Apple Whine

From the title you've been warned that I'm a bit miserable. Feel free to click away now.

I went to the doctor yesterday, expecting him to put me in a cast. I knew the foot was a little swollen but was shocked when the bandage and split were removed to reveal I had grown a football on the end of my leg. Because of all the swelling I had also developed a post-op blister that popped as the bandaging was removed. Because of the swelling some of the stitches were very hard (and painful) to remove.

I really have no one to blame but myself, this is after-all my third foot surgery. I know that I need to keep it elevated above my heart and I did - but not nearly enough. I can't sleep in the bed with it propped up on a tower of pillows. I tried reading but lying on my back I can't get my bifocals to focus. And then there is the lure of my computer. It's a great little lap top but over heats when placed on my belly. It is very frustrating to have to ask John to bring me anything I want or me, I'd much rather get up an do it myself.

The cam walker is heavy and uncomfortable but at least I can take it off to wash and tighten the bandage. Since the doctor appointment yesterday I have been in as much or more pain than I was in right after the surgery. I can't figure out why the foot hurts much less when I'm sitting up with it stretched out next to me than when I'm lying down with it up on a stack of pillows. Most of the time when I get up on the crutches I break out in a sweat and often feel nauseous. I slept on the couch last night so it would be properly elevated. At least John was able to sleep better and it did stay elevated all night.

I guess I've used up my sitting up time for this morning. For the next week I'll be watching a lot of movies and reading any large print books I have or can get from Mom.

Winter Blues

I'm still here. Thank you to all of you who have asked if everything is OK. I suffer from SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - and 2010 has gotten of to a rocky start. I have started to write several times but they were all whiny posts that I decided not to publish. So another edition of Apple Whine and hopefully I'll find something pleasant to write about.

We had a very relaxing Christmas holiday. My first day back to work found me doing driver training and the weather conditions were awful. I have done skills training in the winter before but never taken a new driver out on my route with me in bad conditions. He did wonderfully but I found the stress exhausting. I have also worked with several drivers his age before, however since he used to play football with my son it made me feel ancient to work with him.

Mom has hit another bump in the road where I feel like I am dealing with a child rather than my mother. She's been forgetful and stubborn. Thankfully my sister deals with her stubbornness better than I do. She doesn't leave her chair unless she has to. She is forgetting to take some of her doses of medication and though she is very unsteady on her feet she only used the walker now and then. After the weeks of physical therapy for her good arm she has stopped doing her exercises. I'm hoping she just has the winter blues too and this will all pass, as it has before.

She has been obsessed with a Meals on Wheels bill that she didn't pay. As soon as a bill comes in she writes a check so she couldn't understand how she missed it. It turns out that she didn't miss it, I did. It came with a meal that was delivered when we were out, probably at physical therapy, and was put in the cooler with her meal since we weren't home yet when they came. I saw only the meal, not the white envelope in the white cooler. We used the cooler again this week when she had a doctor appointment and there it was. She feels much better knowing that it was my screw up and not hers. And I also screwed up in not reading her Medicare Part-D stuff closely at the end of the year. Her plan stopped paying for two of her prescriptions January 1st. Her other plan will cover them but only one month at a time so that will cost her more this year.

Twig started going to a preschool class for three year-olds and is so excited about it! He's only made a few classes so far because he keeps getting sick. His sister has been getting sick too. When Bean called school to say that Sprout wouldn't be there Friday the school secretary said to her, "She's sick AGAIN!?" The latest - Twig has Croup.

It would be nice if other parents would keep their little ones home when they are sick, like Bean does. I had three kindergartner's that coughed all over everyone they could all week, including me. I was constantly disinfecting handrails, seats and windows. They have learned to cough into their elbows but it seems to take three before they get their elbow up.

I've has to endure several meetings at work. Training, scheduling and cut backs. Gov. Paterson is cutting aid to schools and transportation is an obvious place to look to make cuts. I have enough seniority that I will be OK but may have to drive a new route. Others are understandably upset and need to talk about it. I've always had broad shoulders but I'm feeling weighed down.

On a positive note, I started dieting the 1st of the year and have stuck to it reasonably well. I'm down a few pounds and hope to fit into my bathing suit and shorts by winter break ;-)

I also have done fairly well at keeping up my genealogy blog, Apple's Tree. Several of John's family members have joined me in working on his family tree and on another happy note I have been corresponding with one of my cousins. She is connected to the line from which the letters come so it will be fun to swap information and opinions.

More Apple Whine

I've been away from blogging for quite awhile now. I was sick enough to be miserable but not sick enough to miss work for a couple of weeks and then things (mostly work) simply got so stressful that I basically stopped doing anything I didn't have too. Instead I've spent hours in the garden, read a few novels and become addicted to Peggle.

We normally keep our routes from year to year, however due to a change I'm not sure I can talk about yet, all of our routes for next year went up for bid. The not knowing what we were going to get was stressful for everyone. Some of the drivers will be loosing a 1/4 of their hours and others are loosing overtime that they have come to count on. Bidding is finally over and I am quite relieved that I will have routes very similar to what I have this year and will retain 40-45% of my students. Knowing that I will be loosing so many has made me quite sad, as I've had my routes for five years.

We also had to move into our new facility before it was finished. I'm thrilled for our mechanics that they have such a great garage to work in. We've all been told not to say anything negative because it will be great once it's done, and I'm sure it will be. It is much larger than than the very old and cramped space that we've left behind. I anticipate loosing lots of weight walking up and down the giant hill gentle slope that we now park on. I hope the flat tire I got from a screw in the new parking lot was a one time thing.

There have been lots of other little things that by themselves don't amount to much but so many, so close together just piled up. I've found myself angry over things that normally I'd just shrug off. Hopefully with things starting to sort themselves out things will get back to normal - and so will I.

Bootless

It was great to see my brother and his family at Thanksgiving. Dallas caught me on video as I came in on crutches and hopefully that section of video has been erased! That was the last day that I used the crutches.

The day before Thanksgiving I ended up with a toothache. It was some better by the time we left for County Girls and I was able to visit and eat but between that and my foot I certainly wasn't at my best. B and the boys didn't end up being able to make it because they're heater broke down and B spent the day trying to fix it. After we got home he came over and borrow our electric heaters. The boys went to their other grandmother's for the day.

Bean and her family came. Twig was playing with some of Ron's toy tractors. I don't know how he knew it was almost time for them to leave but all of a sudden he started dropping the tractors down the front of his shirt. It was hilarious! He was none too happy when he realized that the tractors would not being going home with him.

John and I both had dentist appointments on Tuesday. I have an abscess so a root canal is in my near future. I get to take antibiotics until then. It really hasn't hurt too much since then.

Wednesday we had great weather so we were able to go to Mom's for the morning. While John did her shopping I got a much need haircut! The weather had really been keeping me from getting out so it was great to be out two days in a row.

Friday I went back to the doctor. My foot is not healing as fast as should; there is still more bruising than there should be. But I am done with the walking boot and back into sneakers!!! I went shopping with Bean that evening and had to wear the boot because I'd be standing so long but I drove the car for the first time in a month and that was very liberating.

Today the boys were here and they (mostly Alex) helped to decorate the tree. John brought it in the day after Thanksgiving but I just didn't feel like decorating it. Country Girl brought Mom's ornaments over and we divided them up and I will add some of them to the tree later.

I've been doing lot's of online shopping but that's about all. Now that I'm mobile again I hope to haul myself out of this funk that I've been in the last few weeks.