Overused

I am currently on a computer sabbatical. Although I will probably get a couple of blog posts up. Hopefully.

Many, many years ago (20+) in a state far, far away (California) I worked for a company called Hewlett-Packard. Maybe you've heard of them. One weekend, I worked some overtime, entering credits for customers. Unfortunately, instead of continuing to type with two hands and using the numbers at the top of the keyboard, I cranked out the work on the ten-key side. While I don't recall my speed anymore, I really rocked a ten key back in those days, entering over 300 credits in a few hours. That was when it all began - pain in my wrist, elbow, arm, and shoulder.

Since then, I've had a variety of pains, numbness, tingling, and other issues anywhere from my fingertips to my lower scapula up into my neck and base of my skull. It's a relatively normal thing for me, so while it may be uncomfortable, I mostly just put up with it. Sometimes, my massage therapist and/or chiropractor work on it. I know the things that cause me trouble, so I make some effort to avoid them or at least not overdo it. Sometimes, not so much.

The past couple of weeks have been pretty bad. I've had both extra chiropractor and massage appointments. It's much better, but as soon as I get on the computer, it gets bad. Quickly.

Today I was helping Caleb pick up ratty apples in the backyard and it hurt to even do that. UGH. So it was off to the chiropractor - again - especially since her office won't be open again until Tuesday. I told her I had already decided that I need to take a break from the computer beyond things that I absolutely have to do. She agreed that was a good idea. She also gave me a schedule of icing and ibuprofen for the next 5 days. Which I will adhere to, because I am sick and tired of this pain.

Some days I think I should just work on becoming left-handed so I could give everything on my right side a much longer break. It seems that everything I enjoy doing requires my right hand/arm, which is kind of frustrating these days. So it's time to take a break from much that aggravates my upper right appendage. I hope to get a few blog posts up, but that'll be the only recreational computer time for now.

Of course, a week or so away from the computer will probably be very good for me. And my household. And my family. I may even accomplish some much-needed things around here.

p.s. - I think this might have to apply to some of my iPhone activities, too. Sigh.

fifty cubed - week 2

You know when you ride on the roller coaster and that first hill is the biggest, fastest, most intense part of the trip? The rest of the ride is still fun and all, but it's the big hill that's the best.

That's kind of like my motivation.

I creep up that big hill and come screaming down with light speed motivation, but the rest of the time never gains quite the momentum.

I am very much like a three year old. Short attention span. Terribly short. Ditto on the motivation for just about everything.

That's precisely why I'm blogging this self challenge. I will need a kick in the pants to keep going. I need FastPass so I can quickly regain my motivation atop Disney's California Screamn'. Over and over and over again.

So what I'm pretty much saying here is that I did not succeed in my week of drinking more water. Well, I guess I did drink some more water than normal. But not nearly enough. I think I need to take a slightly stronger approach to this matter. Perhaps fill up a pitcher with all the water I should drink in a day and stick it in the frig. Then I have a visual reminder each time I open the refrigerator. That's probably a good thing, since I'm a very visual person.

Funny thing, that visual stuff. I'm getting more and more visual as the years go screaming past me. Toilet paper rolls left on the bathroom counter so I can remember to bring up a new package. Milk jugs by the front door so I'll remember to pick up more milk. It's no wonder my house is such a mess. Out of sigh, out of mind is truly the reality in my world. Therefore, I should never put anything away, right?

But I digress.

Speaking of digression. The flaxseed? Yeah, it's sitting on the server. You know, my visual reminder to take it. That's not panned out so well, either.

So this is my FastPass Kick in the Pants to get crackalackin' this week. {Try saying that three times fast}

Go ahead and remind me. Give me a nudge on Twitter or FB. I won't mind. Question me, even. Something's gotta give, and I'm hoping it's some excess weight, not the zipper on my pants.



To find out how this all started and what it's all about, check out the first post or the tab at up there below my header.

Excuse Me?!?

Our health insurance provider is kind enough to send a handy little flyer that details all the preventive care you should receive and when you should receive it. Now don't get me wrong. I believe that some preventive care is very valuable and should be done. Not all of what they list, but certainly some of it. While perusing the flyer, I came to the very last heading for the adults:

Alcohol Misuse Screening and Behavioral Health Counseling Intervention

WHAT?!? I mean it's not as if I don't know what "misuse" of alcohol is. And I can probably figure out the BHCI. But here's the interesting part. The frequency of this particlar screening?

Routinely - 18 years and older.

So once I'm past 18 (already there), I'm supposed to "routinely" be screened for alcohol abuse misuse and have my mental behavioral health checked out, in case I might be in need of some intervention?!?! What, exactly, constitutes "routinely" anyway?

I certainly mean no ill-will towards anyone who struggles with alcohol or mental issues. But I also do not believe that everyone needs to be routinely screened for such things. For one, I don't drink alcohol. At all. Not that I never have, but we're talking many, many years ago. An entirely different life and lifetime. Kind of hard to have "alcohol misuse" when you don't drink the stuff.

And depending upon the day and certain hormonal issues, I'm sure that someone may think I need some intervention occasionally. I doubt I need to be screened in order to know that some days I can be moody or grumpy. And I certainly don't want any potentially negative things stuck in my medical file over some absurd "routine" screening.

Sorry, health insurance folks. I won't be participating in this particular screening.

Help, My Eye's Twitching!

I've noticed over the past few days that my eye is twitching. And it's getting to be more consistent. Not just a little twitch here or there. In fact, as I sit here, cleaning out my overflowing inbox, I realized that it has twitched almost non-stop for the past few hours. A quick web search provided me with the following information:

Why Does My Eye Twitch?
Eye twitches can be triggered by a variety of different factors. Some of the conditions that cause eye twitches are environmental, some are physiological, and some are psychological in nature. Below is a list of some of the more common causes of eye twitch:

• Fatigue or lack of sleep - Me? Short of sleep? Ha! Ha! Ha! Perish the thought. Or fall asleep during the thought.


• Over consumption of caffeine - There's no caffeine in a case of Dr Pepper, is there?


• Physical or emotional stress - Nothing here, nope, not a contract on a house or anything. Still house hunting. Four plus months and three offers later. That's not so stressful, now is it?


• Anxiety or phobias - Does fear of cleaning toilets count? Maybe a slight side of arachnophobia? What about drop-down attic stair quirks?


• Brain damage or other neurological disorders - Let's just say it's a good thing someone else isn't answering this twitchy quiz for me!


• Associated with temper tantrums (especially in children) - Glad they clarified that it's in children!


• Eye stress associated with extended viewing of the computer screen - You can blog without the computer screen, right?


• Epilepsy - None of that here.

(Disclaimer: The comments here are purely in jest, other than my twitchy eye. Eye would NEVER make fun of nor mock anyone who has serious issues such as brain damage, neurological disorders, epilepsy, etc.)



Maybe EYE could make a guest appearance on Lost. What do you think?


What does it say about me that EYE keep taking pix of my EYE?


Does that creep you out? EYE mean not that EYE took the photos, but that EYE posted them. Reminds me of awhile back when Carmi had an EYE-related post that was, well, . . . slightly surprising. You can go see for yourself. But don't say EYE didn't warn you.

May Day Weight Loss Challenge

This is THE day - the May Day Weight Loss Challenge begins over at Tales from the Scales. This challenge will run from May 8th to September 8th and is open to anyone - bloggers and non-bloggers. So if you'd like to join in, click the button or the link above.

Meanwhile, back here on the bunny trail, I'll be posting my LOSSES (or gains) each week. The idea being that this will provide some much-needed accountability. I'm also supposed to share a little about my weight history, so this is the point at which you can get your nice, cold (or hot) beverage and settle in for some reading, or just find something more interesting to do, like trim your split ends, one at a time, or maybe wax the driveway.

Prior to getting married, I think the weight stayed away from me because I danced - a lot! Naturally, aftger getting married, going out to bars and dancing with other guys (hubby doesn't dance) was completely inappropriate (side note: this took place before I came to know Jesus!). Since my one and only method of exercise was gone, excess weight started following me around and clinging onto my hips, thighs, and other sundry areas.

Over the subsequent years, I tried a few plans but mostly Weight Watchers on and off. WW really is awesome - WHEN I follow it.

I did well with my first pregnancy because I had to carefully monitor what I ate due to borderline gestational diabetes. In fact, at my 6-week post-delivery check up, I weighed 30 pounds less than before I got pregnant! I didn't manage so well with the second pregnancy and have since added and shifted assorted poundage (kids are now 13 1/2 and 12).

At this point, I'm pretty close to my highest weight - ugh! I have been going to Curves which has helped my energy level. Now that it's spring, I always have that hankering to get in better shape for the summer. That, and a hankering for homemade ice cream. LOL!

As it always is with God's amazing timing, today is a beautiful, glorious spring day - following a couple weeks of clouds, fog, rain, and snow. So it's the perfect day to be motivated to begin this challenge. Next Tuesday I'll be posting a LOSS! Either that, or I'll be serving myself a big bowl of crow (baked white meat, no skin, and a salad on the side topped with Bernstein's Lite Northern Italian with Basil & Romano dressing).