tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59018150303975673942024-02-20T03:08:54.081-05:00a little bird told menot quite functioning properlylittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-73331337920633109512012-05-25T13:51:00.000-05:002012-05-25T13:52:13.551-05:00The Continuing Saga of PackingI'm mostly packed. By that I mean I have about 13 more boxes to go, not counting the stuff that hasn't been purchased yet. Like a couch. And a second bed, because the new place is HUGE y'all! To top it all off, we're making some of the furniture. Like a dining table and some benches to go with it. So once again there is a trip to Ikea in my immediate future. Land of the flatpack. And cheap "tupperware". This time I'm going armed with a list. Not so that I won't buy stuff not on the list, but so I don't forget the stuff I <i>need</i>!! <br />
<br />
Do you have any idea how much stuff a person can accumulate in nine years? Hint: it's a lot of stuff. I even gave away most of my paperbacks! But then there are the 16 magazine files full of cooking magazines. And... and... and.. it just goes on and on and on...<br />
<br />
--Little Bird is still packinglittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-39595796307803592902012-05-22T12:23:00.000-05:002012-05-25T13:53:20.147-05:00Multiples of Three6: the number of weeks I have left in Chicago. I'm moving!!! To Santa Fe!! Really, really soon! <br />
<br />
9: the number of years I've lived here in Chicago. It's been fun, this is a great city. I could just do without February. <br />
<br />
24: the number of years ago I first came to visit Chicago. I mean really see the place. Mama Bird had come up to work on a show room for a convention, and suggested that I might want to see the city. I was 13 years old. It was amazing and scary and so much fun! I don't think I'll ever forget it. <br />
<br />
So I have a few more weeks to soak in as much of Chicago as possible, go to all the restaurants I keep saying I want to try, but never have somehow. Go to the Farmer's Markets. Walk along the beach and marvel at the enormous body of fresh water that is Lake Michigan. Go to the concerts in Millennium Park and eat pesto while dodging poorly aimed soccer balls (if that happens again, I'm gonna stick the corkscrew in the damned ball). Soon I will be posting about how hot and dry it is, and how much fun it is to set up my new place. And that there are snakes out there! BIG ones. <br />
<br />
<br />
--Little Bird is getting a new nestlittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-70528037902239230082012-03-19T18:01:00.003-06:002012-03-19T18:07:19.214-06:00Bad DayToday I had to take my moms cat to the vet to be put down. It's not been a good day. I stood in the exam room, petting her and scratching behind her ears while they administered the shot. Mama Bird was on the phone with me during the whole thing. She was in California and the cat took a sudden turn for the worse while she was gone. The cat was fourteen. It's been a really sucky day.<br /><br />--Little Bird is crying.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-2360030231701665882012-01-03T13:42:00.002-06:002012-01-03T13:57:38.659-06:00Is There a Cardiologist in the House?I suppose I could share this hollidays top meals. (when not sure what to write about, write about food)<br />Pretty much everything we ate this Holliday season was cooked in bacon grease or had bacon itself in it. The diet has been resumed since then. There was the frittata with bacon (natch) and poblanos and mushrooms. There was turkey chili (the onions were "sweated" in bacon grease). There was bolognese cooked with a bit of red wine ( same treatment of the onions). The were BLOATS. That's bacon, lettuce, onion, avocado, and tomato sandwiches. <br /> In the next few months I have to lose about fifteen more pounds, an ordeal that is made more difficult by the frigid temperatures outside. Salads are well and good when it's hot outside, but when it's cold, not so much. When it's cold I want soups, thick creamy soups. I want quiche. With bacon. I want pasta with cream sauce. Alas, not gonna happen much this year. Back to the seventeen day diet for me. Phase one even. Ah, well. It was nice while it lasted.<br /><br /><br />---Little Bird attempts to get littlerlittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-36382615093102658862012-01-02T11:22:00.004-06:002012-01-02T11:36:04.704-06:00New Year, New PostThings have been a'changin. First of all, once again, sorry for the prolonged absence. I got a wee bit busy. Mostly outside. Walking. Until I hurt myself that is. But I lost nearly forty pounds doing it. The walking, not the hurting. <br />Also? I am moving!!! To New Mexico!!!! This year!!! In July, but the purging of crap I don't need starts now. So all my STL friends should consider visiting soon.<br />Also also? It's my birthday! And it snowed! Thirty seven is the same age Mama Bird was when she made some big changes in her life. I have always thought that by the time I reached this age I'd know more about where I want to be in life. All I know is that there ARE big changes coming. The move, more weight loss, and a wedding to officiate. Maybe I'll find my purpose in New Mexico.<br />Stealing an idea from another blogger, resolutions. Specifically one word resolutions. Mine is Prioritze. What's yours?<br /><br /><br />------ Little Bird is flying south.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-38375839745379103542011-08-19T11:22:00.003-05:002011-08-19T11:33:52.581-05:00What I Did This SummerSorry I've been gone all summer. I wish I could tell you that I was off galavanting around the world. That I had found a great job. That I had met the love of my life and was busy being swept off my feet.
<br />None of those things happened. I went galavanting (by train) to Texas and Missouri. I went to a LOT of concert picnics. I made a ton of pesto (so much so that my stepfather <i>actually</i> got tired of it!) I didn't meet anyone special.
<br />I did bake some cakes for a family and their kids, and babysit for them occasionally. Their three year old daughter apparently recently professed her love for me (I watch movies with her that she's seen a million times and I refuse to tell her what's going on when she asks for the thirtieth time "Where's her going?") also, I am the cake lady.
<br />Perhaps I will figure out this fall something to write about. Perhaps I can get involved in something worth writing about.
<br />Fall is by far my favorite season, there's a sense of anticipation in the air. The mornings are crisper, there is more hustle and bustle. The food is more... involved. Maybe I'll start posting recipes again, that at least would be something.
<br />
<br />Little Bird has been remiss
<br />
<br />P.S. The first recipe will involve bacon. The best bacon in the world.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-46956033287027596172011-05-16T22:48:00.004-05:002011-05-16T23:01:48.751-05:00Frustration.Once again, life at failblog has led me to make another serious post.<br />I was born with Neurofibromatosis. This is a degenerative disease. It is what will eventually kill me. Assuming I don't get hit by a bus first. I don't have health insurance. I can't afford it. I simply can't. What one insurance company quoted me, I wouldn't NEED the insurance! I could use that money (there was a $5,000 deductible involved) to cover nearly all of my doctors visits. <br />Most people who have met me wouldn't know about my condition if I didn't tell them. I'm lucky in that regard. Most of my issues area largely "invisible". But for crying out loud! What the fuck is wrong with trying to provide adequate health care to EVERYONE!? It's not like I get sick just so I can suck tax dollars out of anyone's pocket! There are so many people like me who fall through the cracks. There are so many people who are worse off than me. <br />There are so many people who think that folks like me are idiots and morons for saying that current health care is inadequate. They say that we don't know what we're talking about. I've lived the life. I know from what I'm talking about.<br />If there is a program out there to help me, they sure as hell make it as difficult as possible to get to. See, part of my issues include learning disabilities, which makes navigating the convoluted ins and outs of the system overwhelming. <br />It is in a word frustrating.<br /><br />--Little Bird is fed up.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-39195157157964227712011-04-07T22:21:00.003-05:002011-04-07T22:34:06.991-05:00The ChangeSo there was a recent question on Facebook about where you may have been on 9/11. I answered "at work". But there's more to it than that. I was working at a Whole Foods. It hadn't opened yet. I was hired to work in Specialty and Wine. We were still building out the store. It was maybe 9 am or so. I was outside smoking with one of the guys from the bakery department. We overheard the construction guys talking about the World Trade Center bombing. I thought they were talking about the incident years earlier. It did register that there were no planes in the sky, but not that I should be concerned about it. I went back inside, and ten minutes later all work stopped. TV's were rolled out, in several areas of the store. We all stood there entranced, shocked. Unable to move. Unable to think. My cell phone rang. It was Mama Bird, calling to find out if I had heard. I called my ex-boyfriend (former Navy) to make sure he was okay. It turned out that the Shift Manager of my store had an ex-wife. Her new fiance was on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. <br />Nothing more got done that day. I couldn't even think straight. <br />I remember sitting outside, just before I went inside and found out the news. It was such a nice day. Warm, sunny, a few clouds here and there. It was quiet. Peaceful. And then it all changed. <br /><br />--Little Bird rememberslittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-14485162476752079012011-02-01T22:05:00.003-06:002011-02-01T23:00:35.380-06:00Walking in a Winter WonderlandSo, it's snowing here in Chicago. In fact, we're having a blizzard. I mean a full blown balls to the wall blizzard. They shut down Lake Shore Drive. Part of Wrigley Stadium's roof blew off (the press office). And we've had thunder and lightning. They are telling folks to stay inside. You think? That just maybe that it might be a bad idea to go outside for any reason? <br />My apartment faces the lake. And my blinds are knocking. The cupboards in the kitchen are rattling and the whole apartment is shaking. There are gusts of wind that are so loud it sounds like it take a couple of windows out.<br />So what to do when you can't go outside, and your cable goes out? Why, you make soup! What could be better fare during a blizzard?<br />I had gotten a rotisserie chicken yesterday, so after I ate my meal yesterday, I stripped the carcass and tossed it into a pot with water. Just enough to cover it. I had to let it simmer for 2 to 4 hours (I really don't remember how long I cooked it for), and froze it.<br />Today, I figured that I could add the leftover mashed potatoes from the other day and then puree it some more. I added shallots, garlic and some green onion too. Oh, and milk and sour cream. Topped with white cheddar, more green onions, crispy onions and of course BACON.<br />I didn't have a recipe to work from, so mostly this was just winging it. All in all, it was pretty good!<br /><br />---Little Bird is trying to stay warm.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-69779758642915533462011-01-29T12:41:00.003-06:002011-01-29T12:55:24.821-06:00I want my MTVNick has come back it appears. And it also looks like he brought the rest of the band with him. It hurts and has a bright red mark where I expect it to start bleeding again any minute. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.<br />I do not want to have to have him removed again. I don't want to have to do it again later either. I want them to stay gone when I have them removed!!!!! I want to be able to afford the surgery. I want to be able to get health insurance.<br />Apparently I want for too much.<br />I have a few recipes, but somehow, now doesn't seem like the proper time to share them.<br />I will say though, that bacon and peanut butter go VERY well together. Something that was discovered while in the process of making something entirely different.<br /><br /><br />--Little Bird does not want the band back.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-35785385388759681422011-01-10T15:25:00.003-06:002011-01-10T15:41:54.688-06:00Material GirlThe diet begins today.<br />Basically all I'm doing is NOT drinking beer during the week. And walking some more. And eating salads and a few sandwiches instead of pastas and meat-heavy meals.<br />Okay, I suppose that does sound like SOMETHING after all.<br />This came about after showing Mama Bird the pictures from New Years (actual paper copies, no digital ones just yet, so I can't show you). Next to Whirly Bird you can tell that Little Bird ain't so little these days. But, that is something I can fix. Also in the pictures I look positively Amish in comparison to my friends. I seriously need to re-think the turtle neck sweater as a "fancy dress" item. <br />In lighter news Mama Bird, her husband and I went out to eat on Friday to celebrate my birthday. SUSHI!!!! It was wonderful! The next day we went to CostCo and I bought myself a TV and an iPod dock/clock with some of the Christmas and Birthday money I received. Yay for being able to read the channel menu now! The next day Mama Bird and I went to Old Navy. Ostensibly for some camisoles for her. I figured I would check out the jeans for me, and MAYBE I would get some. I found my size, my style and my color immediately. The reason why I did not let go of the jeans even for a second while we traipsed about the store? The tag read 97 cents. That's right. The jeans were 97 cents. We thought it had to have been wrong, but I was sooooo going to try to get them for 97 cents. When we got to the register (Mama Bird could not find her camis) I pointed it out to the girl and she said that it was actually the right price, and omigod was I so lucky. AND they were 40% off!! I got a pair (the only one in the store at that price) for 58 cents. 58 cents!!!!!! <br />We went back and scoured the shelves for more priced the same, but there weren't any. I did also get a shirt that came to less than $5. A whole outfit for under $6. I should have bought a lottery ticket.<br />Recipes will be making a comeback here, in a few days or so. I need to look up some good ones to share. <br /><br />--Little Bird is trying to live up to the name.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-9415402782512375832011-01-04T12:27:00.003-06:002011-01-04T12:42:33.175-06:00Take Me Home Country RoadI'm sitting here, trying to not fidget myself into a nervous fit. In about an hour I leave for the train station. Because I must get there a couple of hours early. I don't know why I feel the need to be that early, I just do. The train will not leave early. I don't think it's allowed to do such a thing. But my neurosis (this one at least) mandates that I must be more than one hour early to the station. Mama Bird calls this "going airport". When she travels she feels similarly. But she flies. "Going train station" just doesn't have the same ring. <br /> <br />It's been a great visit, time spent cowering in the basement not withstanding. Good friends, good parties, Red Hot Ripplets (crack chips in my vernacular). I'm only bringing one bag of the chips home, I'm trying to be good. <br />For those not in the know, they simply can't be found in Chicago. I've looked. And they are my all time favorite potato chips.<br /><br />I will be leaving the books I came here with at Whirly Birds house and borrowing a few others. Namely "There Eyes Were Watching God" something I read in high school. A closer look at the book indicates that the copy I will borrow is actually MY original copy from that high school!! Also borrowing "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". That one I absolutely must return in a timely manner. There is a waiting list to borrow it apparently. I read fast so I should be able to get it back to her relatively soon. I just need to get a packing envelope and not use duct tape on it.<br /><br />--Little Bird is getting flightylittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-50398676175636498032011-01-01T16:53:00.005-06:002011-01-01T17:13:25.835-06:00Red, Red WineHappy New Year Everyone! All four of you that read this. I hope a good time was had by all! <br /><br />So yesterday was interesting. I woke up to tornado sirens in St. Louis. Where I am visiting my bestie, Whirly Bird. We spent a fair amount of the noonish part of the day cowering in the basement. It was 65 degrees. On December 31. Tornadoes in December are just plain wrong! And while there was no damage to Whirly Bird's house or even her neighborhood, there were several tornado touchdowns not too terribly far away. Of course, five MILES away is far too close for my comfort zone. <br /><br />While we were sitting in the basement we decided that this summer I'm coming back to help her clean her basement and set up a "Preparedness Corner". Cooler, comfortable seating, first aid kit, that sort of stuff. If you have to be in the basement, it doesn't have to be uncomfortable! <br /><br />Once the weather died down we got ourselves calmed down and ran the few errands we needed to to get ready for the evening. I'll go ahead and tell you, there was dancing last night. So that should tell you how I feel today. <br />We went to a bar/restaurant that specializes in vodka, burgers and sushi. It is not as gross as it sounds, and no, I did not partake of the vodka. If I had, I would have been down for the count by ten PM. I had wine. Red wine. So that should give you a hint of what the evening was like. Despite the hangover, I had a great time. <br /><br />So now we recover from last night and prepare for tomorrow night. My birthday. And Whirly Bird's is a few days after that, so we are having a joint party tomorrow. I hope I survive it.<br /><br />--Little Bird's liver is cryinglittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-28075359313995608802010-12-25T15:45:00.002-06:002010-12-25T15:48:28.400-06:00Season's GreetingsMERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!<br />I hope you and yours have had a good one, and that the New Year is happy and bright for all.<br />I'm having pizza rolls and beer tonight- and I'M THRILLED TO BE DOING SO!!!!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />---Little Bird is taking it easy tonight!little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-48115434972163970332010-12-20T17:12:00.004-06:002010-12-20T17:25:21.405-06:00More KetchupSo, it's been awhile. I've been both busy and not so busy. I've had no idea what to post. I'm thinking of going back to recipes, but not just yet. <br />This year's Christmas does not involve traveling to New Mexico. We are all staying home. And my step-sister is coming in to celebrate with us the day after Christmas. The day after that, I go to St. Louis to visit with a friend. And yes, I will be traveling by train. How else would I go?<br />Gift purchasing has been interesting. I still have to get Mama Bird and her husband. And one more gift for Whirly Bird. I have one of hers, and one each for my step sister and her daughter. I can't tell what they are here, as some of the involved folks read this.<br />There have been some problems with the tumors, and if they act up again in the next few weeks an appointment will be made. I will not go into detail here except to say that I have had surgery in the affected area before, and it was NOT fun. And that it was kinda gross. I'm sure I've discussed it here before.<br />It's cold here, and gearing up for another round of snow. Which is kind of sad tonight. There is supposed to be a lunar eclipse tonight. The first in 372 years to coincide with the Solstice. And it's overcast. Figures.<br /><br /><br />--Little Bird is preparing for the holidaylittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-83214048301029419032010-11-07T18:57:00.002-06:002010-11-07T19:01:41.732-06:00End of an EraSometimes, things don't work out. Sometimes, things end. Sometimes, they were good while they lasted. Sometimes, you get to keep good memories. Sometimes, it's time to say goodbye.<br />Rooster and I have broken up. It was my choice, and I'm sorry it hurt him. But sometimes, it's just not there anymore.<br /><br />--Little Bird is solo, againlittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-42335666120851476782010-10-31T13:40:00.002-06:002010-10-31T13:49:08.343-06:00Happy Halloween!For the first year in I don't know how long, I'm not dressing up for Halloween. I just don't have the energy. Or the money so it kind of worked out. Last night Rooster and I went to Old St. Andrews Inn, a purportedly haunted bar here in Chicago. We didn't see any ghosts, but the food was pretty good and the beers just kept comin'. Word to the wise, Elephant beer by Carlsberg is on the strong side, and more than three of them might not be for the lightweights. Not that I am by any stretch of the imagination a lightweight. The bar also had live music and the band was pretty darned good. I would go back, and probably will.<br />Tonight I'll be watching either a scary movie or one of the multiple ghost hunter type shows on cable. Of course, I may just watch Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein again.<br /><br /><br />--Little Bird is over the hangoverlittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-21493201364733946582010-10-24T17:35:00.003-05:002010-10-24T17:54:14.561-05:00SuccotashThe newest things to report: A heart healthy cooking program, My folks finally get a decent TV, and I start yet another new medicine.<br />Okay, first things first. My step-father is battling high cholesterol so he wanted some healthy foods for dinners. And he doesn't want it to cost an arm and a leg. My folks had been buying stuff from the prepared foods section of Whole Foods, and that was pretty pricey. So I spent a day or two searching the internet looking for tasty sounding/looking recipes for him. I found around 30. I already had 10, so I think he's set for the next month. Seriously, I could cook one different thing every day and not repeat for well over a month (Sundays I get to be a little less strict about the menu). This ought to be interesting. I figure that by the end of winter, I'll be very very good when it comes to cooking vegetables. Very good. Due to practice alone.<br /><br />The TV. For years my parents have been making do with a giant obsolete tube tv. The picture was fuzzy. The sound was awful. So they bought a new one. A flat screen! AND a blu-ray player!!! The picture is amazing. The SOUND is incredible. A few months ago my step-father accidentally purchased a few blu-ray disks (he didn't realize that they wouldn't play on the DVD player), so we popped one of those in to see the picture quality. One of the things that a person might never really want to see in the clearest possible picture is an extreme close up of Keith Richards' face. I'm just sayin'.<br /> <br />The pills. Tomorrow I start a generic version of Prozac. Budeprion has been relatively kind to me, but it costs over $100 a month and I don't have insurance to help with it. This new medicine is under $20 a month. The citalopram was less than $5, but the side effects were unacceptable. I read the side effects listed for this new pill, and they aren't all that great either, but they are also not evident in EVERY patient. Of course, they weren't for the last one either, but hey, I'll try it. If it helps, and doesn't cause painful or embarrassing side effects, I'll stick with it. <br /><br />---Little Bird will be cooking up a storm!little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-8424862834171072632010-10-13T18:31:00.003-05:002010-10-13T18:40:02.348-05:00Just a NoteHello everyone! Today's post is from New Mexico. It is sunny and cool and Mama Bird's B-day party was a rousing success. No cell service up here though. So if you haven't gotten a call from me (assuming you were expecting one) I can't do it.<br />Okay, on to the other thing I wanted to address. This is a blog. It is sort of an on-line diary. If you are not interested in the goings on in my life, you are not required to read it. However, if you're going to comment about how no one wants to hear/read about my issues, have the balls to sign your goddamned name. Even if it is a screen name. If you feel the need to say something, clearly you care. Also, if you know I won't publish it due to the fact that you are a fucking asshole, why comment at all?<br /><br /><br />--Little Bird says FY,YFF!little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-79603411040873194102010-10-06T11:33:00.004-05:002010-10-06T12:14:16.075-05:00IrritationsHello! I'm back! I know I've been gone for what seems like forever. There have been... issues. Boy HOWDY, have there been issues. Let's start with the biggest one.<br />Several months ago I started a new medication. One that was supposed to help regulate mood and keep the brain chemistry in the right balance. I suppose it did those things, but at some expense. The list of side effects that came with the meds was daunting. And I ended up with some of the most awful ones. Extreme lethargy (we're talking tired ALL THE TIME). Increased sweating (as if I didn't already sweat too much). And last but certainly not least, diarrhea. Unpredictable, explosive, and extremely unpleasant. <br />The reasons I switched to it were because I wasn't happy with the medication I had been taking and also the new one was only $4. As opposed to the $96 I had previously been paying.<br />I stopped taking my meds. I stopped because I was tired of being tired. Because I couldn't go anywhere for several hours after taking it for fear of shitting my pants. I stopped taking them and then things started to get bad. <br />I got... irritable. Irritable like just-woken-up-haven't-had-caffeine-yet-PMS times like a thousand. It was... not fun for me. I can't imagine that I was much fun to be around. I wasn't sleeping well. I gained twenty pounds (which only irritated me more). <br />So the other day Mama Bird and I were discussing this and I made an appointment with my doctor. I get to see her in two weeks. In the mean time I'm going to New Mexico. A twenty four hour train ride sounds like <i>just</i> the thing for an irritated mess, right? Two days after I made the appointment it dawned on me that I could call my doctor and ask her if she could phone in a prescription of my OLD meds so that I wouldn't kill anyone on the train. She did and I've been taking them for five or six days now. Already things are better. <br />The meds I'm taking now are actually different from the old old ones. Before I was taking two pills in the morning and they were sustained release. This meant that I was getting a double dose in the morning and petered out to nothing in the evenings. The NEW old meds are the same drug, but one pill that is also sustained release, but sustained for the whole day.<br />The new meds cost $117 a month, and that's not great, but at least I'm no more irritated than the next person now.<br /><br />I think I've explained the whole brain chemistry thing as it pertains to me before here, but I'm gonna do it again.<br />I have Neurofibromatosis (NF). And a non-verbal learning disorder (NLD). Because of the NF, the nerves in my brain are slightly compromised. Imagine that nerves are like electrical wires, and those wires have that protective sheath insulating them. Okay, the insulation on the wires in my brain? Full of holes. It's not supposed to be like that. Because it's like that, I use more of a specific brain chemical than I make. Because of all that, I have the NLD. Fun isn't it? The meds I take balance all that out. They slow down my re-uptake of the chemical, so there's enough to go around. <br />At least that's how I understand it. But my brain is wired weird, so I might be wrong,<br /><br />It's possible that my lack of posting has been because of the imbalance I've been experiencing. We'll see.<br /><br />--Little Bird is (re)medicatedlittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-34486446696461590152010-07-23T00:08:00.003-05:002010-07-23T00:29:46.447-05:00Wherein I Wax NostalgicThis evening, rather late, I was struck with this indescribable urge to go outside. No reason. I just <i>needed</i> to go outside. So I did. And when I stepped outside the doors, I was struck. By the air. The smell, the sensation, the sounds. It's warm, but not hot. And the smell, ... have you ever put something made of iron in your mouth and tasted that sharp tang? That's what it smells like outside right now. It's humid, but not too humid. There's a certain sense of nostalgia outside right now that I can't really explain. It smells green outside. I don't know how to explain it. I love it. It is soooo nice outside that I would love to sleep outside if I could. If I could without being crawled over by about a million spiders. <br />Something about the quality about the air outside reminds me of being a kid. Nothing specific about being that kid, just being there. I cannot explain it - I know I said that already - but it's true. <br />It's like I'm here, in this moment, experiencing life. Being there, in life. So much of each day just goes by and I don't really think about it. But there are moments, like tonight outside, where you really <i>feel</i> life. I'm here in this moment and I am. Even the sounds of the night are important somehow. The dull rumble of traffic. The faint hum of insects. The even fainter hum of the air-conditioner condensers from all the nearby buildings. There are people out and about, talking. You can't hear what they are saying, just the babble of voices. But quiet-like. If I had better words to describe it, I'd use them.<br /><br />--Little Bird is... in the momentlittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-83350628878493644522010-07-21T16:52:00.004-05:002010-07-21T17:04:37.112-05:00KetchupSo, yeah... umm... I've been gone awhile. No real reason for it. I haven't been super busy. I did go to a family reunion. But that was just this past Sunday. And Rooster and I went to go visit his parents in Michigan a couple of weeks ago for a weekend. But that still doesn't explain my absence. <br />But I have some new stories. <br />Roosters parents, his mother specifically seems to like me. She stole a set of salt and pepper shakers from her sister-in-law for me. AND sent me three boxes of Jiffy Pop stove top popcorn. Michigan was nice, the drive wasn't overly long, and it all went well.<br />The family reunion (my family) was not as bad as it could have been, and at the same time worse. My step-mother questioned Rooster to within an inch of his life. He was not amused.<br />Just before the reunion, my step-sister came to town. And I played host. Sort of. I stayed at Roosters.<br />I will revisit these stories to give more details at a later date. Hopefully not too far in the future.<br /><br /><br />--Little Bird has some 'splaining to do.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-2284565351159041732010-05-23T17:06:00.003-05:002010-05-23T17:25:22.384-05:00TMI warningThe cottonwoods have exploded. There is white fluff floating everywhere. And allergy sufferers are hiding inside. This one is anyway. This would be a perfectly acceptable situation if there weren't a completely different source of allergy hell in my living room. My mothers cats have come to stay for a bit. Mama Bird and her husband are having some work done in their place, so the furballs are with me. And yes, I am allergic to them. I have not allowed them into my room, preferring to have one place to breathe freely. Except, I can't breathe right now. At least not easily. <br />I should say that I love the cats. I do. No, really I DO. But... I hate not being able to breathe. And the constant itching isn't really all that much fun either. <br />I spent a good portion of today (and yesterday afternoon) polishing Mama Birds bookcases. With car wax. Since they are made of metal, the car wax is less odd than it sounds. It took awhile. And tomorrow I get to put the books back. All of them. Have I mentioned that they have roughly elebenty million books? Most of them huge? No? They do, and they are. The upside of this is I will be able to breathe while over there. I might be wheezing after a bit, but it won't have to do with allergies.<br />About a week ago Rooster and I went to St. Louis to visit a few of my childhood friends and go to a graduation ceremony. While we were there, we lucked into some last minute invites to a wedding. One of my high school classmates was getting married and the friend I was staying with was the matron of honor. It was a beautiful ceremony, and the reception was lovely. But they really should have really put a limit on the number of glasses of wine one was allowed to imbibe. If they had, no one would have been able to take a terribly embarrassing video of yours truly dancing. Other than the fact that I can't dance, my friends all learned that I need a better bra.<br />Oh, and Rooster caught the garter. Whatever that means.<br />---Little Bird is trying to breathe.little birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-65332642747815428382010-05-03T21:34:00.004-05:002010-05-03T21:53:23.407-05:00Good DeedsEarlier this evening I went to the little convenience store in the building next to mine, for some mac & cheese (I was HUNGRY!)<br />I was standing in line holding my blue box of Kraft yumminess, and the guys ahead of me were asking a bunch of stupid questions and basically being idiots. Then some guy came up behind me and started putting his groceries on the counter, as if I weren't there at all. I was a little put off. And then one of the two idiots knocked a bottle of rum off the shelf. The clerk was WAAAAAYYYY too busy to take care of it, and I know him pretty well, so I went to the back and found a mop, a broom, and a "caution wet floor" sign. I mopped up the majority of the rum, swept up the bitty glass shards, and set up the sign. The clerk was so appreciative, he bought me a beer! I didn't do it for a reward. I didn't <i>expect</i> to get anything for it. But it was remarkably gratifying, nonetheless. <br />The farmers market (the one I like the most) opens Wednesday the 12th. The very same day I leave for St. Louis. I'm not worried, I'll catch it the next Wednesday, and hopefully I'll find morels. The one and only mushroom I like. I would like one of the most expensive mushrooms EVAR. Figures. <br />Plans for mothers day are under way. She wants a picnic. It's likely to rain though. But we have contingency plans.<br /><br /><br />--Little Bird is hoping for Morelslittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901815030397567394.post-35652622292866898712010-04-14T15:21:00.003-05:002010-04-14T15:41:44.295-05:00Warning, Blood AheadA couple of weeks ago I bought a new pair of shoes. Ballet flats, in the exact same shade of brown/tan as my beloved backpack. I match! The shoes are from Land's End, and very simple. They are also very stiff. I wore them for about 40 minutes the day after purchase and promptly ended up with a very large blister on my right heel. No biggie really, I expected it to happen. So when I wore them around the house again the other day and experienced no problems, I figured I was in the clear and could now wear them to go to a friends house. I figured wrong.<br />I got to my friends house and had to take off the shoes, something I would have done even if I hadn't given myself new blisters. I padded around barefoot for a bit and then sat down to look at some magazine and just happened to glance at the heel of my left foot. I didn't think that blisters bled. At least not that much. my whole heel except for the bottom was smeared with blood. My friend ran to get bandaids and ointment (which never stay on once the shoes go back on for some reason) and I ran to get paper towels. And to look at my shoe. The heel of it was full of blood. Blood had actually seeped out to the outside along one of the stitch lines, just a bit. I wiped the shoe (and my foot) off and applied the ointment and bandages, and stayed barefoot 'til I had to go home. <br />I walked home very slowly.<br />So now I need a few of those super-special types of bandaids, and a few pairs of trouser socks so I can break the shoes in before I go to St. Louis next month. Because, I WILL break those shoes in!! <br />In other news, a friend has purchased and now painted his brand new condo. And whoever put up the wallpaper we took down should have their eyes checked. It was that bad. Cream, tan, brown, and <i>metallic silver</i>. In the kitchen. And you should have seen what the paper in the bedroom <i>closet</i> looked like. Who wallpapers a closet? With criminally bad paper at that!?<br />Tomorrow a friend from back home comes into town. She'll be staying at my place while attending some kind of networking conference pertaining to radiology technicians. Thrilling stuff, I'm sure.<br />It appears spring has sprung, but I'm not so sure. I half expect a freak blizzard to sweep through Chicago and bury us all in 5 feet of snow.<br /><br />--Little Bird is ready for springlittle birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961248772097086278noreply@blogger.com5