EMRT

$ cd ~meri > EMRT

On sleep (or lack thereof), and cats, and the intersection of same.

2015.12.18

Those of you who were following along with my flurry of updates and comments on facebook last night know that I was having a great deal of difficulty finding my way to sleep. This was particularly annoying as it was the third1 night running that this was a problem. My body doesn’t have much in the way of reserves to draw upon, and it really needs to be able to recharge through sleep. Often more than once per day. Any significant drop in the aggregate amount of sleep I get in a 24 hour period generally leads to an abrupt and overwhelming system shutdown, where my body overrides my brain and takes charge of the situation.2 These forced periods of near convalescence always occur at the most inconvenient times, and are generally a big drag. (more…)

A Day in the Life, EMRT, Quadrupeds I Have Known and Loved

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ICD code for fiber fiends.

2015.02.17

[covert-ops] medicalThis tidbit of information comes to you from a physical therapist I had back in Maryland:

Knitting and crocheting injuries have their own ICD code. “2015 ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code E012.0: Activities involving knitting and crocheting.” This code will be replaced by the equivalent 2015 ICD-10-CM Code of Y93.D1 when the US makes the transition on October 1, 2015. (more…)

Amusements, Craftiness, EMRT

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I am meri! Hear me sneeze!

2015.02.08

[covert-ops] medicalAfter nearly a week of fighting the good fight, I believe that my immune system has started its slow capitulation to the inevitable.

G has been sick with a miserable cold since last weekend. I haven’t seen him this sick in years. I’ve been doing what I can for him, while at the same time trying to do everything in my power not to catch the plague. I thought I had things under control, but over the last day or so, I think I’ve started a downward slide into the ick.

I was feeling kind of achy (more so than usual) yesterday. Over the course of the day, I started to get that ‘lungs are heavy’ feeling. By last night, my eardrums were itching. This morning, I’m sneezing, and I have a sore throat.

I figure I have 2, maybe 3 days until I completely expire. *puts wrist to forehead*

No, no. Nothing that dramatic. I’ve just watched G go through the whole thing this week, and I’m not looking forward to what’s to come.

Annoyances, EMRT

Locals Only: Requesting Assistance with Cleaning

2014.05.08

TL; DR: meri is asking for warm bodies to carry things outside.

If any of you happen to be available this Saturday (or potentially Sunday) to help G and I make the final push on this whole “decluttering of the house” thing, we would both be eternally grateful for your assistance. Mostly, what we’re looking for is people who are willing and able to pick up stuff that we point at and take it (often up stairs or down stairs) outside to a waiting truck and/or pile. We will do all of the actual sorting, it’s just help getting things from various points in the house to the actual outdoors with which we need help.

In exchange for your kind assistance, we offer beer / soft drinks / coffee / tea / water, and pizza. And, a good chance that you might find some stuff that you want in the stuff we’re getting rid of. Also, this will likely be the last “social” thing that G and I do before we take Mr. Soule’s advice and head west.

If any of you are interested (or not interested, but inclined to help), please send me a message, and I’ll send you our address and contact info.

Many thanks!

Mary

CAVEAT: If you have cat or dust allergies, you should probably sit this one out. 4 cats. Lots of dust.

Cleaning, EMRT, Events

Commence radio silence.

2014.03.02

There’s a good chance that things are going to go quiet around here for a bit.

I’m likely going to be out of touch for about a week, give or take. I’ll probably only be checking email, SMSes, and cell phone about twice a day. If you have something really urgent, contact G, and he’ll relay a message, if possible. (Please try not to have anything really urgent, as “really urgent” usually translates to “really bad” in our circles, and I would hate for any of you to have something really bad happen. Ok? Ok.)

Things should return to a meri-normal state by Monday the 10th, barring weirdness.

Be good, or if you can’t be good, at least have fun.

EMRT, PSA

Never a dull moment, part in a series.

2014.02.10

I think I might have overextended myself this week.

  • Today, I was supposed to have three medical appointments (starting at 7:30 AM!), but one of them cancelled on me. So far today, I’ve gone to PT, gone grocery shopping, and ran a quick errand for G. Now I have a few hours until I have to head out to the orthopaedic surgeon, to see if he can figure out why I can’t straighten my left knee. (The physical therapist was quite adamant that, no matter how much she tries to help my ankles, it’s all going to be for naught if I can’t straighten the knee. And I see her point. Thus, the appointment.)
  • Tomorrow, I see a dermatologist, to have him examine a weird mole, and to see if he can figure out why my skin seems to be at war with me.
  • Wednesday, I’m having my car serviced.
  • Thursday, I have more physical therapy, and knit night (and maybe dinner afterwards).
  • Friday is thus far blessedly free.
  • Saturday, the Harvest knit-along continues. (I’m well past the point of having joined my sleeves, and am almost at the end of the increases, for those playing along at home.)
  • Sunday, I think I shall collapse.

Intermixed with all of this is a bunch of layout and design that I have promised people, and little things like eating and bathing and doing laundry.

Does anyone have any spare energy to spare? I think I’m gonna need an influx.

Craftiness, EMRT

Having taken a deep breath or two…

2013.08.29

Ok, so I’m calmer now. Certainly calmer than I was yesterday. I had a very bad pain day yesterday, and PT was very hard, and  I could barely walk, and a little part of me snapped, resulting in that post.

This isn’t to say that all of what I wrote isn’t true. My outline of a ‘normal’ day was pretty spot-on. But, looking at my life a little bit more objectively today, it’s not the whole truth. (more…)

EMRT, Navel Gazing

Monday Morning Blues

2013.07.22

(Cue Breathe earworm. For the three people out there who know the song.)

I’ve been feeling kind of melancholy for the past few days. I’m not entirely sure why. Things are actually going pretty well for me right now. I’m busy, my health is as good as it’s been in the past couple of years, I have no great stressors in my life. And yet, I’m feeling down.

What are the best ways you know of to fight general feelings of sadness and / or discontentedness? (Please don’t tell me to go take a walk. It’s DC in the summer. For me, that way lies death.)

Annoyances, EMRT

Some days, my body can just go to hell.

2013.07.09

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few years coming to terms with what my body can and can’t do now, and it’s pretty much required redefining myself. It’s been hard, but I mostly have a handle on it.

Except right this moment, I’m incredibly pissed off at my body, because there’s something that I very much want to do tomorrow, and I’m not sure if there’s any way I can pull it off.

(And no, it isn’t something you can help with. I’m just incredibly angry and frustrated, and needed to vent it somehow.)

Annoyances, EMRT

Do not approve.

2013.06.03

It seems that summer has arrived, and I (for one) do not approve.

I have problems enough with overheating when it’s a reasonable temperature outside. Now that it isn’t, life is getting very unpleasant. I am in a well air-conditioned house, and spend most of my time in the basement of same, with a ceiling fan running, and still find myself sweating. I’m hoping this is mostly due to the high level of humidity. (I’m hoping this because G’s just ordered a dehumidifier, so hope may be in sight.)

But that’s indoors. Going outdoors is just … untenable. I can’t breathe, I immediately break out into a sweat, and my *#&%)$ glasses fog up.

And it’s only June.

Annoyances, EMRT