What went before: Wednesday. Snowing and partly sunny.
Despite the distress it will of course cause his fandom, I am forced to report that Rookie the Cookie is a Schmuck. Or possibly only a Jerk. He’s been knocking stuff off the shelves in the Tech Room — notably, bottles of liquid toner, which apparently make a lovely thud-SMACK sound when they land (honestly, it’s a very distinctive sound; I can recognize a toner bottle hitting the floor from two rooms away). I expect he doesn’t really know that I can’t easily pick the damn’ things up right now, but — aargh. Get a cat, they said, they’ll be fun. Get a Maine Coon Cat, they said. They’re very interested in their people and like to engage.
In other news, despite having felt somewhat better last night, I’m back to Square One (minus the THC) this morning. It occurs to me that I better line up a ride to my appointment at Thayer tomorrow afternoon, which — aargh x 2. I hate bothering people to do stoopid stuff for me.
I’ve written to my PCP regarding pain management — the idea being that, going in the front door with back pain (yes, I’m doing my PT homework) needs to be supported by another approach, because even my therapist said that this will keep happening, only as my core gets stronger, an episode will last … less long. What I want, of course, is The Grail: something that will kill the pain, or get it down to manageable levels, and neither make me sick or fuzz me out, so I can write. And so I’m not a danger to myself or to the cats. That’s important, too. As is eating. It’s ridiculously hard to eat when you’re in pain.
The cats are taking good care of me — well. Firefly and Tali are checking in regularly to administer lap-sits and purr therapy.
Rookie’s knocking shit off the shelves in the Tech Room.
In addition to pain management brainstorm, I arrived at the opinion that I should also figure out ways to work even when I’m feeling this bad. So! I have moved Writing Operations to the comfy chair in my office (which has been Back Pain Central), rigged up the laptop with my favorite keyboard, and brought the WIP, and the portable hard drive here, too. So, hopefully, I’ll be able to continue with fixing stuff that’s already been written, and that this episode of painful nonsense will vacate before I realio, trulio need to start producing New! Copy!
So, that’s the somewhat muddled news from the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.
How’s everyone doing?
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So, that was no fun at all.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself but I may have gotten around the Horn. Of course, I’m shaky because I haven’t eaten anything for 3 days except peanut butter crackers (Note to self: Buy peanut butter crackers; the damn things are lifesavers.) to buffer the meds.
I do have a ride lined up for my appointment this afternoon, so that’s good, and my intention is to actually have breakfast and then come back to the comfy chair, do some work on the WIP, and not push things. And eat snacks. What a time to be out of hummus. Bad planning, past me.
Firefly is on my lap and purring.
I’m almost done my Russian Caravan tea Christmas present (Note to self: buy more Russian Caravan tea).
And that’s that’s the fascinating Thursday report from the cat farm and confusion factory.
Dictated to my phone.
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Did some work on the WIP, actually ate food. Steve Symonds gave me a ride to and from the hospital for my test, so that’s taken care of. Managed to get the cat fountains changed out, which has been really bothering me. I’m such a bad cat mom. Talked to the accountant, and — ouch. Not unexpected, but still. Ouch. I’ll pick up the papers on Monday, when — fingers crossed — I hope to be Fully Operational.
In the meantime *whispers* my back is not hurting, which places as a Minor Miracle, and what I really want to do is go curl up (figuratively) and read Local Custom.
May I just say what a great job we did with Local Custom? The gradual unfurling of the leaves of character, the! worldbuilding!, the things that are said so very plainly and yet don’t mean the same thing to the person you’re talking with and — I swoon. No, really.
Damn, I wish I could write like that.
Also? There’s a description — a Very Detailed Description — of a counterchance board. I. Had. No. Idea.
So, anyway, I see the tax stuff, and that I have to Move Monies in order to satisfy the IRS and the State of Maine, but yanno what?
Imma go read.
Everybody have a good evening. I’ll see you tomorrow.
No…really. I will.
Tali collecting overdue ear scrubbles:
Thanks for your comments of yesterday. When I found a chair that worked, I bought a second of the same kind. They are old and . . . Peeling? at this point, but to be able to sit up and work is a thing to brag about. My needs are different than yours. I hope you get it worked out.
I had a boss once who spent three times a week going to appointments with a Chiropractor who said he could fix his back, and in eighteen months, had not touched the pain. A few gallons of water for the water bed, however, fixed it. I took that as a lesson to start watching things the doctor can’t see to find root causes.
I love you were willing to be flexible on your work space. Any chance an indoor cart could help with some tasks?
Regarding not just Local Custom, but the entire oeuvre: I had to cheat. I was enjoying the progression of plot and character too much to stop and wait for the author’s comments, and I am now on the second-to-last of available books (I skipped short stories and novellas this time through). I followed Korval through to the end of Diviner’s Bow and only then went back to Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon. OMG. How many times have I read about Jela’s final choice? Even knowing where the story was going, still I was weeping when it got there. All honor to the writers.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard anyone mention how hard it is to eat when you have persistent back pain. That is so true, and you have my sympathy.
My own partial solution is portioned home-made soups and apple sauce in the freezer, and yes, crackers or crisp bread. Lots of tea.
As to working — a laptop plus multiple pillows and cushions on the sofa or even in bed worked for me. And while I have never been to a chiropractor, I went to an osteopath-cum-acupuncturist for a couple of decades. Sadly, he went incommunicado during Covid. But both approaches fixed the pain, with visits only bring required every three or four months.
I hope you find a good solution.
I hope you find relief for your back pain. (There are lift chairs that help you stand up and beds that can sit you up (and lay you down, too, of course) — I don’t know if these things could help you.)
We call Rook’s behavior “performative naughtiness”. When Mr. Bingley (our youngest cat) decides his humans are not serving him adequately, he scratches things that he knows he is not allowed to scratch — and he does so right in front of the erring human. He also occasionally knocks things off surfaces. A previous cat would ostentatiously lick photos we mistakenly left lying about, or chew plastic bags. It does get your attention!
Happy 2nd birthday to Rook for Monday.
Hope he’s feeling less obstreperous for his natal day.
Here’s to you feeling better before then!
I would urge you to try relieffactor.com. Their product seems to help most people from a little to 100%. A trial batch is only twenty dollars although I think a normal supply is about $80 a month. It will not make you high or otherwise weird. I have not connection to this product Sam