So despite my inability to sleep like a normal person (I either sleep round the clock, or wake up early, as in: before sunrise) I feel like freshly baked road pizza today, and not like day old road pizza. (Believe it or not, this is an improvement. Really.)
That being the case, my pitiful amount of sleep from last night still allowed me to appreciate my view, which I will never, EVER, grow tired of... And it also proved that the Decadron is good for something besides weight gain and insomnia. I mean, just LOOK at all that wildly green growing stuff, and I'm not sneezing my head off!
After I crawled out of bed this morning, I enjoyed one of the singular pleasures of living in NYC: a fabulous "health grain" bagel from Murray's Bagels, which I had bought Thursday night. (The whole wheat everything had long since bitten the dust. Next up for tomorrow: multigrain!) Oh. So. Good. And since they've been making bagels for 103 years, I think they're allowed to experiment with a few "newfangled" varieties such as these. (No, they do not make abominations such as blueberry bagels, etc.)
The wine cork [lonely and abandoned from weeks and months ago] is there to provide scale. Heh. It was gigantic enough to provide 4 portions so that I could experiment with different toppings: Bonne Maman blackberry preserves over (1/3 less fat) Philly cream cheese, crunchy Arrowhead Mills Organic Valencia Peanut Butter, naked 1/3 lighter Philly, and Philly with Bionaturae organic strawberry fruit spread. I *heart* Bonne Maman, which my sweetie first introduced me to -- it doesn't cost that much more than Smuckers or whatever, but worlds better in taste. Yum!
This was after I spent over an hour tackling the mountain of dirty pots, pans, and dishes in my kitchen while listening to Sounds of China on WKCR, so I felt entitled to a leisurely, carbo-heaven brunch. Coincidentally, SOC finished during my munching, and Across 110th Street came on, so that pretty much sums up the music I heard growing up near NYC's Chinatown: traditional Chinese music + soul/funk. (If you ever wondered why I have never heard Led Zeppelin or Jethro Tull till college, well, I didn't grow up around many white folk, 'kay? WBLS however...) Right now, I am listening to the Amy Winehouse CD I borrowed from the public library (see: white people music, above).
Check out the radio show's irresistibly catchy theme song, and you will understand the major musical influences of my youth:
Ummm...and then I caught up with some friends on on the phone, and re-did my annual WWF panda wall calendar to reflect my newly assigned oncologist (woohoo!) which kinda leads me to feel like today was an ode to procrastination, since I am also spending lots of time blogging (blah blah blah). And by the way, one of my favorites from that website is for cluelessness, which is sooooooo tempting to frame at work [my co-workers certainly agree about this one] but is perhaps not such a good idea in Dilbertland these days. *snicker*
Basically, I am cheered by the fact that it is ridiculously easy to cheer me up/make me content, a trait to strenuously encourage during the next several months methinks. For example, although I shed a truly scary amount of hair today when I was brushing it this afternoon (not unexpected with chemo, but still startling) I at least HAVE hair to shed, so really, it's not so bad. Sure, I may take some medication to help with my outlook (hellooooo happy pills!) but I believe that they cannot change your basic disposition, and can really only lift unpleasant symptoms (i.e., they let me be me instead of [even more of] a basket case).
And now, prior to primping for dinner with my sweetie (hoorah!), I leave you with evidence that I can indeed exert myself occasionally:
an apple hat I made (granted, um, years ago) worn by its young recipient, Kevin, a now strapping young fella who is ridiculously sute,
and a sweater for a future baby (shockingly, there are no overdue baby gifts at the moment, but a few new humans are due this fall).
So one of you will not be surprised when this shows up (sorry) but hey -- it's at least machine washable!
I just have to tidy up a few last loose ends, sew on some buttons, and block/iron the heck out of the thing.
What do you all think? Is this sufficiently gender neutral for whatever baby shows up first?
That being the case, my pitiful amount of sleep from last night still allowed me to appreciate my view, which I will never, EVER, grow tired of... And it also proved that the Decadron is good for something besides weight gain and insomnia. I mean, just LOOK at all that wildly green growing stuff, and I'm not sneezing my head off!
After I crawled out of bed this morning, I enjoyed one of the singular pleasures of living in NYC: a fabulous "health grain" bagel from Murray's Bagels, which I had bought Thursday night. (The whole wheat everything had long since bitten the dust. Next up for tomorrow: multigrain!) Oh. So. Good. And since they've been making bagels for 103 years, I think they're allowed to experiment with a few "newfangled" varieties such as these. (No, they do not make abominations such as blueberry bagels, etc.)
The wine cork [lonely and abandoned from weeks and months ago] is there to provide scale. Heh. It was gigantic enough to provide 4 portions so that I could experiment with different toppings: Bonne Maman blackberry preserves over (1/3 less fat) Philly cream cheese, crunchy Arrowhead Mills Organic Valencia Peanut Butter, naked 1/3 lighter Philly, and Philly with Bionaturae organic strawberry fruit spread. I *heart* Bonne Maman, which my sweetie first introduced me to -- it doesn't cost that much more than Smuckers or whatever, but worlds better in taste. Yum!
This was after I spent over an hour tackling the mountain of dirty pots, pans, and dishes in my kitchen while listening to Sounds of China on WKCR, so I felt entitled to a leisurely, carbo-heaven brunch. Coincidentally, SOC finished during my munching, and Across 110th Street came on, so that pretty much sums up the music I heard growing up near NYC's Chinatown: traditional Chinese music + soul/funk. (If you ever wondered why I have never heard Led Zeppelin or Jethro Tull till college, well, I didn't grow up around many white folk, 'kay? WBLS however...) Right now, I am listening to the Amy Winehouse CD I borrowed from the public library (see: white people music, above).
Check out the radio show's irresistibly catchy theme song, and you will understand the major musical influences of my youth:
Ummm...and then I caught up with some friends on on the phone, and re-did my annual WWF panda wall calendar to reflect my newly assigned oncologist (woohoo!) which kinda leads me to feel like today was an ode to procrastination, since I am also spending lots of time blogging (blah blah blah). And by the way, one of my favorites from that website is for cluelessness, which is sooooooo tempting to frame at work [my co-workers certainly agree about this one] but is perhaps not such a good idea in Dilbertland these days. *snicker*
Basically, I am cheered by the fact that it is ridiculously easy to cheer me up/make me content, a trait to strenuously encourage during the next several months methinks. For example, although I shed a truly scary amount of hair today when I was brushing it this afternoon (not unexpected with chemo, but still startling) I at least HAVE hair to shed, so really, it's not so bad. Sure, I may take some medication to help with my outlook (hellooooo happy pills!) but I believe that they cannot change your basic disposition, and can really only lift unpleasant symptoms (i.e., they let me be me instead of [even more of] a basket case).
And now, prior to primping for dinner with my sweetie (hoorah!), I leave you with evidence that I can indeed exert myself occasionally:
an apple hat I made (granted, um, years ago) worn by its young recipient, Kevin, a now strapping young fella who is ridiculously sute,
and a sweater for a future baby (shockingly, there are no overdue baby gifts at the moment, but a few new humans are due this fall).
So one of you will not be surprised when this shows up (sorry) but hey -- it's at least machine washable!
I just have to tidy up a few last loose ends, sew on some buttons, and block/iron the heck out of the thing.
What do you all think? Is this sufficiently gender neutral for whatever baby shows up first?
Dang Shirl, that sweater is so cute, it almost makes me want to have another baby!
ReplyDeleteHA! You clearly have too much time on your hands then, missy (yeah right). Well, I do owe Alan a sweater, so let me think about it... (Oh, and I added a comment about hair loss above.)
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you aren't confusing Murray's with someone else? They opened a few years after I moved here, and I'm not that old.
ReplyDeleteThe sweater is favvulous. And now I want a bagel (absolute bagel on broadway and 108th is very good, too). Gotta go. Gizmo is trying to eat my watch.
ReplyDeleteeg
Glad you got to switch oncologists!
ReplyDeleteThe sweater is very cute. I haven't knit anything for months...better get on it!
--Margaret
According to Murray's website, they have been making bagels since 1896 but I guess at some other location... not sure where the original one is/was.
ReplyDeleteUgh, hair loss. The post pregnancy fallout was bad enough. *Hugs* to you for what you're going through right now.
ReplyDeleteIf Alan does'nt make the cut for the sweater (and realistically speaking, how often do we need them here in SA), how about a hat? Have you seen his little shaved head. Thank goodness it isn't lumpy or lopsidedly shaped!
um- that's 1996
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I can't read itty bitty fonts anymore... All those old B&W photos fooled me. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Jude -- a hat it is! I will ponder my options and not make something tooooo insanely cutesy pie. Heh.