Speed Racer Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

TGIF! Tonight I'm off to see Mr. mouse. We're headed over to Indianapolis for the 2006 United States Grand Prix. I can't wait. We've been going to the race since it's inception in 2000. Hopefully it's a good race and not the debacle we saw last year.

Last night we, my neighbors and I, went out to a local bar to see our other neighbors play a gig. Wow! I was kinda amazed. I had a lot of fun and can't wait for the next time they're performing.

Afterwards, we headed over to Chino for their late night menu. The only sour note was our waiter incident. We paid the tab. He brought back the credit card for signing but not any change for the people who had paid cash. Like we decided to give him a $20 on a $36 tab. WTF?!?! My neighbor mentioned it had happened to her before. That annoyed the heck out of me. I'm not certain how I feel about patronizing an establishment that does that. I need to separate the server from the establishment. I think I'll report him to their management. And, if it happens again, that'll be the deciding factor.

Off to get ready for work.


Cheers!
mouse

Scatterbrained Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

I was running late yesterday morning after movie night with a couple of girlfriends and couldn't compose my thoughts into a coherent blog. And, this morning I'm having no such luck either. Need to find center again.

Mr. mouse and I had a fight last night. Ask me what it was about and, for the life of me, I couldn't tell you. I think work stress, house stress, lack of sleep stress, salad for lunch stress and being apart for four years stress might all qualify to be on the list. I think the low estimate by the one realtor shook me more than I realize.

We have two additional realtors coming next week - Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. It delays us a week, but I think getting the number right is worth the delay. Or maybe I'll learn something about real estate values in our neighborhood and we'll end up going with Agent #1 after all.

Another thing I realize after a couple of late nights and early mornings (today's a great example) is that I need my sleep. Now, how to work that into a routine, I don't know. Tonight I'm going out to see my neighbors play in a band and then out for drinks with our other neighbors. So, I've got to do some thinking on how to make that work. There's got to be a road of moderation in there somewhere.

Realization #3 - no salad lunches for mouse. It doesn't give me any real fuel for the rest of the day so in two hours I'm feeling psychotic and neurotic all in one. Take the points and eat a real lunch - everyone around me will thank me for it.

My friend, Fred, and I half-jokingly spoke about both quitting together and traveling the world. I'll be Thelma, he'll be Louise. I think we both need to watch the movie - since neither of us plan to drive off of a cliff in the end. It's more the thought of hitting the open road. We need a better movie analogy. Well, he's got a meeting today with his boss. Things that make you go hmmm...

What else? Not much. Trixie made a yummy dinner Tuesday night. We had roast chicken, polenta and asparagus. And, for dessert fruit bars - frozen bananas or strawberries on a stick. It worked out great, and when all was said and done, I was able to stay "on point" for the evening. Another successful social situation navigated. I love my friends, they're so supportive.

So, I need to go get some work done before I head in this morning. Hence the early start. And, I need to think about how I'm going to re-center myself. No one needs Scatterbrained Mouse, especially me.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse vs. the Squirrel (Round II)

DAMN squirrels! I hear another one in the attic!

Alexia Oven Fries, Olive Oil & Sea Salt

Dear Friends and Family,

Good Morning!

Where to begin?

I've got a couple of updates from yesterday before we jump to the food. We had an agent over to look at the house. Yeah! The estimate he gave was much lower than what we were expecting. Hmm...

I don't think he's familiar with our neighborhood, so we asked him to do more research on our specific neighborhood vs. the overall town. Hopefully, that will give a much more accurate picture. Keep your fingers crossed.

Also, I've got a mini-foreground loop project. I'm a nail biter - have been on and off since I was six years old. I know; it's gross, but I still do it. It's gotten better now, but I still do it. Right now, I've got seven great nails and three sub-par ones. I'm going to get a manicure next Wednesday and between now and then, I am NOT going to bite my nails. Once I get into the manicure routine, I won't bite them. I just need to get into the routine. I'll keep you posted.



Here's another one Trixie and I both love - Alexia Oven Fries. No partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredient list. And, a serving of fries (8 fries) is 2 points on Weight Watchers vs. the typical 4 points for regular fries. They're an "affordable" treat (point-wise) on those days when you get the fries craving. The only drawback - between pre-heating the oven and bake time, allocate ~30 minutes between when you decide to make them and when you get to eat them. I'm so impatient, but they're worth the wait.


Cheers!
mouse

Home Sweet Home

Dear Friends and Family,

What a wonderful weekend!

We left Friday morning to go to Indianapolis via Chicago. Well, our flight filled up so we didn't make it to Chicago. We hung out at the airport for three hours and caught the non-stop straight to Indianapolis. Phew.

Dinner and graduation were good. My only question is... Did no one teach my father any social skills? ACK! He is so not into the "normal" social routine of conversation. You know, you say something, I say something back, you crack a small joke, I laugh a small laugh. You know? Whatever.

I made it through food-wise, decently. It's tough because it's a celebratory event and so much of celebration is through food. But, I "analyzed" my meal afterwards and found a couple of ways I could have minimized the whoppers and made it through the evening just fine. Lesson learned for next time.

Now, onto the fun part of the weekend. We drove to Chicago and flew from there to Montreal. Fred was on our flight Saturday morning, so Mr. mouse traded seats with him so Fred and I could sit together. It was so good to catch up - talking about life and gaining perspective on what makes sense to do next is so good.

We had a yummy yummy breakfast with Fred and Genevieve. I'm sure I butchered the spelling, but I love her name. It was so easy to eat healthy with them. Then, Mr. mouse and I headed out to the race track for Saturday's races. There's something about Montreal, it's like another continent - you don't feel like you're in Canada. I love it.

The weather was perfect. We slathered on the sunscreen and headed to our seats. I was giddy with happiness. Qualifying was fun as always. Then, once a lot of people left, I took a nice nap in the sun on the bleachers while Mr. mouse watched the next race. I love afternoon naps in the sun. I love the vibe on race weekend. Everyone's in a great mood.

We had a great dinner. Fred and Genevieve have a farmer's market near their place and the produce is so fresh and tasty. We kept the ingredients simple and prepped it all on the grill. It was heaven. Then, to top it all off, we had a blueberry almond tart. Not to sweet. Perfect. We went up to their rooftop deck and Genevieve and I promptly fell asleep while Fred and Mr. mouse were talking. Perfect end to a perfect day.

Not to sound spoiled. But, Sunday was more heaven. Breakfast was yogurt with granola and nuts AND the best cup of coffee I've had in a long time. More sunshine at the race and an uneventful flight home. Sigh. I needed a weekend like this desperately.

And, this morning when I weighed - 1 lb. less mouse than last Monday. I'll take that. I guess my lesson is the body can recover from the once in a while "one day" excesses as long as they're not the day before weigh-in. Friday's dinner, cake and punch are a mere memory. It seems so long ago even if it was only three days ago.

Well, I'm off to work now. Tonight I meet with the real estate agent. Keep your fingers crossed.


Cheers!
mouse

Traveling Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

A big Happy Birthday shout out to my younger sister.

I'll see her tomorrow for graduation. So it'll be birthday, graduation, and parents/in-law's first meet all rolled into one. It promises to be a lot of fun.

Last night a close friend from college called. James was in town on business and stopped by to chat. It was so good to catch up. He thought the house looked awesome. I don't think he recognized it from last time, which doesn't surprise me. It made me feel so good! He also complimented me on my weight loss and that felt extraordinary as well. It feels so good when people notice. Now, don't get me wrong, the whole Weight Watchers thing is for me, and even if no one noticed, I'd be okay with it. But, still, it is great when people compliment you. He's so sweet!

Off to work today. And, then, I'll be entering radio silence for three to four days. We're off my sister's place for graduation and then from there we're flying to Montreal for the F1 race. Mr. mouse and I have been going to the race since 1995 (with a couple of exceptions) so it's an annual event for us. We're staying with one of my best friends from grad school in Montreal. Fred is so likeable, my friends get jealous when they meet him. He's successful, funny, articulate, humble, attractive and got the French-Canadian accent to boot. But, for me, he's just Fred.

One hurdle I'll be working to overcome this weekend is how to manage the whole food situation. Weight Watchers is very easy when I'm doing the cooking so I control the ingredients and I know exactly what I'm eating. But, recognizing that life is life, there are situations when I don't control the food. So, I need to be able to navigate those waters while still enjoying myself and not coming across as "allergic to food" which I don't want to be. If these are life changes I'm making, I need to make the social situations work, since for me, life is about social situations. Wish me luck!

And, to chat more about food. I have this theory, at I can only do so many things in the "foreground" loop before feeling overloaded. But, I am capable of many many things in the background loop. My example for this is commuting, the first week to a new job, that's in the foreground, but after awhile it's definitely background/semi-automatic/routine.

Well, since March my "three" have been work, Weight Watchers, and house. Work's improved a ton with the new boss, so it's almost background loop again - in fact, yes, it is background loop now. And, I'm finally getting my arms around Weight Watchers. I've done enough research and made it through enough weeks that it doesn't feel as mind-bogglingly complex as it did when I first started. I have enough of a grocery list of acceptable foods that I'm beginning to feel like I know how to make this work for me. Now, don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean I'm falling off the wagon here, it means I'm beginning to understand how to stay on the wagon without it taking all of my concentration and effort. So, that feels good. I'm beginning to get in under control. House, well most of the heavy lifting is done, but I've got a space reserved for it in the foreground until we close. It deserves the dedication and the focus. So, for now, that leaves me with an empty loop. And, I'm okay letting life-in-general occupy it for the next three weeks. Afterwards, I'll have to figure out what I'm taking on to keep me moving forward. I've got a couple of tentative ideas out there. I'll keep you posted.

I'm not sure of time and capability of posting from the events, so you've been fairly warned. Hopefully, the small novel I've written today makes up for the upcoming dry spell.


Cheers!
mouse

Happy Summer Solstice

Dear Friends and Family,

It's summer solstice, the longest "day" of the year! Tomorrow, the sun starts rising a little later and setting a little earlier until Dec when we begin this whole cycle again.

It's always a special day for me. Need to go out and enjoy the sunshine, it's the peak of summer. It's already bright outside my window.


Cheers!
mouse

Parmalat Pomi Chopped Tomatoes

Dear Friends and Family,

This week, let's look at pasta sauces. From highest to lowest in Weight Watchers points value:

• pesto
• alfredo
• olive oil
• clam
• marinara

I was surprised by how high olive oil was on the list. At 5 points per 2 oz serving, it adds up quickly. Ouch! Pesto and alfredo weren't a huge surprise; they add up even faster. I included clam because I get a craving for it every now and then - childhood comfort food.

The winner? For me, it's a simple tomato sauce that combines my favorite tomatoes with a dash of olive oil.

(serves 1 hungry mouse)
Saute a clove of garlic in 1/2 tbs of olive oil. Add 1/4 cup Pomi chopped tomatoes, some basil and parsley. Salt to taste. Simmer for ~15 minutes. Add the pasta of your choice and cook until the pasta is well coated. At 2 points (for the sauce, not the pasta, obviously), it can't be beat! Enjoy summer year round.

Cheers!
mouse

The Fight for Mouse's Soul

Dear Friends and Family,

First off, keep your fingers crossed. IF things go well this week, the mouse house could be on the market before the weekend. How exciting! It's a love-love thing with this house. I love it. I'd love to sell it.

Second, I got a phone call from a company interested in my wares. They're not located here, so I'd have to relocate. But, they're located by the mouse pad, so relocating is a good thing. Here's the rub, I had a bad interview experience with them in '99. They asked me my marital status and how Mr. mouse would feel about moving. I was like... HUH?!?!

Recognizing that they're a big company and that it's been seven years since I've spoken with them, I was approaching it with an open mind. I was excited. Then, Mr. mouse pointed out that they're hardly a "small" company. I've professed to want to move on to a smaller company, not a larger one. And, this one is Fortune 10, so hardly a step in the right direction.

Well, on my phone call with the recruiter, she wanted me to change my resume from a one pager to a four pager. I cringe at the concept on principle. And, frankly, I feel like I have more important things going on right now. But, there's a part of me that looks at this as a potential opportunity to get with Mr. mouse sooner rather than later.

Plus, to be greedy, they would pay for the sale of mouse house. And, money is a powerful motivator.

Still, I struggle with the instinct that tells me to go slow and go small.

Help! The fate of my soul hangs in the balance.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Heaven

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I went out for dinner last night. I had soon tofu soup, a spicy stew that I absolutely love.

Afterwards, we went to Target and bought two recliners for the deck. There was a cool breeze as we sat outside and enjoyed our drinks. I could feel the layers of stress melt away. It was heaven.

I can't wait until we live together. I think I need to start spending more weekends at the mouse pad, so I can appreciate it more.

Off to tea and haircut and then a quick shopping mission for some bath supplies.


Cheers!
mouse

Megabus - low cost, daily, express bus service

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I saw an advertisement for megabus back in April. It's a company based in Europe that's begun bus service in the US... dirt cheap bus service in the US.

They serve a handful of cities in the Midwest - Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and St. Louis from a hub in Chicago. So, for as low as a $1 each way, you're off to see your friends and family.

$1?!?!

Well, at that price, you want to ride it just to see what the experience is like. For $2, a weekend in the Windy City? Uh, sign me up!

So, the biggest question we all had was, what does your $1 get you? Well, yesterday, I was chatting with a friend at work and found out he's taken megabus! So, here's the skinny:

You buy the ticket online. It can be as cheap as a $1 and up to $35 each way depending upon when you purchase your ticket. You print out your ticket online and bring it with you to the bus terminal. The buses are clean and perfectly fine. Baggage goes down below, bathroom in the back of the bus, no assigned seats, and you're off.

They stopped once in each direction about half-way through the trip at a highway rest stop for about twenty minutes. You're free to get off the bus, stretch your legs, buy some food, use the restrooms, and you're off again. His trip was about the same amount of time as driving would have been and cost him and his wife a total of $40 round trip including processing costs. So, I think he got the $8 each way fare. He highly recommends it.

So, there you go. Now, we know.

Anyone up for a weekend trip?


Cheers!
mouse

Thursday Reflections

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been a really quiet week at work. I haven't had a lot to do. To be honest, I haven't had anything to do. It's tough keeping yourself motivated when you're in the lull.

On Tuesday, we had our team meeting. Well, my old boss was talking most of the the meeting, and, I can't express how little respect I have left for him. In fact, I don't think I have any respect left for him. Not a single iota.

Afterward, I had a chance to talk to my new boss about everything covered in the meeting, and I have to say, I was really impressed by his ability to manage. I didn't give him a lot of time post-meeting to figure out what he needed to say and I didn't mince words. But, he's got his head on straight.

So, I'm in the quandary, I'm being paid well and working for a good manager. But, I detest my senior management and the lack of consistent work is mind numbing. I need to do something to change the situation. But, I don't know what that something is. In the absence of a plan, I'm focusing on my "Top Three" - house, Weight Watchers, and for the next month weekend travels (i.e. life in general). We'll hit a point when house is done and off the list. And, Weight Watchers will become automatic enough to become part of the background loop instead of the foreground loop. And, we'll be done with travel mid-July. Then, I can reassess.

This weekend I'm off to see Mr. mouse and my darling hair cutter. Next weekend is my sister's graduation. And, the weekend after is the F1 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And, the weekend after is my neighbor's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. It'll be good and relaxing to spend some time participating in life in general. I need the stress relief. But, house will need to be done done before then.


Cheers!
mouse

Relief

Dear Friends and Family,

After fighting Blogger all last night to make it look right, I had to have a second look this morning. The pictures, still dicey, but it works. The font, really, I was on the wrong screen. And, the javascript error - who knows.

But, the main thing I realize in the fresh light of morning is that I blew over two hours last night fighting the computer on something that didn't merit 15 minutes of my attention. I was hungry. I should have stopped and eaten and slept.

Know your limits.


Cheers!
mouse

HTML coding

Dear Friends and Family,

Okay. I'm making this way too difficult. Or, rather, Blogger is making this way too difficult.

For some reason, images aren't posting correctly. So, I hard coded the HTML to add a picture. Then, the border and the non-transparent background...

WTF?

Okay, enough time wasted on this for now. And, what's with the javascript error?!?!

Off to dinner.


Cheers.
mouse

PS: Hey! Where's my font control?!?!

PPS: Found it. Guess it was time for dinner. Sigh...

Stonyfield Farm Organic Lowfat Yogurt

Dear Friends and Family,

So in the spirit of continuous improvement, I am evolving this blog. I'm not sure what the end product will look like, but I've come to the realization that frankly, my life isn't interesting enough to warrant daily posts - especially midweek. Come on, seriously, nine times out of 10, nothing new really happens on a Tuesday. Now, if something did, well, no worries, I'll write about it here.

So... Tuesday is my Weight Watchers "weigh in" day. Since I weigh myself every day (I know, I know) to get a feel for what normal fluctuation looks like and since I am doing the online program where I weigh myself and enter the information on-line, weigh-in isn't as climatic as it would be if I only weighed myself once a week at a meeting. Nevertheless, I thought it would be a good day to co-opt, and talk about food.

So, I'm going to try writing on Tuesdays about some food item or other that I like that has IMHO a good bang for the buck on the weight watchers point system. I refuse to begin eating fake food to lose weight, so the stuff I write about will, generally, be good for you whether you're watching what you eat or not.

Cheers!

Oh wait! I didn't write anything at all about Stonyfield Farm Organic Lowfat Yogurt. There's a lot of research out there about calcium. The jury's still out on whether it helps on osteoporosis, etc. but, overall, smart people out there seem to agree that it doesn't hurt. But, that's not my motivation. I read an article on WebMD that calcium may alleviate PMS. Now we're talking! Being who I am, I'm not as motivated by the long term gain as I am by the immediate benefit.

It (the yogurt) comes in 10 yummy flavors - blueberry, caramel, lemon, maple vanilla, mocha latte, peach, plain, raspberry, strawberry and vanilla. They're all 2 points on Weight Watchers for the 6 oz. container with the exception of caramel (4) and mocha latte (3). So, I eat the "cheap" flavors. They provide 35% of your RDA of calcium. Which, to quote Martha Stewart, is a good thing.


Cheers!
mouse

City Mouse Takes on Suburbia

Dear Friends and Family,

This post contains a lot of heaviness. Proceed with caution.

You've been warned. Read at your own risk.

I HATE DANDELIONS AND OTHER WEEDS THAT NEED TO BE PULLED

I HATE SHOVELING SNOW

I HATE MOWING THE LAWN

I HATE EDGING

I HATE MULCH

I HATE SOD THAT NEEDS TO WATERED

I HATE SHRUBS THAT NEED TO BE WATERED

I HATE ADJUSTING SPRINKLERS

I HATE PRUNING

I HATE RAKING LEAVES

Okay, I think I got most of it. I might have missed one or two. But, I think you get the gist of it. Basically, I have zero passion for anything and everything associated with maintenance and nurturing of what is traditionally thought of as landscaping. I detest it with a passion. I guess, at heart, I am a City Mouse.

Now, here's the rub. Mr. mouse is a Country Mouse. He loves all the #$%@! that's involved in outside work. He finds it therapeutic. That's great for him, but, on the weekdays, it's City Mouse vs. Suburbia. Fortunately, once we sell the mouse house, I won't have to deal with any of this again. The mouse pad is a townhouse and the monthly assessment covers all of the outdoor stuff. And, what isn't covered, Mr. mouse will have to do.

That's just the realization that I've come to. I am who I am, and I am okay with that. Mouse is proud to be a City Mouse. And, that is my small enlightenment for today.


Cheers!
mouse

Monday Morning Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Monday.

A couple of finishing clean up touches in the basement and we are done. Well, done with the things in our control... We hired a contractor to fix the squirrel damage we had last fall. They should be here this week. And, we ordered new carpet for the bedrooms from Lowes. OMG, can it take any longer to get it installed? It's been seriously, months. We had the order for the kitchen counter and the carpeting placed the same day. The kitchen's been done since when I started this blog and the carpet, well. It's a love/hate relationship with these large chain stores. They bring in lower prices, but the service, it's hit and miss, and it's a pain in the neck dealing with them.

Still, it feels good to have gotten so much done. BTW, the sprinkler is going now - watering our shrubs. I'll hand water the ones it doesn't reach later tonight.


Cheers!
mouse

Final Touches

Dear Friends and Family,

This is the weekend. We will get it all done. Positive thinking!

It's also our last "full" weekend in the mouse house. Starting next weekend, we'll be splitting time between mouse house and the mouse pad where Mr. mouse spends most of his time.

How exciting!

Okay, off to work.


Cheers!
mouse

Men!

Dear Friends and Family,

Sometimes I just don't get it. What is it with men? Their ability to prioritize and to see the big picture... sometimes COMPLETELY missing.

Okay, done with gross generalizations here.

Mr. mouse took three days off this week to work on the mouse house. He orders a dumpster to show up on Monday. He arrives Tuesday night. Wednesday is spent putting together his plan and shopping for shrubs. Uh, okay. Today, he plants all the shrubs he purchased, rents a minivan to buy, you guessed it, more shrubs! Then, we're back at Home Depot tonight, to buy 20 bags of mulch for the shrubs. Now, he's outside, in the dark, mulching his shrubs.

Also, on Wednesday night, he had me out in the dusk, looking at paint chips. And, again today. And, he bought a ladder today... to paint. So, tomorrow, he's going to paint, plant more shrubs AND... get this...

He went to a store today to look at reclaimed bricks. And, he wants to spend a piece of tomorrow taking down and rebuilding a brick wall we have in front of the house.

I get the importance of curb appeal. I get it makes a HUGE difference. I get it. But, deciding to spend a couple of days to learn masonry at this point? You've got to be kidding!

The dumpster, empty, except for an empty bag of potting soil from planting the shrubs.

Looks like it'll be a big push to get everything done this weekend, not the easy coast in I was initially picturing.

Bring on the caffeine!


Cheers!
mouse

PS: note: I am sitting comfortably inside while Mr. mouse mulches. No desire to go out there and reinforce this behavior. He's a full grown adult and curb appeal is important. I get that. I just think we're approaching decreasing marginal returns here, boys and girls. BTW, he hasn't stop for lunch or dinner yet, so don't ask me what's fueling the brain cells at this point.

Two More Days of Work, But Who's Counting?

Dear Friends and Family,

I had so much fun last night, it was almost sinful. Then, again, it might show how sad life is for me right now.

Mr. mouse picked me up after work. We headed over to Target to check for a curtain rod - $6.99, great deal, if your local Target is in stock. Then, we went for Chinese for dinner. Steamed flounder, so yummy, now that I can have fish again. Then, it was Home Depot to look at bushes and geraniums. And, the coup de grace... Trader Joe's!

We can never leave there without buying a ton of new stuff to try. It's our CostCo. So, last night, we got fig bars, blueberry muesli, polenta and ginger snaps. They were still out of chocolate covered bananas.

We picked up a couple, okay, five, bottles of wine at the store, too. For all those summer get-togethers where you have to tote one along, even if you are drinking Diet Coke or club soda.

Then, we came home and watched TV until we fell asleep. What more perfect a day can you ask for? It'll be good once we're living together.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse and the Eightfold Path

Dear Friends and Family,

As some of you know, I have been trying to practice the principles of Zen Buddhism to better understand life. I promised a friend I would write a little about the Eightfold Path, which is Zen's equivalent of the Ten Commandments.

My interpretation of the The Eightfold path is that it's a set of guidelines. There's no "thou shalt not" business going on. Instead, the idea is, once you're ready to, you adopt them... one at a time or all at once. They help you to lead a more fulfilling life.

1. Right Understanding: is about understanding the suffering associated with and caused by desire - really, when you want something bad enough, and start to think the end justifies the means, everything starts to go bad and it's all downhill from there
2. Right Thought: is about thinking positive thoughts, not negative thoughts
3. Right Speech: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all; this covers gossip, lying, negative speech and idle chatter
4. Right Action: this covers a bunch of the commandments all in one - no stealing, no killing, no pushing and shoving, etc. (it also covers other actions to - like overindulgence - wine, food, ahem and other indulgences)
5. Right Livelihood: the work you do should improve the lives of others around you - so gamblers, mercenaries and drug dealers are probably not living by this one
6. Right Effort: making a conscious effort to do the right thing and continuously improve yourself... self discipline
7. Right Mindfulness: pay attention to everything that's around you, be aware, you might learn something in the process you would've have missed if you rush through life with blinders on
8. Right Concentration: things happen better if you focus on them, be focused on the task at hand, then move on to the next task and be focused on that task, repeat as needed

So, not an overly sophisticated take on it all. I'm sure there are scholars out there who'll laugh at my interpretation. But, it's where I am in my journey.

Cheers!
mouse

Bonus Mr. mouse Time

Dear Friends and Family,

We're almost done with the mouse house. Mr. mouse is coming over tonight and spending the week with me to finish up all the odds and ends that need to be taken care of.

Hopefully, we'll be 100% by this weekend. Then, maintenance is easy.

Off to dinner. I'm starved and exhausted today.


Cheers.
mouse

Awake and Contemplating

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Monday!

As you can see, I'm awake pretty early for a Monday morning. That's okay. I'll have my tea. Do some yoga. And then, hopefully nap before heading into work.

I feel like I'm on the cusp of figuring out this miasma I've been working through. I don't know why, but I think I'm close. Now if I can stay mindful and focused, maybe it'll all be clear. Soon.

Last night, Mr. mouse and I went out for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We went for Spanish/Cuban. It was very good. But, I ate so much I almost burst. Maybe that has something to do with why I am up.

I hear the tea kettle going.


Cheers!
mouse

Busy Bee Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Another weekend, another two days of work.

Mr. mouse is tackling the small jungle of weeds we've grown in the backyard. I have new found respect for his tenaciousness and the power of a Deere.

I've been cleaning and packing inside. On schedule to do the bedrooms next.

Monday is our anniversary. So, we might go out to dinner tonight.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Gets the All Clear

Dear Friends and Family,

I got back my thyroid test results. All normal. Not any significant changes from January either.

Yeah!

Guess the sleeplessness and hair loss were coincidental.


Cheers!
mouse

PPS: Mouse Journal Formatting

Dear Friends and Family,

Obviously I lost the battle in deciding not to reformat. I did it.

Sigh. Off to work.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Mouse Journal Formatting

Dear Friends and Family,

I learned how to use the list feature on blogger to write about stitches. But, I'm not going to go back and fix last night's blog with the A's and B's to 1's and 2's. It's too time consuming since the whole blog needs to be retyped. And, I'm not sure how to get letters instead of numbers.

C'est la vie.


Cheers!
mouse

The Surgeon Mouse Has Determined that Removing Stitches Is Beneficial to Your Health

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been two weeks since my surgery. And, since I'm so impatient, I decided to remove my stitches by myself today vs. waiting for Mr. mouse to help me tomorrow.

Before you think I was taking my life into my own hands here... My dermatologist gave me sterilized scissors and tweezers and told me I was free to take them out on my own in two weeks if I didn't want to drive in for another appointment.

I'm all about D-I-Y, so I figured I'd give it a try.

How to remove stitches: (stop here if you are the squeamish kind)

1. clean the area thoroughly with soap and water
2. dry and apply antibiotic
3. study the stitches, do any appear tight or loose?
4. pick one - I went from loosest to tightest - although all of them were pretty tight
5. slip the tip of the scissors under the stitch, on one side of the knot
6. SNIP
7. use the tweezers to slowly pull the stitch out - from the knot side (NOTE: The knot, obviously, only comes out one way. It'll get stuck in the other direction.)
8. proceed to next stitch

So, I think two weeks is too long for stitches. But, who am I to argue with a certified professional? One of the stitches began getting buried under new skin, so removing it was a combination of the steps above with the steps for removing a splinter. It was tricky since it was on my left arm. I could use the scissors or the tweezers at any given time, not both. Also, that last stitch, the buried one, wouldn't come out cleanly. I was concerned I was doing it wrong. I had to dig to get the tip of the stitch out of the new skin and then apply a slow steady pressure to try to pull it out. It wouldn't move at first, although everything around it was puckering up. Then, with continued steady pressure, I felt something "give" underneath my skin, in a non-painful kind of way, and it came out easily enough after that. No pain, just squeamish.

It's all done now. I'm going to keep it covered for two more days, since I still have two days worth of gauze. Then, I'll switch to band-aids until the stitch entry and exit holes close up.

It feels good to have this behind me. I sleep better at night.


Cheers!
mouse