Did you accomplish anything today?

[cariad]

I am spending on clothes at the charity shop like a crazy person.

Today I bought a Next blouse and Ben Sherman jacket for myself, and had Gwyn try on a Next suit and M&S shirt, both of which he purchased. They keep putting out gorgeous boys clothes, and gorgeous, designer boys clothes are rare at charity shops, so what am I supposed to do exactly?

The other day I decided to try to cook. My right hand is a blotchy red from the scorching oil that I spilled on myself, and my left hand has blisters on the fingertips. There is a reason I say I don't cook, and it's because I'd really like to live out my natural lifespan.

Last night I went to a "craft party" with my Aussie friend who was one of the instructors. As she said to me "it's where you make different crafty things, and you drink". I am so down with one of those two things. I gave up in disgust with the sewing bit, but my friend taught me to macrame (and you can't even imagine how she pronounces it - you have to love those Southern Hemispherians! Like all our lovely IHD members from south of the equator). I was as amazed as anyone when I said to her "L., I *like* this activity. I can handle this."

Birthday party tomorrow (still have to wrap the little girl's gifts) and then off to Wales in the afternoon.

[skg]

So -- does anyone else do this: get feeling a little better so finally try to catch up on all sorts of things which need doing -- spend what would have been a fairly normal day (at least pre-kidney-issues) -- and then be completely exhausted and useless the next day or two?

I'm torn between doing everything I can do when I actually feel up to doing it, and hoping/imagining that maybe if I took it a little easier, I'd be able to have two decent days in a row.

cheers,
skg

[MaryD]

skg

I'm for pacing myself. Five years ago I could do anything and go all day.  Now I labour away for hours doing what used to take half an hour.  And I often am found having a snooze in the afternoon.

 

[Sugarlump]

Today I "helped" paint the bathroom yellow.
My contribution is the middle band of the wall I can reach without crouching or standing on a chair! 

[Lexxtech18]

I've had the same experience, Lexx. Not much fun. What floor are you on? It could turn out to be a good exercise routine.

The lab is on the ground floor and most of our inpatient draws are two to three floors up. lol I need the exercise anyway!

[Riki]

I'm feeling like a jellyfish in the sand these days.  I'm hot, and I don't have the energy to get out of my own way.  It's a beautiful day today, and I'd love to do something that won't cause me to need to take a cat nap in someone's front yard in order to continue on.

[Angiepkd]

So -- does anyone else do this: get feeling a little better so finally try to catch up on all sorts of things which need doing -- spend what would have been a fairly normal day (at least pre-kidney-issues) -- and then be completely exhausted and useless the next day or two?

I had one of those days today.  Got up and felt good, hubby and son were clearing the edges of the fields and planting sweet corn.  I decided to weed eat one of the rental houses and the sides of the driveway.  Did that in the 95 degree heat, but still didn't feel too bad, so I trimmed branches at the end of the drive and went back to work on my own yard.  Finished that and still felt pretty good (although drenched in sweat), so I went to feed and water my chickens and gather eggs.  At this point I knew I overdid it.  Went inside, showered, ordered pizza and got on my machine.  I am so proud of myself for all I managed to do, but am thinking I will be sorry tomorrow!  That's how it goes, I guess.  I get so far behind on things that I feel like I have to go all out when I am feeling good.  Hopefully I won't be too dead tomorrow as I have a Graduation party to attend and can't miss it. 

[noahvale]

*

[Sugarlump]

So -- does anyone else do this: get feeling a little better so finally try to catch up on all sorts of things which need doing -- spend what would have been a fairly normal day (at least pre-kidney-issues) -- and then be completely exhausted and useless the next day or two?

I'm torn between doing everything I can do when I actually feel up to doing it, and hoping/imagining that maybe if I took it a little easier, I'd be able to have two decent days in a row.

cheers,
skg

Glad it's not just me who feels like that... One good day and you feel able to conquer the world, quickly followed by two "dead" days as your body has to recover...

[cassandra]

Yup. I changed the bed today, and the laundry, that's me hugging the Settee for the week

[CebuShan]

Tuesday chores:
Dusting (check!)   
Clean mirrors (check)   
Water houseplants (check)   
Done!

[cariad]

First driving lesson today. I have set a goal to get a license before the summer's out so that I can help Gwyn out a bit more with errands and the like while improving my odds of getting a decent, part-time job because I'll more transportation options.

I also got a haircut and took a hideous provisional license photo. I have to get my provisional license before I can apply to take the theory test, then pass the theory test before I can attempt the driving test. So, even though I already drive here now and again, it will take me at least a few months to get to the test. The instructor reckons I will need 10-15 hours of practice, whether with him or on my own. I have to break a few American habits, some of them I will only stop for the test and then go right back to doing it my way.

[Sugarlump]

Hi  I got my haircut today too!!!!!

Did some washing, cleaned the living room (and decluttered it) and started on my kitchen cupboards. Got two done.
My food (tins and baking stuff cupboard) and condiments and drinking items cupboard both spotless and organised. Yay!

Taking it one day at a time 

[chook]

Hey to everyone. Dropped in for an IHD fix - never seem to have enough time to catch up on my reading on this site. My achievement for today was to finalise workers' tax summaries. I did it on line using a new accounting program and all went through no worries. I am a champ! Just need to put them in the mail now and the job is done for another 12 months - love that.
Re the 'go hard when good then drop' - that is SO kidney. I love that since my transplant I feel like an Eveready battery sometimes - I can just keep going and going. Of course there are still those low days. Wishing my IHD family all the best always!

[Riki]

I have to break a few American habits, some of them I will only stop for the test and then go right back to doing it my way.

ok.. this could be a dumb question, but what kind of habits would you need to drop?

[galvo]

Good to hear from you, Chooky!

[cariad]

I have to break a few American habits, some of them I will only stop for the test and then go right back to doing it my way.

ok.. this could be a dumb question, but what kind of habits would you need to drop?

Not a dumb question! Arguably a dumb test, though!

The instructors teach entirely to the road test, so there are numerous little things that I have to do differently. For example, here it must be: check mirrors, signal, drive. I think it is safer to do the signal first. They also do not check blind spots as often as I do. The other one that irritates me is using the hand brake between each turn of the 3-point turn. Why would they require this? The pedal brake works beautifully in this situation. I made my mechanical-engineer, brakes-specialist husband admit that their method will burn out the clutch and the hand brake much more quickly. I can understand using the hand brake when you have to start the car going up a steep incline (although I never did, and I lived in San Francisco where I became expert at getting out of parallel parking spaces - mere inches to spare on both ends - without rolling back at all.)

I am starting to think that I am more "right-handed" than I thought. There are certain things I favour my left hand for (catching and sometimes throwing, because of the quirks of baseball and tennis) but something about switching sides of everything in the car is throwing me. I fear no parallel parking spot in America, but have no confidence in parking here. I have a rough time gauging the distances now. I have to be able to parallel park, reverse bay park, reverse round a corner and 3-point turn for the driving test. 

I find it mentally exhausting to take these lessons, and the driving test is apparently 1 *hour* long!!!! And if you get a major fault at the beginning and fail, you have to still finish the test!!! This is going to be tedious. And expensive.

Hi  I got my haircut today too!!!!!

Well, that's cool! My next cut is scheduled for August 1 (just in case you want to stay in step with me). 

[Poppylicious]

I find it mentally exhausting to take these lessons, and the driving test is apparently 1 *hour* long!!!! And if you get a major fault at the beginning and fail, you have to still finish the test!!! This is going to be tedious. And expensive.

Just curious; do you drive an automatic?  Not that it really has anything to do with anything(!) but I hear that American folk favour automatic whereas we all tend to drive with gears ... and not that I even drive so it makes no difference to me!  I did about forty lessons and just gave up (I was just burning money for no apaprent reason), but I'm wondering if an autmatic would be better for me because I had HUGE issues with the gears.  And roundabouts.  How are you getting on with roundabouts?

I was paid today and checked my bank balance ... I'm happy to report that I'm quite rich despite my best intentions at spending as much money as I can on frivolous items in charity shops. 

I've just looked to my right and see that Blokey has cleared out some boxes from under his desk, leaving a big pile of dust in their place.  I'm wondering what will happen if I point him in the direction of the hoover when he gets home from work ...

 

[cariad]

I find it mentally exhausting to take these lessons, and the driving test is apparently 1 *hour* long!!!! And if you get a major fault at the beginning and fail, you have to still finish the test!!! This is going to be tedious. And expensive.

Just curious; do you drive an automatic?  Not that it really has anything to do with anything(!) but I hear that American folk favour automatic whereas we all tend to drive with gears ... and not that I even drive so it makes no difference to me!  I did about forty lessons and just gave up (I was just burning money for no apaprent reason), but I'm wondering if an autmatic would be better for me because I had HUGE issues with the gears.  And roundabouts.  How are you getting on with roundabouts?

I drive a manual. I prefer them, but an automatic could be just the thing for you. It is one less thing to think about. Didn't you say you stalled in a roundabout? That would put anyone off driving, but an automatic would at least virtually ensure that this would not happen again. Automatics are more readily available in the US - though Gwyn says that one day soon all of Europe will be switching to cars with an automatic feature anyhow. In the US there is no separate license for manuals, so I suspect most young people do as I did, get their license at 16 on an automatic and then teach themselves how to drive stick later on.

I am fine with the *concept* of roundabouts, and understand the signalling - still panic a bit when actually driving through them, especially when I need to exit and worry that there will be a car on my left that shouldn't be there but is. Left turns don't bother me at all, generally fine with going straight, it's right turns on massive roundabouts that I have no use for. I hope the test administrators don't take off for talking to oneself, because I always count the exits when I have to take the third or higher one.

I've read that the average novice driver here requires around 45 hours of practice or lessons, so you haven't taken an exorbitant amount of instruction. If you think you'd like to get a license, I would give it another shot. If you feel no differently about the experience the second time around, then it's perfectly OK to spare yourself the bother.

[cariad]

We took the boys to the tennis club where they have hour-long group lessons for only £5 a kid. The best part is that during the younger kids' instruction, they hold a clinic for the adults that involves tennis and much running and silliness. Gwyn could not play because he wrecked his shoulder in rugby and it would not be wise for him to swing a racquet, and of my two friends that were in attendence one refused to play and the other was not dressed appropriately for it. So, I bravely walked over to the court and introduced myself to the pro (who was female) and five strange men. (Strange as in unknown to me.... and as in weird. Ha, no, I'm only joking. They were lovely.)

I had soooooo much fun. I do circuit training most weeks with the other moms, but it is grueling and doesn't hold my interest as much as sports do, and this was just the right amount of tennis with a bit of competition thrown in. About halfway through another woman joined us, so that was fantastic. I had to borrow Aidan's shoes to play. All I have are my PF Flyers which won't do the job. I pulled my quad muscle during the first drill but it didn't hurt enough to stop. It's been too long since I've got to get out there and play a bit of sport and just have fun with other adults.

[jbeany]

Today, I've accomplished everything I wanted to.  In other words, I've done exactly nothing.   

[Riki]

Today, I've accomplished everything I wanted to.  In other words, I've done exactly nothing.   

Sounds like me..

And though today is Canada Day, I have absolutely no want to go to the concerts or the fireworks tonight.  I think I'll just stay home and listen to the booms

[AnnieB]

Watched "The Real Sopranos", survived several power outages (don't know *what* was going on, but it seemed we had the electric company here half the afternoon doing something outside with a huge metal box), and practiced listening to my "thrill", which is buzzing away just as expected. Kind of neat, actually, I feel like I have a motor underneath my skin. 

Anne

[Riki]

When I was a kid, I made a pediatrician jump with my fistula.  She'd never seen one before, and I invited her to touch it.  It had never been used, and the thrill was incredible.  It was quite funny to see her jump the way she did.  I don't think she expected the sensation to be as strong as it was.

[Sugarlump]

Today we bought a new carpet for the bedroom (sort of textured oatmeal colour) and two tins of paint for the walls Cocoa bean (sort of chocolate brown for feature wall behind the bedhead)
and chocolate milkshake (latte coloured) for the other 3 walls.
Guess who's going to be busy bees this weekend!!!!
I have chocolate brown duvet cover, sheets, pillowcases, fur throw and curtains so it will be like sleeping in Willie Wonka's chocolate factory!!!!
Mmmmmmmm