot and cold running sushi, and a setting for poetry writing pretty authentic of "Humboldt Homsteading". Oh, and a kitchen table.

Stanford called last night-so, we're off tomorrow, to Redwood City, followed by Palo Alto, so that they can take my pictures, and draw bodily fluids (exciting life, you've no idea). We'll be back in a couple of days, hopefully. "Beanie" will be with her grandparents for the duration.