Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Slowly Returning Normality

In case you don't feel like reading all my words this time, let me put this at the top: Steven Colbert being both inspiring and amusing about the attacks:

Right? And Jon Stewart did nice too:

Now! On with the blather!

The Bruins game has been rescheduled, and I guess I still get to go, so moderate Yay for that. Before they announced it last night, I was wondering what they would do about it, because the end of the season was supposed to be next Saturday, and both teams play a bunch of games before that. The Bruins play every other day, and Ottawa almost as much: the only days they're both free are next Wednesday and Friday, and either day would mean the Bruins playing three nights in a row*, which you just don't do in hockey. The Globe mentioned yesterday that they might even not play it, if the points wouldn't make a difference, though everything is so close that they probably would make a difference, so... why bring it up?
*Originally, that Thursday was open for the Bruins, but that's where they put the blizzard-rescheduled game, so, you know, here we are in this thrice-weird season.

In the end, they chose what I consider the best option, bumping the season's end out a day, and thus the game will be a week from Sunday. So! It looks like I'm going to the last game of the season! I hope that turns out to be a good thing. If you get NESN, watch for me, front row near the penalty box, in the Bergeron shirt. (You'll all be taping it, right?)

*****
Naturally, the head honcho had to come to the office this week. Let's all dress up for it! He might notice you walking by the conference room where he will be holed up all day long. The head of the office will be in there with him, and a few other people will be in and out, presenting; I get why they will be not dressing to our usual "business casual" standard. The rest of us? May not even make eye contact once. But let's dress up! Just because!

Mind you, we did get pizza for lunch out of it (naturally pizza, since I wore white, though miraculously and for once, I did not spill). In fact, the boss came to me to place the order, which is interesting given that she walked past practically everyone else to get to my desk. This could mean she has great faith in my food skills -- or thinks I'm responsible enough to be handed his credit card -- or that I can be trusted to clean up afterward -- or just that I'm low man on the totem pole. Possibly all of the above.

*****
Again, looking back at Before, I had wanted to blog on Sunday about my busy and mostly fun Saturday, but my head was just bad enough Sunday to interfere. I was able to do a lot on Sunday: grocery shopping, a little cooking, laundry, all things that needed doing, more than blogging "needed" to be done; I just didn't have any extra energy. But hey, I can write about it now!

Saturday started with taking Carlos to the vet, to be assessed for the dreaded teeth-cleaning he so desperately needs. Amusingly, I had just seen this picture online on Friday:

Carlos didn't go quite this far (and good thing, according to the vet tech, who pointed out the sensor-driven soap dispenser in their sink), but he was not happy, as you can imagine: he's usually a pretty laid-back and quiet guy, only sometimes does he even say "meow", but in the car he was more like "MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! I AM UNHAPPY! AND YOU DO NOT SEEM TO REALIZE IT! MEOW, DAMMIT!"

Poor baby. I can't fathom driving with him for hours, though; I felt awful on a drive of about five minutes. Whew. Poor me, too. (I wish that holding his paw would help, but nothing seemed to please him at all.)

The people at the vet were all very nice, and very complimentary of his handsomeness, which I appreciated even if it left him unmoved. He was much too busy investigating the smells, and wondering at the noises, and giving the occasional miserable "MEOW!" to be very receptive to admiration. He was very good, just not his usual relaxed self.

My vet had wanted to get some x-rays of his chest and spine, and after discussing it with this vet we went ahead with it; happily, it was all pretty good news. His lungs showed no tumors or other problems, so his faint wheezing is probably early asthma, which I will keep an ear out for. Pretty much "no news is good news" there. Then the spine showed none of the suspected issues, though his hips look arthritic, the poor dear (as my mother says, it must run in the family, since she and I also have that problem); in the future, we may give him supplements, though not until he's "over" the tooth stuff, to avoid causing any eating issues when his habits are already upset.

I made the appointment for his teeth (a week from today, if you want to know now when to cross your fingers), and took the poor guy home again. "MEOW! MEOW!" He was so happy to get back, and immediately reverted to his perfectly fine self. I suspect he slept most of the day, though that's nothing new, really, is it? In any case, I went out, so I wasn't there to see it, nor to disturb him with my cat-rousing habit of kissing him for being so cute.

In fact, I went on a rare trip into Boston, to catch the last day (sniff) at Windsor Button Shop, the classic Boston store that is sadly closing its doors (rent being impossible, apparently). They still had a surprising amount of yarn left; I heard an employee telling someone (as he brought more up from storage) that they hadn't realized how overstocked they were. There was so much, in fact, that I went around and around many times, looking at things. Other than just wanting to see what they had (all at 50% off), I wanted to see if I could find enough of a bulky weight yarn to make a blanket for my friend who's getting married--I found a bulky pattern (it's called Oliver) since that should go pretty fast, and I'd like to finish before the wedding, which is in June! I quite like the look of this pattern, with its intertwining cables making me think of how they are weaving their families together, and as soon as the needle arrives (it's on its way from Webs, since I couldn't find it locally) I will get started and see how it goes. Because, miraculously, I did find yarn that would work:
Lambs Pride Super Wash Bulky. Ten balls, in the same dye lot, of this pretty dusky pink, even machine washable! I hate to give something as big as a blanket that had to be hand-washed, you know? Anyway, updates to come on that.

That wasn't all I got, of course, there was also a little of this and a little of that. Another skein of Ella Rae Lace Merino, since I just finished working with that and liked it:
A skein of Happy Feet, in nice springy colors (I used it years ago, and then the pair shrank, but I think I was still machine drying at that point, so I'm going to try again and see if air drying keeps them happy)
And a little just-because. Artyarns Supermerino:
And Berocco Pure Merino Nuance.
I know you will be shocked to hear me say that they are both so soft.

After yarning myself silly, I walked around Boston for a bit; sadly Cosi was not open for lunch, but I ate elsewhere, wandered into the Brattle Book Shop and a few others most enjoyably, then swung through the Pro Shop to admire Bruins paraphernalia, though I did not buy this, for myself or my friend.
Oy.

Finally it was time to quit the city, in order to get home and rest a little before the evening. Walking back to my car, it amused me to realize that I parked half a mile from the T stop and walked over, to save $5 on parking, in order to go in to town and spend far (far, far) more than that on yarn. What can I say, that's how I roll.

Dinner (at Papa Razzi) was very nice; it's always good to see friends, and get a good long chat in. There were five of us, which works well for a single conversation where everyone gets to talk, rather than in larger groups where it breaks into smaller ones and you end up never talking to some people. I also very much enjoyed my meal, which was one of their specials: beef tenderloins that were delicious, and a really nice risotto with corn and (subbed in for mushrooms) peas. Delicious! I got to tell them my recent healthcare story and get a sanity check that no, the company really didn't handle it well, and hear about what was going on with them, and it was all good. Even the Bruins were on my side, in a twisted sort of way: they lost, which is harder to mind when I don't have to watch! I mean, I'm sorry that they lost, but I would also have been sorry if they'd played an awesome game and I missed seeing it. (I know, Pollyanna. Speaking of things that run in the family.)

The head wasn't so bad on Saturday: a little in the morning, more so at lunchtime, but then it faded out for the evening, most fortuitously. On Sunday it wasn't completely incapacitating, but it was annoying. I've had fewer headaches since I started seeing the chiropractor, and that's so good, but of course I can't expect them to be completely gone (hope, yes; expect, no). (As I mentioned, it wasn't great Monday; Tuesday it was more tender than painful; today has been barely anything.) However, I am thrilled to report that my mother's treatment seems to be working at last--everyone knock wood with crossed fingers, would you? Because after a few years of near-daily headaches, the woman deserves a real break.

*****
Spring feels late this year. Maybe it isn't, maybe this is right on schedule, but the way the trees and flowers are slowly, slowly creeping into bloom seems off to me. It's coming, it's coming, but wow, that wait can kill you. Maybe that's just me, since I was ready for this months ago, but come on, a tree on the verge of popping its buds open should not take a week! Today was 65 and sunny: that should move things along.

I did take this picture recently when, driving home from work, I suddenly saw flowers growing in an unexpected spot. Look! Blurry flowers!
I can't wait until they aren't so blurry, if you know what I mean.

Now, I have to go, for the Bruins are playing tonight. Since Monday's game was postponed, and Tuesday's Celtics game was too, this is Kind of a Big Deal for Boston.

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