Cindy’s Blog

Do you think Jack has Maine Coon in him? I’ve always wondered.

You really need a side view to show his mane in its full glory - a pic I don’t have.

And another one. He doesn’t weigh nearly this much now.

I went in for a repeat blood test today - again. This is the second time that the lab botched my sample. I’m having a series of tests to find out why my IgM values are low.

Yesterday the doctor called me to tell me that the blood lab in Utah put my sample in the frig for 30 minutes when it was supposed to be analyzed right away. They asked me to come to the hospital lab (instead of my doctors office lab around the corner) for the repeat draw to minimize errors and asked what time I could come in. Thanks to Cesar Chavez, I have today off.

To my surprise, the lab manager and her assistant were there to greet me and apologize profusely for the errors. They gave me a $5 coupon to use in the gift shop or one of the cafes. They also told me that the Chief Operating Officer of my healthcare system and the Medical Director of Quality Resource Management wanted to speak to me afterward to restore my confidence in the healthcare group. !!

Apparently there was a plane or some type of urgent medical delivery system in place to handle my blood this time. And the Utah lab is on alert to watch for my silly sample. All for a low IgM value that most likely doesn’t mean anything.

After my blood test I was led to a conference room with the COO and medical director. They told me that there have been a few meetings about why things went wrong repeatedly with my tests. As a result, new procedures are in place for out of the ordinary lab tests to make sure it never happens again.

Glad to do my part to improve health care for everyone.

I finally got a haircut yesterday. It was long overdue. I asked my stylist to make it longer in the front than the back. I told her I wanted a more obvious angle than I had last time and that I wanted the front to be chin length or a little below. This is what she did.

I told John that I have a Catholic school girl haircut now. He agrees.

Later he told me “It doesn’t look bad. It just doesn’t look good.”

Last time she was done in 15 minutes and it looked pretty good. This time she took an entire hour, cutting layer by layer, which isn’t necessary with my fine hair. It may have started out the right length in the front, but she spent a long time evening it out on one side, then the other. She charged me $10 more too. She told me she couldn’t make it any higher in the back. I don’t believe her.

Here I am with my cat, Maestro. Part of the reason I look so crappy is that that’s how I feel. I have a cold and am so tired. My spirits are lifted somewhat in this pic by the nearness of the furry ball of sweetness and the fact that I’m wearing the fingerless mittens I just finished knitting.

I came across the Egypt project report Garrison wrote in 6th grade on mummification. Its so cute I had to share! I believe this may be one of the best homework assignments he’s done. At least its the most engaging. He actually went through the steps to mummify a stuffed bear and a cornish game hen while photographing and describing the entire process.

We still have the mummies, as you can see. Menwi, the hen, is usually kept in a sealed plastic bag, but she was let out for this photo shoot. Read the report for yourself. Mummification of a Stuffed Bear and a Cornish Game Hen

Here’s what’s happened in no particular order. Pics later.

• Garrison’s car was totaled by someone running a red light and swiping across the front of his car.
• At least three new pumpkins have formed among the Jack O’Lantern blob.
• The rabbits are now contained in their enclosures/hutches.
• We hand fed two orphaned pigeons for two days.
• The rabbits ate eight out of nine brandywine tomato plants.
• The Jazz Jubilee is over. G’s last performance with Sax by Popular Demand is now over too.
• The traveling drop stitch sweater is finished.
• The willow tree in our backyard is gone.

Here’s another view of the daffodils, this time taken with better lighting.

The tiny little green things in the foreground are calla lillies that are just starting to come up again after having been killed off in the last frost. Between the calla lillies and daffodils is an area where sugar pumpkins will grow in a few months. I plan to fill in all the bare areas with pumpkins.

Here’s a shot of our house, showing how we tight-pack our cars to fit into the small length of street in front.

Does it ever look tiny. But, like Dr. Who’s space capsule, it looks much bigger inside.

When it’s either a hematoma or a muscle tear. When I heard that the doctor said this I thought he had to be wrong. But after realizing that he must do a hundred hernia operations/year, I’ve concluded that he must know what he’s talking about.

The doctor’s suggestion was to not lift such heavy weights but that’s not an option. But now that my son of iron breathes while he works out it’s not a problem anymore.

Here’s what’s happened:

1) Garrison has a hernia now from all the heavy weight lifting. We don’t see the surgeon until the end of the month. He can still play the saxophone (quietly) and can lift weights if he breathes while he lifts.

2) The stupid rabbits have started fighting again. I thought that Fred had lost his eye, but it’s open again and looks o.k. The little pea brains. At one point Ed was in the bunny palace and was running from one spot to another inside it. Each time he would stop, Fred ran to that spot and they touched mouths through the cage wire. ?! Kissing? Biting?

Later Fred went elsewhere and Lucy entered the palace with Ed. I imagined Fred thinking “I lost an eye for you, girl and this is the thanks I get? You hang out with the loser?”

… leg press 300 pounds. Currently I’m at 260. Entirely doable. New Years resolution suggestion by Garrison.

Garrison received an acceptance letter from Humboldt State today. It’s his safety school but it’s still nice. It arrived in a thin envelope. Oddly, Humboldt sent a big envelope to thank him for applying (he’s holding it up in the photo a few posts ago).