Mood:  a-ok

I had a check-up with the OB/GYN on Monday and he says I'm healing up beautifully. I feel pretty good, especially since I can drive now and get OUT OF THE DAMN HOUSE!

A word to those who haven't had abdominal surgery - driving over potholes HURTS. A LOT.  And Bradford happens to have an overabundance of potholes right now. Ow.

Okay, to fill in a few more details since last post - I went to the dentist and learned that I grind my teeth at night. So I get to wear a mouth guard at night. Yippee. Nothing more romantic than feeling like a defensive back. :P

Then, I auditioned for a part in the May BLT show and got one! I'll be portraying "Craig" in "Hidden in this Picture" (we've re-named the character "Peg"). The play is absolutely hysterical, and everyone seemed to think I nailed the part. I'm really excited to go back on stage again.

We had Bob and Kathleen over for St. Patrick's day and did our superbly scrumptious Steaks in Ale Sauce recipe and Brabant potatoes, with a Bailey's Irish Cream chocolate fondue for dessert. (If you want the recipes, just email me. ) 

So things have been a bit busy and will be getting even busier soon! 

Posted by Pam at 7:39 PM EDT

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Mood:  cheeky

This song and video makes me smile.

Not sure why, but it's so damn upbeat that I'd get up and flip out too, if it wouldn't bust my guts.

And since EVERYONE seems to love this shirt I got, here's a link where you can get one too! I just wish I'd had the idea first. :)

Posted by Pam at 7:29 PM EST

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Mood:  chillin'

The surgery is done, all of the defective pieces/parts are outta there, and I was discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon. Today I had my followup and had the staples removed from the inciscion. Did I mention I was just eviscerated on WEDNESDAY? :D

If this seems like an incredibly fast recovery, well - it is! I honestly did not believe that not only would I be off of the IV, catheter and most pain meds within one day after major abdominal surgery. And I was up and walking (okay, shuffling) around the halls with minimal pain. I am very very grateful to the surgical team, Dr. Bassani, and the whole staff at BRMC who made my surgery and brief stay as pleasant as could be expected.

I am even more grateful to all of my co-workers, family and friends who sent flowers, cards and chocolate - and stopped by to visit, and brought food and moral support to both Kevin and myself. I cannot express how wonderful it is to know so many people were thinking of me during this time, and I am truly humbled by your support and generosity. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you all! 

Posted by Pam at 6:07 PM EST

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Mood:  a-ok

In less than one hour, I report to the hospital to have my hysterectomy. It's kind of weird - I'm pretty calm still, but Kevin is a wreck. :)

So to everyone who reads this, please spare a thought for me (and him!) over the next few hours and days. I will be most grateful.

 Oh, and to entertain yourself, here's a terrific list of euphemisms for something I'll never have to face AGAIN!!!

Posted by Pam at 7:53 AM EST

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Mood:  rushed

...make Meyer Lemon chiffon pie. Which is what I did last weekend when we harvested the lemons off of the adorable little tree Kevin bought last year. Meyer lemons are juicier and sweeter than regular lemons and make the most luscious desserts. I adore them, but they're extremely hard to find since they are very thin-skinned and don't ship well.

Then I took Cole and Chance to go see "Ghost Rider" (I've since decided that Nic Cage couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag - and what was with his hair? He reminded me of Steve Oedekerk in "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist") But it was scary & fun, and you can't go too wrong with Sam Elliott as a cowboy.

On the aptly named Fat Tuesday, I went to the Old Library Restaurant with Laura, Diane and the gals from swim class to the chocolate buffet. There was an absolutely bewildering amount of theobromidalicous goodies to be had. The chocolate crepes won hands down, however.  

Just one more day of work and the interior remodeling begins.... 

Posted by Pam at 12:50 PM EST

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Mood:  not sure

Just got back from the OB/Gyn's and the news is not good. I have a huge cyst on my right ovary, and shitloads of fibroids. (The doc said if they gave out ribbons, I'd definitely get a blue. I can't grow plants, but apparently I can grow these like a mo-fo.)

I've explored every other option I can, drug and surgery-wise, and it's just no good anymore. The last period I had, I wound up taking two days off of work because of the pain - and pain is a not a stranger to me. Trust me, I can take a LOT of it, and this was beyond my limit.

So I'm throwing in the towel and getting a hysterectomy on the 28th.  I hope that I get to keep the better ovary, but otherwise, just like a cheap carpet store - Everything must go!

It's going to be abdominal surgery, so I will be in the hospital for a few days afterwards, and off work for up to 8 weeks.  

So I guess it's time to beg for some mojo from my friends and family. I'll try to keep things updated. 

Posted by Pam at 2:46 PM EST

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Mood:  a-ok

Introducing my very own online store, where you can purchase t-shirts with some of my favorite pithy* sayings on them!

Shop early and shop often!

*"I say, why do they call them pith helmets?"

"Because when you're in the jungle, old boy, you need somewhere to pith." 

Posted by Pam at 7:30 PM EST

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Mood:  cool

It's incredibly freaking cold right now. I mean, it's so damn cold I went out on the back porch for a beer... well, it was frozen solid. I guess it doesn't get much more ice cold than that. Wind chill is something like -20°F, and it looks to be just as cold if not colder for the next two days.

I've been in a deep, dark funk the past few weeks. Partially from the weather, and partially from all of the illnesses that everyone is going thru. Our friend and co-worker Darryll had a liver transplant (read about it on his special blog, Deliver My Liver); Chance had pneumonia and had to be hospitalized; and Meg's mom is ill. So I've been trying to focus my mojo on a lot of people lately.

At least last Saturday was a bright spot - Laura and I went up to Ellicottville, NY and went tubing. We'd gone last year for the first time, and we both loved it - so we were just itching to go again. Very very fun, and we saw an honest to goodness real avalanche! (Well, the immediate aftermath thereof, anyhow...)

So I'm going to go back next to the fireplace in a few and cozy up with the dogs and hubby.

Posted by Pam at 7:23 PM EST

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Mood:  don't ask

What a way to start the year... by burning up all of my sick days at work with a case of the Creeping Crud. I started out with just a tickle in the back of my throat, and worked up to one of the all-time worst colds I've ever had. I'm STILL not back to 100%, and I can't seem to shake this thing. And of course, I gave it to my hubby who has been suffering even worse.

But I did manage to have fun last weekend at Laura's slumber party in spite of feeling sick. We all had our cozy jammies on, Laura made mojitos, and we drank and noshed and chatted and painted our nails... we never did get around to watching the chick flicks we all brought, but nobody seemed to mind. (I dosed myself with liberal quantities of cold medicine, cough syrup and booze and probably wouldn't have minded if I'd been run over by a bus.)

And to top it off, our living room TV finally died on us this weekend, so we were forced to go out and buy a new one... $$$$. 

Sigh. 

Posted by Pam at 3:27 PM EST

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Ah, the holidays. Time to pour myself a nice frosty glass of soy Nog, put on my fleecie jammies, sit by the fire and watch the snow ..er, rain fall. Actually, I did manage to get some Slack and Santa Kev was very good to me this year. I got some awesome books I'd been wanting for a long time (the Complete Calvin & Hobbes, The Absolute Sandman, the collected short stories of Cordwainer Smith, and some others). Plus he got me a gorgeous handmade black clay casserole and a tagine. I got Kev a tres cool (PRODUCT) RED iPod and a bunch of Ohio State goodies. The puppies got a huge bag of scrumptious peanut butter treats (courtesy of cousin Sheba). Mom and Dad gave me a shiatsu back massager that makes me purr like a kitten...

But I think my favorite pressie has got to be the shirt that Kathleen gave me. She took the scanned image of Peter Dinklage's autographed photo (see Nov 17 entry below) and had it screenprinted on a white shirt! I'm rationing how often I wear it, 'cause I know I'll wear it out if I don't. ♥

I got to do a bit of hanging out with my friends, including a murder mystery dinner party at Clare's house. I'd never been to one before and was thrilled to be invited – and even more thrilled to have a part. Seems one of the guys scheduled to attend got ill, and they asked me if I wanted to give it a whirl. So I got to be "Otto von Schnapps", a German wine buyer. I wore a black turtleneck, black blazer and black pants, and had my hair back in a ponytail. The remarkable resemblance to one "Frau Mueller" did not go unnoticed. (I decided that she must have been Otto's grandmother, and the tattoos were family heirlooms.) The food, wine & company were terrific, and I had a splendid time - although I have a feeling I may forever be typecast as a German.

We rang in New Years with a standing rib and shrimp scampi at the Vecchios. (I hope they never get tired of having us over for holidays, because I always have a good time playing with the kids!) And now, it's back to work again. Sigh.

Posted by Pam at 9:00 PM EST

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