Friday Fragments

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Work has been... interesting. I love my new boss. So far, things are great. But he's been out sick, so it's been a mix of him trying to learn the position, implement a few new things, and then just not being here.
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Need. To do. Chores.
With Jena being sick a couple of weeks ago, then me getting sick, and then my back going out last week... let's just say our house is badly in need of me getting things in order.

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I don't think I ever told you that my friend did come over a couple of Saturdays ago, and I did indeed learn to use a drill. Ends up it really is pretty easy. In fact, we're both convinced that it was more me not understand how all the settings work, than me not understanding what to do.

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So now I have a to-do list for myself of things I've wanted done around the house, but have been waiting for Jason to do, because I didn't know how to use a drill. The only problem is that I don't want to do it with Jena there, because she will want to help, and that's not safe, but I can't wait until after she's asleep because it's too loud. Hmph.

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And... learning that skill has given me a little boost of confidence. I think once I get a few of these drill-necessary projects done, I might just try to learn how to do something else & get at it.
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After typing that, I do seem to remember reading / hearing that once upon a time: to boost your confidence, learn a new skill. Yep, it works!

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I want to get another dog. Another protector dog, like Buddy. Or a gun. But with Jena... I figure a dog is a better bet.

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I swear I've been hearing coyotes the past few nights, and it scares the beejusus out of me. And Buddy is a great protector, and he's big, but he's only one dog, and if they're in a pack...

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Yes, we have three dogs. But little dog (Flopsy) and old & blind (Tootsie) aren't exactly helpful in actual defense situations.

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and Buddy is getting older. Something I try to ignore, but is true.

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Jena has been talking about Tess a lot lately. She misses her. She wants her. She was her friend. It makes me sad.

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And now she suddenly has a huge attachment to Flopsy. "Mommy, that's my dog" she'll say. Over, and over. Dear Lord, please don't let anything happen to that dog.

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As I typed this, I realized I have some new-ish readers, who don't know who Tess is, or what happened. If you're interested, here's the story. I also realized that new-ish readers won't realize why we don't just bring the dogs inside. The story pretty much answers that as well. At least, I think it does. It also helps to answer why the #1 priority on my drilling-project list is adding an additional dead-bolt to our front door. Again, to me it answers those questions anyway.

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Yes, I said "additional" dead-bolt. Yes, I still have issues from this. And probably will for a long time. Maybe I should write a separate post about it. I could probably fill up an entire post with the issues I have now, because of that night.

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I'm back on my vaccine soapbox, following a new policy at Jena's pediatrician's office. Of course, them implying that I'm uneducated didn't help either. Either way, I'm on fire about it, so expect a post or two on the topic. If I had time, I could churn them out right now. But alas, time is one thing I do not have right now.

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Oh, and I've decided June is Jodi-uses-her-new-benefits month. I'll be getting my first bonus, my first pay increase, starting on the 1st I now get vacation days, and Jena's new school is the workplace daycare / preschool.

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And with that, this very long Friday "Fragments", I bid you adieu. Have a great weekend!

And then my foot started tingling...

Yeah. Remember when I said there was a reason I was posting the background of my injury? There was.

About three months ago I was sitting at my desk at work when I started having the oddest burning / tingling sensation in my right foot. I was wearing a pair of shoes that I hadn't worn in a while, so at first I thought it was my shoes (because shoes do that to people all the time, right?), so I took my shoes off at my desk and started rubbing my foot.

And it did nothing.

By the afternoon, I was having the same sensation in my left foot as well, although not as strong.

I mentioned it to FireMan, just as a heads up.

Since then, I've experienced tingling, numbness, and the occasional burning sensation in both of my legs (buttocks down to toes) off-and-on. Mostly in my right leg, like before, but definitely in both.

A little twinge of minor pain in my lower back on occasion as well, as well as the rare sciatic pain in my buttocks, extending into my hamstring.

All of this was just a little too familiar.

I considered calling my family doctor. But... since my surgery I've moved about 40 miles south, and the family doctor who I had at the time (who knows my case backwards & forwards) moved his practice about 60 miles north.

So... did I want to see my new family doctor? Drive to see my old family doctor, who knows my case? Just skip it all & go back to my surgeon? Or just wait it out?

Well, since all of these symptoms were more annoying than anything, I decided to wait it out, all the while trying to decide which doctor I wanted to see if / when the time came.

And then, one night last week, my back went out.

I don't know why. I hadn't done anything unusual. Just... horrible, crippling pain.

And the Hunchback of Notre Dame was reborn in an instant.

And of course this happens on a night when FireMan is on shift, and I am home alone with FireGirl. Luckily she is old enough to do most things by herself (with direction), and is also old enough to understand when Mommy's back has an owie and so she cannot be picked up.

I would give my pain that night an 8 on a scale of 1 - 10, without a doubt the highest since my surgery. By far.

Once FireGirl went to bed, I tried to get as comfortable as possible to relax on the couch, and finally gave up, took some Ibuprofen PM, and went to bed.

In the morning when I woke up, I felt great!

Until I tried to move. The minute I moved my legs, the pain came back. Not quite as bad as the night before, but... bad.

But... my history told me it was doable, so I got up, got ready, got FireGirl ready, and headed to work like normal.

And spent a good part of the day answering questions about why I was walking around so funny.

I called my family doctor, who didn't have an opening until the next week. And since I know this isn't urgent, and our work has an on-site clinic that I can go to if it suddenly becomes urgent, I decided to wait.

I walked funny, couldn't lift things, and generally tried to take it easy for 4 days before the pain finally subsided

Trip to the Firehouse

We don't get to visit FireMan at his firehouse too often. Why? Because FireMan works an hour away from home. Not a horrible commute, since he only has to drive it once every third day. But it does mean that FireGirl & I just don't make it down there that often. But we try.

I'm not sure FireGirl thinks there's anything better than "driving" the fire truck. She knows exactly which doors to go thru to get into the bay, from anywhere in the fire house, and she knows exactly which truck is Daddy's.

She's ever-curious about what Daddy does, and she is always looking for more to learn. On this day, she learned how to put on the headset & use the radio, all by herself. Sort of. I mean, we can't actually let her use them, you know. Ha!

This day I surprised FireMan. He had no idea we were coming. We managed to sneak in at the tail end of lunch, and catch him in the kitchen. Good thing. The last two times I tried to surprise him they were out on runs when we got there. But that's the way it goes in the fire family, I suppose.

And then, because we were lucky enough for FireMan's engine to not get one run (not even one!) while we were there (although another truck did have to go out, not his, yay!), he decided to show FireGirl how to work a hose. I love those pics. I think they both enjoyed that thoroughly.

She ended up soaked, but who cares. That's why we keep a spare outfit in the diaper bag, right?

We even got to eat dinner with the guys that night, before heading back home. All in all, a great visit.

Thanks for checking in!